RSUTS Editorial department

Editorial Policies

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Our Commitment to Ethics
The Scientific Publishing Department of the Russian State University of Tourism and Service (RSUTS) is dedicated to the principles of openness and the highest ethical and professional standards. We continuously monitor publishing ethics as a fundamental part of our editorial and peer-review process.

Peer Review and Anti-Plagiarism
We actively combat plagiarism and unethical practices. All submitted manuscripts are subject to:

  • Independent double-blind peer review.
  • Plagiarism screening.
  • Verification of author ethics.

Our practices are guided by the international standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Association of Science Editors and Publishers (ASEP), and the Higher Attestation Commission (VAK). These guidelines are binding on all members of the Editorial Board, editors, reviewers, experts, and authors.

Copyright and User Rights
In accordance with Articles 1273 and 1274 of Chapter 70 of Part IV of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, users are permitted to freely reproduce journal materials for personal purposes, as well as for informational, scientific, educational, or cultural purposes.

Author Self-Archiving Policy
Authors are permitted to deposit all versions of their articles (preprint, submitted manuscript, and the published version) in institutional or disciplinary repositories, provided that the original source of publication is properly cited. This citation must include the bibliographic data of the specific publication in the journal, with mandatory attribution to the author(s) and the full name of the journal. When information from the website is reused, a link to the website and/or attribution to the journal's publisher (RSUTS) is required.

Open Access License
Publications in all RSUTS journals are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Materials published in our journals are exported, either directly or through partners (e.g., the open-access library "CyberLeninka"), to open international repositories of scientific information.

Core Editorial Principles

  • The published journals do not enforce a policy of rejection for any specific groups of authors (e.g., authors from developing countries).
  • The publication of articles in the scientific journals issued by the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department of is carried out in accordance with the Financial Policy approved by the founder of the journals.

Copyright and Author Rights

Retention of Rights
Authors retain the copyright to their work. By submitting, authors grant the journals published by the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department the right to publish their original scientific articles, which contain the results of experimental and theoretical research and have not been submitted for publication to other editions.

Terms of Submission
By submitting a manuscript for publication to a journal published by the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department, the author fully and unconditionally accepts the terms of the Publication Agreement (Public Offer). By this agreement, the author confirms that the submitted material:

  • Does not infringe upon the copyright of other persons or organizations.
  • Has not been previously published elsewhere and is not under consideration for publication by any other publisher.

Grant of Rights
The author grants the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department and the editorial board it represents the rights to:

  • Publish the article in Russian (or English) and distribute its printed and electronic versions.
  • Translate the article, or parts thereof, into English (for articles in Russian) or into Russian (for articles in English) and distribute the translated version.
  • Distribute the electronic and/or printed version of the article through any electronic means (including placement on the journal's official website, in electronic databases, repositories, etc.).
  • Submission of article metadata to scientific citation databases.

Author Reserved Rights
The author retains the right, without seeking approval from the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department, the journal's editorial board, or the journal's founder, to:

  • Use the full text or parts of the article for educational purposes.
  • Use the full text or parts of the article for writing their own dissertations or theses.
  • Use the article material for preparing abstracts, conference reports, and oral presentations.
  • Deposit electronic copies of the article (including the final published PDF version downloaded from the journal's official website) in the following places, provided that the original source of publication is cited:
  1. The author's personal web resources (personal websites, web pages, blogs, etc.).
  2. The web resources of the institution to which the author is affiliated (including institutional repositories).
  3. Non-commercial open-access web resources (e.g., arXiv.org, Social Science Research Network)

Additional Information Resources

  1. Creative Commons Licenses: 
  2. Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities: 

Disclaimer

  1. The following Disclaimer applies to all materials published by the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department in the scientific journals "Service And Tourism: Current Challenges", "Service in Russia and Abroad", "Service Plus", and "Bulletin of the Association of Universities of Tourism and Service":
  • Printed and electronic issues of the journals, both current and previously published;
  • Materials hosted on the official RSUTS website (www.rguts.ru);
  • Content posted on behalf of and with the consent of the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department on other websites (including library repositories, indexing services, etc.) and internet platforms containing journal materials;
  • Official groups and representations of the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department and its publications on social media networks;
  • Official promotional materials (brochures, posters, etc.) relating to the journals, distributed in both printed and electronic formats;
  • Any other officially published, disseminated, and distributed materials concerning the journals by members of the editorial board, editorial council, scientific editors, publishing house, and publisher.

