Publication Ethics - Ethical Policy

The Journal has an international scientific board of recognized experts in the field.

The editor and the publisher can be contacted here:

H-1116, Hungary, Budapest, Putnok str. 9.,

Principal Contact:

Prof. Mate ZOLDY DSc

editor@cogsust.com

Support Contact:

Adam TOROK

info@cogsust.com

Ethical oversight

In cases of suspected misconduct, the journal follows a structured procedure that includes the receipt of allegations, preliminary assessment, detailed investigation when necessary, and a final decision. Depending on the outcome, actions may include rejection of the manuscript, retraction of published articles, and restrictions on future submissions.

In complex or disputed cases, the journal reserves the right to establish an ad hoc ethics committee composed of independent experts. This committee supports the objective investigation of the case and provides professional recommendations to ensure well-founded and transparent decision-making.

Authors should declare that their submission has not been previously published, nor is it at another journal for consideration, the financial support and reference list are complete and precise, including the specification of URLs and DOIs where available. We require that all authors have significantly contributed to the research associated with the submission and approved the submitted version. Authors warrant that the article is their original work. Authors are obliged to participate in the peer review process, follow the reviewers' advice, meet the required deadlines, and provide corrections of mistakes if any occur.

All submissions are subjected to peer review. At least two blind and independent reviews by international experts in the field are required to ensure reviewers have no conflict of interest with the authors. The reviews are based on the objective evaluation of the scientific merits and the contribution to the state of the art. Editors and reviewers handle the submission confidentially.

The publisher and the editors are committed to maintaining high ethical standards and preventing publications in which research misconduct has occurred. We use plagarism checking. In the case of any allegation of misconduct, the editor deals with the allegation appropriately. In such ethical issues, including also retractions and corrections, the COPE guidelines are followed. The Journal is ready to publish corrections if needed.

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License, which allows non-commercial sharing of the work with an acknowledgement of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal’s published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

Policies for studies involving human subjects and/or animals

If the paper is based on research involving human subjects or animals, the authors must provide the name of the ethical approval committee/Institutional Review Board they have obtained consent from, and they should confirm that the study was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration. To respect privacy rights, the paper should not include personally identifiable information about the subjects.

Conflict of interests

Authors must make sure that there is no financial or other interest or belief that could affect the objectivity of the paper or the validity of the published results, and all supporting organizations are properly listed. In the case of potential conflict of interests, the authors should state its source and nature in a cover letter.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site for author correspondence are used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal. They are not made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

Principles

The Cognitive Sustainability is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and quality in scholarly publishing. The journal follows internationally recognized ethical principles, particularly the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and strives to ensure the credibility and reliability of scholarly communication at all stages of the publication process.

Articles published electronically are open access (OJS), freely available online and can be downloaded. Users have the right to read, download, copy, print, and search the articles, or share the full text with a link.

Author Responsibilities

Manuscripts submitted to the journal must represent original work that has not been previously published, either in whole or in part. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that it is not under consideration elsewhere and that all sources have been properly acknowledged. Authors assume full responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the content and confirm that all listed co-authors have made substantial contributions, participated in the preparation of the manuscript, and approved the final version. Authors guarantee that the list of references is complete and accurate, including specification of URLs and DOIs (if available).

Authors are required to participate in the peer review process, follow the advice of reviewers, meet the prescribed deadlines, and, if any, withdraw the submission or correct errors.

Plagiarism and Misconduct

The journal applies a strict zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, and unethical research practices. The editorial office reserves the right to screen submissions for plagiarism and to initiate further investigation where necessary.

Conflict of Interest and Data Transparency

Authors are required to disclose any financial, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that may influence the interpretation of the research. To ensure transparency and reproducibility, authors are expected to clearly describe their methodology and, where appropriate, make underlying data available.

Data Privacy Policy

The data collected from registered and non-registered users of this journal fall within the scope of the standard functioning of peer-reviewed journals. It includes information that makes communication possible for the editorial process; it is used to inform readers about the authorship and editing of content; it enables collecting aggregated data on readership behaviors and tracking geographical and social elements of scholarly communication.

This journal’s editorial team uses these data to guide its work in publishing and improving this journal. Data that will assist in developing this publishing platform may be shared with its developer Public Knowledge Project (PKP), in an anonymized and aggregated form, with appropriate exceptions such as article metrics. This journal or PKP will not sell the data or be used for purposes other than those stated here. The authors published in this journal are responsible for handling the human subject data that appear in the research reported by them.

Those involved in editing this journal seek to be compliant with industry standards for data privacy, including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provision for “data privacy requirements” that include:

(a) breach notification;

(b) right of access;

(d) data portability;

(e) privacy by design.

The GDPR also allows for the recognition of “the public interest in the availability of the data”, which has a particular saliency for those involved in maintaining the public record of scholarly publishing with the greatest integrity possible.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are responsible for providing objective, professional, and constructive evaluations of manuscripts. They must treat all submissions as confidential and report any ethical concerns to the editors. Reviewers are expected to avoid conflicts of interest and decline review assignments when such conflicts arise.

Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for ensuring fair and unbiased editorial decisions, maintaining an independent peer review process, and upholding publication ethics. All ethical concerns are treated seriously and are investigated with due diligence.

Complaints and Appeals

The journal provides mechanisms for handling complaints and appeals. Authors have the right to request reconsideration of editorial decisions, and all such cases are carefully reviewed by the editorial board.