Ethics & disclosures

The Baku State University Journal of Media Problems implements rigorous ethical rules and standards alongside a strict peer-review process to ensure the inclusion of high-quality scientific articles into the scholarly domain. The editors of the journal treat publication ethics issues with utmost seriousness and operate under a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding ethical misconduct.

1. Publication Ethics and Preventing Plagiarism

• Our journal is steadfastly committed to the principles of scientific integrity, and plagiarism is strictly unacceptable.
• All articles published in our journal are managed in full compliance with the standards of the international Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors must ensure that their submissions represent entirely original research and do not contain any elements of plagiarism or self-plagiarism. All submitted manuscripts undergo rigorous anti-plagiarism screening via specialized software (e.g., Turnitin/iThenticate).
• Publicly sharing raw (unprocessed, original) data prior to manuscript submission is highly encouraged. Authors must keep their raw data readily available to be presented to reviewers and journal editors upon request. Concurrent submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals is strictly prohibited.

2. Authorship and Co-Authorship Criteria

Every individual listed as an author in the article must have made a significant contribution to the conceptual design, data collection, or analysis of the study. Individuals who have provided solely technical or editorial support should be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgments" section.

3. Conflict of Interest

Research within this field may intersect with specific media conglomerates, political groups, or corporate interests. Therefore, authors are obligated to disclose any financial, personal, or professional conflicts of interest (e.g., grants received from media companies, political or commercial affiliations) that could potentially influence the findings or the interpretation of data in the study.

4. Funding Disclosures

If the research is backed by a specific budget, it must be transparently disclosed. If the study has been funded by any foundation, university grant, or media project, this information must be clearly indicated at the end of the article. In the absence of external financial support, it should be stated that the project was conducted using the authors' personal funds.

5. Rights of Respondents and Anonymity (Specific to Media Studies)

Media research frequently utilizes sociological surveys, interviews with journalists, or focus groups. Consequently, the confidentiality and anonymity of participants must be rigorously protected during surveys, interviews, or experiments involving human subjects. The informed and voluntary consent of participating respondents must be obtained without exception.

6. Corrections and Retractions

If a significant inaccuracy or a serious scientific error is detected in a published article, the journal editors may issue a correction (erratum) or, if necessary, initiate a retraction of the paper.

The editors of the publication will investigate all allegations regarding potential misconduct within the journal and, when required, communicate with the authors and publish clarifying statements in the journal. If severe violations are substantiated, appropriate measures will be taken to either amend or retract the publication. Authors are expected to adhere to the highest standards of publication ethics when submitting their manuscripts.