2. The RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department and journal editorial boards do not necessarily share the opinions, positions, statements, or viewpoints expressed by authors in publications appearing within the journals regarding events and processes occurring in Russia and worldwide. The publication of controversial, debatable, and other conflicting authorial perspectives signifies that the editorial board and editorial council of the journals, the publishing house, and the publisher—as well as official state authorities of the Russian Federation and other structures, organizations, and institutions (including international bodies) — exercise no forms or types of censorship or restrictions.

3. The editorial office assumes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of any digital, illustrative, or cited materials included in authors’ publications. Sole responsibility for such content rests exclusively with the respective authors whose publications contain these materials.

4. Disclaimer of Political Responsibility:

  • The journal editorial boards assume no responsibility for the viewpoints expressed by authors in publications regarding political processes, events, and phenomena occurring in Russia and worldwide.
  • The journal editorial boards are neither authorized nor entitled to determine which events within the Russian and global political landscape possess a positive or negative, legitimate, or other character; they do not accept responsibility for evaluative judgments made by authors within their publications on this matter.
  • The journal editorial boards publish materials that generally do not contradict international law or national legislation of the countries from which publication authors originate; however, they assume no obligation to verify the compliance or non-compliance of such materials with legal requirements. Sole responsibility for any such compliance rests exclusively with the authors of published materials.
  • The journal editorial boards are not authorized to determine the legitimacy of declarations of sovereignty or the political and territorial status of any subjects of international law, or those claiming such subjecthood. The question of recognizing or not recognizing the sovereignty of Kosovo, Northern Cyprus, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), Palestine, Western Sahara, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and other similarly partially recognized or unrecognized entities falls outside the jurisdiction of the journal editorial boards. Furthermore, the editorial boards are not empowered to evaluate any processes, including territorial ones, as separatist (secessionist), disputed, or claim-based between states. Responsibility for any such evaluations, judgments, opinions, and other forms of expression and information presentation rests exclusively with the authors of published materials.
  • Any affiliations of publication authors, members of editorial boards, and editorial councils that originate from or have a connection to territories possessing a contested international legal status are indicated as self-identified by the authors and board/council members themselves. The journal editorial boards do not assume the right or responsibility to correct affiliation information provided by the authors.

5. Unauthorized Use of Materials

The RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department and journal editorial boards assume no responsibility for materials placed on the Internet or other information transmission media and storage devices without their knowledge or written consent, which indicate an association with the published scientific journals. Free reproduction of journal materials for personal use and free utilization for informational, scientific, educational, or cultural purposes is permitted in accordance with Articles 1273 and 1274 of Chapter 70, Part IV of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and international “Open Access” principles.

6. Unsolicited Communications (Spam)

The RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department and journal editorial boards assume no responsibility for materials sent in their name without their knowledge and constituting spam. To inform the broader scientific community about the activities of the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department and the journal editorial boards, including events and promotions conducted by the editorial boards, informational mailings are distributed via email addresses obtained from publicly available sources. Recipients wishing to discontinue such informational mailings may notify the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department and/or the specific journal’s editorial board in writing via email, postal address, or by adding the sender's email address to their spam filter.

7. Disclaimer Regarding Information Accuracy

All information presented on pages of the printed version of the SERVICE AND TOURISM: CURRENT CHALLENGES journal, official websites of the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department and journals, official social media groups, is provided in its original form, without guarantees of completeness or timeliness, and without any express or implied warranties.

8. Commitment to Accuracy & Error Correction

The RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department and journal editorial boards make every effort to provide readers, subscribers, authors of published materials, users of the official website, and visitors to social media groups with accurate and reliable information. However, they acknowledge the possibility of errors occurring, which will be corrected in a suitable manner and as promptly as possible.

9. External Links Disclaimer

Some links on this website and in official journal social media groups lead to resources located on third-party websites. These links are provided for user convenience and do not signify endorsement by the The RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department and/or journal editorial boards of the content found on those other sites. Furthermore, the editorial boards assume no responsibility for the availability or content of these external resources. This disclaimer applies to all links presented on the website and materials of all websites accessible through banners and links placed on this site. The editorial boards do not have a duty to monitor the legality or illegality of information transmitted in such a manner, determine ownership rights or the lawfulness of transmission, receipt, or use of that information.

10. Advertising Disclaimer

The advertiser alone is responsible for any advertising placed on the official website of the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department and journal websites. The RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department specifically notes that it does not guarantee the availability or usability of specific goods or services at the prices and/or conditions indicated in the advertisements. Users and consumers of advertised goods and/or services agree that the editorial board assumes no responsibility for any consequences (including any damages) arising from relationships with advertisers.

