The Collection of scientific papers «Railbound rolling stock» ensures objectivity and transparency in the publication process.
All participants in the editorial process — authors, reviewers, and editors — must disclose any potential conflicts of interest. This policy is aimed at preventing conflicts of interest from influencing research results and the decision-making process regarding publication.
A conflict of interest arises when authors, reviewers, editorial board members, or editorial staff have interests that are not entirely obvious and may affect their judgment regarding the content of a publication; or when an author, reviewer, editorial board member, or editorial staff member has any relationship that may subjectively influence decisions concerning publication.
Conflict of Interest on the Part of Authors
When submitting a manuscript, authors must inform the editorial office of any financial or other significant conflicts of interest that could have influenced the presented results or their interpretation, including:
• financial relationships (direct employment, honoraria, consulting, grants, membership in interest groups, licensing, etc.);
• non-financial relationships (professional and/or personal relationships, academic rivalry, ideological or religious beliefs).
Conflict of Interest on the Part of Reviewers
Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest that may affect their ability to objectively evaluate a manuscript. Reviewers must immediately notify the editorial office if:
• they have financial or personal relationships with the author(s) or organizations involved in the research;
• there is direct competition between their own research and the manuscript under review;
• they have a personal interest or bias that may affect the objectivity of their assessment.
If a conflict of interest is identified, reviewers must decline to review the manuscript.
Conflict of Interest on the Part of Editorial Board Members
Editorial board members and the Editor-in-Chief have the right to submit their manuscripts to the collection; however, they must not make decisions regarding the publication of their own scientific works. To avoid conflicts of interest, such manuscripts are handled without their involvement.
If the Editor-in-Chief submits a manuscript to the collection, the review process, the final decision on the article, and the appointment of independent reviewers are managed by the Deputy Editor-in-Chief. The article is approved for publication based on the received reviews.
The editorial board guarantees transparency in disclosing all conflicts of interest. All participants in the publication process are obliged to comply with this policy, which is a mandatory condition for ensuring academic integrity and objectivity in scientific communication.