1. General Provisions
The scientific journal “Geology and Geochemistry of Combustible Minerals” is a peer-reviewed academic publication classified as Category B (according to the list of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine). All scientific materials submitted for consideration are subject to mandatory expert evaluation (peer review) prior to a decision on publication. The peer review procedure complies with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
2. Purpose of Peer Review
The purpose of the peer review policy is to ensure the scientific quality, reliability, originality, and compliance with international standards of published research in the fields of geology, geochemistry, and related disciplines.
3. Type of Peer Review
The journal applies a double-blind peer review process:
- authors do not know the identities of the reviewers;
- reviewers do not know the identities of the authors.
This format ensures an unbiased evaluation of scientific materials.
4. Peer Review Procedure
4.1. Initial Screening
Upon receipt of a manuscript, the responsible editor checks the article for compliance with:
- the journal’s thematic scope;
- formatting requirements;
- basic criteria of scientific quality.
Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements may be returned to the authors without external review.
4.2. Expert Evaluation
As a rule, each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent reviewers who are experts in the relevant scientific field.
Reviewers evaluate:
- scientific novelty and relevance of the research;
- appropriateness of the methodology to the subject of the study;
- -clarity and logical structure of the presentation;
- -correctness of the interpretation of results;
- -quality of the use of sources and references.
4.3. Editorial Decision
Based on the reviewers’ reports and recommendations, the editorial board makes one of the following decisions:
- accept without revisions;
- accept after minor revisions;
- request major revisions;
- reject the manuscript.
5. Ethical Standards
The journal adheres to generally recognized principles of academic integrity and ethics:
- peer review is conducted impartially and confidentially;
- reviewers must not have conflicts of interest with the authors or the subject of the manuscript;
- plagiarism and copyright violations are grounds for immediate rejection;
- if scientific misconduct is identified in already published materials, corrections or article retraction may be issued.
6. Conflict of Interest
Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
Reviewers are required to decline participation in the review process if a conflict of interest exists.
7. Review Timeline
The optimal review period does not exceed 20 calendar days from the date the manuscript is sent to reviewers.
8. Editorial Responsibility
The editorial board ensures:
- organization of the peer review process in accordance with this policy;
- protection of the rights of authors and reviewers;
- compliance with academic ethical standards.