11. User-Generated Content Disclaimer

The official website of the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department allows users to submit questions, comments, suggestions, and other information, as well as comment on individual materials. The editorial board assumes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of this user-generated information, nor for any recommendations or opinions it may contain, nor for its applicability to specific users, authors of publications in published journals, or members of editorial boards/committees. Moreover, given that the internet does not provide complete reliable protection of information, the editorial board assumes no responsibility for information submitted via the internet, the timeliness of its receipt and processing, correction or removal of inappropriate content, or any offense caused to users of the website.

12. Cookie Usage

The official website of the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department and the journals’ websites may utilize cookies to store both personal information provided during user registration and general usage data. Cookies are small text files that enable websites to recognize returning visitors, simplify site navigation and access, track visitor activity, collect statistical data on site traffic, and gather general information for content improvement purposes. By using this website, users consent to the use of cookies as described.

13. Amendments to Information

The RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department reserves the right to modify any information published on the website, including details regarding authors, editorial board members, and other relevant data, without prior notification to affected parties.

14. Dispute Resolution & Consumer Protection

Authors of publications in RSUTS journals, all interested parties, editorial board and college members, and users of the official website agree that any disputes arising from these materials will be resolved according to Russian law or through mutual agreement. Users of the RSUTS website acknowledge that consumer protection laws are not applicable to their use of the site, as it does not provide paid services.

15. Disclaimer Acceptance & Amendments

By publishing scientific, practical, and other materials (articles) with authorship attribution on websites published by RSUTS journals, utilizing printed and electronic versions of the journals, this website, or official editorial social media groups, users express their acceptance of the "Disclaimer" and assume all responsibility that may be imposed upon them. The Editorial Board reserves the right to amend the provisions outlined in the Disclaimer at any time, with such changes taking effect immediately. Continued use of journal materials in print or electronic format, including after modifications to the disclaimer, constitutes implicit consent to adhere to these terms.

Retraction Policy

The Retraction Policy is implemented by the RSUTS Scientific Publishing Department (SPD RSUTS )and the editorial boards of all journals published by SPD RSUTS ("Service And Tourism: Current Challenges", "Service in Russia and Abroad", "Service Plus", and "Bulletin of the Association of Universities of Tourism and Service") to inform readers about instances of duplicate publication/self-plagiarism (where authors present the same data in multiple publications), plagiarism, provision of inaccurate data, concealment of conflicts of interest that may have influenced data interpretation or recommendations for their use. Retraction serves as a mechanism for correcting published information and alerting readers to publications containing serious flaws or erroneous data, rendering them unreliable. The publication of such data by an author may result from honest error or deliberate misconduct. Guided by the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the journal editorial board adheres to the following retraction policy for previously published articles.

Grounds for Retraction:

  • Detection of plagiarism in a publication;
  • Duplication of an article in multiple publications;
  • Discovery of fabrication or falsification within a work (e.g., manipulation of research data);
  • Identification of serious errors (e.g., incorrect interpretation of results) that cast doubt on the scientific validity of the work;
  • Incorrect authorship attribution (inclusion of individuals who do not meet authorship criteria);
  • Concealment of conflicts of interest or other violations of publication ethics;
  • Unauthorized republication of an article.

Initiating a Retraction Process:

The retraction process may be initiated by:

  •  A request from the author(s) of the article;
  •  A request from the editorial board of another journal;
  •  A communication from third parties (potentially involved in a conflict of interest), providing evidence of scientific misconduct by the author(s) of an article published in the journal;
  •  A notification from external organizations and institutions (e.g., the RAS Commission for Combating Scientific Research Fraud);
  •  The editorial board’s discovery of violations of scientific ethics by the authors of an article.

Retraction Procedure:

1. Upon receipt of a request from an author or other individual/organization/institution providing evidence of scientific misconduct in an article, the journal editorial board will appoint a commission to investigate the case, considering all available facts and opportunities for ethical verification.

2. If the decision is made to retract an article, the editorial office records the reason for retraction in the meeting minutes (in cases of plagiarism, specifying the source(s) of duplication and/or the source of information regarding the plagiarism), along with the date of retraction. The retracted article and its description remain on the journal’s website as part of the relevant issue; however, a “RETRACTED” notice and the retraction date are prominently displayed on the electronic version of the text and in the issue's table of contents.

3. The editorial office does not remove articles from the electronic version of the journal or from the website archive to maintain the integrity of the issue’s structure.

4. A copy of the meeting minutes, including the date of the meeting, composition of the committee, findings of the investigation, and the reasoned decision regarding retraction, is submitted to the Council for Science Publication Ethics (ANRI) for inclusion in the unified database of retracted articles.

