Editorial Policy on Violations

 The journal “Land Management, Cadastre and Land Monitoring” adheres to the principles of publication ethics formulated by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) and applies a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism, data manipulation, unethical authorship, and any forms of compromised peer review. All suspected violations are handled through a due investigative process with guarantees of impartiality and confidentiality.

 1. Duplicate Submission and Duplicate Publication

Author(s) must submit unique manuscripts that are not under consideration elsewhere and do not constitute a repeat publication of previously disseminated results without appropriate citation. Misconduct includes, in particular:

  • simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals;
  • duplicate publication (in whole or in part), including through paraphrasing without proper references;
  • submission of multiple manuscripts based on one study without a clear differentiation of novelty, methods, and results.

Such cases generally result in immediate rejection of the manuscript and the application of editorial measures.

 2. Citation Manipulation

The journal does not accept manuscripts containing citations intended to artificially increase metrics (self-citation, citation stacking, coercive citation, irrelevant references). Detection of citation manipulation may lead to:

  • rejection of the manuscript;
  • a requirement to revise the literature review and bibliography;
  • sanctions in cases of systematic violations.

 3. Fabrication/Falsification of Data and Image Manipulation

Any form of fabrication or falsification of data, including manipulation of figures and images (substitution, “retouching,” improper image editing, concealment of artefacts), constitutes a serious ethical breach and may result in:

  • immediate rejection of the manuscript;
  • post-publication actions (correction/retraction) if identified after publication;
  • notification of relevant institutions where justified.

 4. Compromised Peer Review and Unethical Practices

The journal actively counters practices that undermine the independence of expert evaluation, including:

  • fake or fabricated reviewers;
  • interference with the peer-review process;
  • the use of paper mills (mass production of manuscripts) or other fraudulent schemes.

If such cases are identified, the journal may reject the manuscript, retract the publication, and apply additional measures under this policy.

 5. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The use of AI tools to generate text, images, or data is permitted only with transparent disclosure of what was done, which tool was used, and how the author(s) verified the accuracy of the output.
Failure to disclose substantial AI use, or the use of AI to generate/falsify data or images, may be treated as misconduct and constitute grounds for rejection or retraction.

 6. Unethical Authorship and Identity Theft

Misconduct includes:

  • misrepresentation of authorship (guest/ghost authorship);
  • use of personal data without consent (including name, affiliation, ORCID);
  • submission of a manuscript on behalf of another person.

Such cases may result in rejection, retraction, and notification of institutions/platforms where justified.

 Procedure for Handling Suspicions and Conducting Investigations

In cases of suspected misconduct, the journal:

1.    conducts a preliminary assessment (including originality screening, analysis of data/images, and metadata review);

2.    involves independent experts where necessary;

3.    notifies the author(s) and provides an opportunity to submit explanations and supporting materials (data, source files, protocols, etc.);

4.    reaches a decision in accordance with COPE principles, documenting key stages.

Depending on the stage and nature of the violation, the journal may apply:

  • rejection of the manuscript (if under consideration);
  • suspension of the editorial process until the review is completed;
  • post-publication actions with respect to already published materials.

 

Post-Publication Actions: Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

 1. Correction

A correction is issued where a substantial error is identified that affects interpretation of results (e.g., a computational/experimental error) but does not render the conclusions entirely invalid. A correction is published as a separate document and linked to the original article.

 2. Erratum

An Erratum is used when an error occurred during the editorial and publishing process (e.g., a technical omission, incorrect implementation of edits, omission of author clarifications) and materially affects the accuracy of the publication.

 3. Corrigendum

A Corrigendum is published when a substantial error was made by the author(s). All corrections require editorial approval.

 4. Expression of Concern

If there are serious grounds to question the reliability of an article or compliance with ethics, but evidence is insufficient for retraction or an investigation is ongoing, the journal may publish an Expression of Concern as a separate document linked to the original article.

 5. Retraction

The editorial office may retract an article if:

  • results are unreliable due to fabrication/falsification of data or image manipulation;
  • duplicate publication occurred without appropriate citation/rights;
  • plagiarism is identified;
  • authorship is unethical or identity theft is established;
  • the peer-review process was compromised;
  • the research involved serious violations of ethical norms.

Requests for retraction may be submitted by authors, the editorial office, or third parties. The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or an authorised deputy following due consideration (and, where necessary, with external expert involvement). After a retraction decision:

  • the article is marked as “Retracted” (including in the PDF and on the publication page);
  • the title is changed to “Retraction: [Article Title]”;
  • a separate retraction statement is published and linked to the original article.

 

Timeliness and Availability of Materials

Decisions on corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions are made without undue delay once the facts have been established. If a coordinated position with the author(s) cannot be achieved, the journal reserves the right to publish the statement necessary to protect the scholarly record.

Retracted articles generally remain available in the archive with clear labelling of their status. Full removal is possible only in exceptional cases provided by law (including the protection of personal data, confirmed copyright infringement, or compliance with court orders).