5. Information about retracted articles is disseminated to scientific information databases – eLibrary (NEB), CyberLeninka, and other databases to which the editorial office submits information on published journal issues. Retracted articles and their references are excluded from the Russian Science Citation Index (RISC) and do not contribute to indicator calculations.

6. In cases of significant moral damage to parties involved in a conflict of interest, information about the violation of scientific ethics may be shared with the author’s employer.

7. The editorial office reserves the right to independently determine future collaboration with authors of retracted articles (complete termination of cooperation, temporary suspension of cooperation, or requiring additional review of subsequent submissions).

SPD RSUTS is committed to continuously improving the quality of scientific publications and intends to foster comprehensive collaboration on this issue with authorized bodies, professional associations of editors and publishers, journal editorial boards, authors, and all stakeholders.

Additional Resources Regarding Article Retraction:

1. ANRI Guidelines for Publication Withdrawal

2. ANRI Database of Retracted Articles

3. ANRI Rule for Withdrawing an Article from Publication

4. What is a retraction of scientific articles? [In Scope]

5. Exclusion of journals from RISC, article retractions, and open peer review: questions and answers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage in Article Preparation

Effective Date: March 25, 2026

1. General Provisions

Modern artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including generative language models (e.g., ChatGPT, GPT-4, YandexGPT, GigaChat, and similar tools), offer new opportunities for scientific research and publication preparation. However, their use requires clear regulation to ensure scientific integrity, originality, transparency, and adherence to ethical norms.

This Policy has been developed in accordance with the recommendations of leading international organizations (COPE, ICMJE, WAME) and best practices of Russian scientific publishers. It defines the permissible boundaries for the application of AI by authors, reviewers, and the journal editorial board.

2. Use of Artificial Intelligence

2.1 Permitted Usage

Authors may use AI-powered tools for:

  • Improving language, grammar, style, and readability of a manuscript;
  • Text editing and formatting;
  • Translation of text fragments or the entire article;
  • Assisting in literature systematization, idea generation, or material structuring;
  • Data processing, provided it is part of the research methodology (with detailed description of algorithms, versions, and parameters).

In such cases, authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy, correctness, and reliability of all materials, including results obtained using AI.

2.2 Prohibited Usage

  • AI cannot be listed as an author or co-author of an article. Only individuals can be held responsible for the intellectual content and adherence to publication ethics.
  • The use of AI for fabricating or falsifying data, research results, or creating fictitious literature sources is prohibited.
  • Submitting text entirely generated by AI without significant human intellectual contribution and without disclosing the use of AI is prohibited.
  • The application of artificial intelligence tools in the "Results" section and other structural elements of a scientific publication containing key research findings is not permitted.
  • Passive or covert generation of content that misleads readers or the editorial board is prohibited.

2.3 Disclosure Requirements

If authors have used AI in preparing their manuscript, they are required to explicitly state this within the article text. This information is placed in a dedicated section titled "Declaration of AI Use" (before the list of references or in the Acknowledgements section).

The Declaration should include:

  • The name(s) of the AI tool(s) used;
  • Model version and developer;
  • Purpose of use (e.g., language editing, translation, data processing, idea generation);
  • A brief description of how AI was applied;
  • Confirmation that the author(s) have reviewed and are responsible for all generated materials.

Example Formulation:

"In preparing this article, the ChatGPT language model (OpenAI, GPT-4) was used to improve the style of the English abstract and translate keywords. All results were verified and edited by the authors. No data fabrication occurred."

If AI was not used, a separate declaration is not required; however, the editorial board may request it if suspicions arise.

2.4 Citing AI

AI-generated content cannot serve as an independent source in the list of references, as it lacks peer review, reproducibility, or stable archival storage. If authors refer to AI as a tool (e.g., a specific model), this information is included within the Declaration but not in the bibliography.

3. Use of AI in the Peer Review Process

Peer review is a confidential process requiring expert human assessment.

Reviewers should not rely on AI to form final evaluations, recommendations, or conclusions about a manuscript. The review must reflect independent professional judgment.

The use of AI to improve the language of a reviewer’s own report (e.g., for correcting grammatical errors) is permitted; however, the reviewer must state this fact within the body of the review (e.g., "An AI tool [name] was used for stylistic editing when preparing this review"). The reviewer remains fully responsible for the content of the review.

4. Use of AI by the Editorial Board and Journal Editors

The editorial board and journal editors may use AI solely as a supporting tool (e.g., for initial formatting checks, identifying inconsistencies, or plagiarism detection). Final decisions regarding publication, and the formation of the journal’s scientific position, are made only on the basis of expert human opinion. Editors must maintain confidentiality and refrain from submitting manuscripts, reviews, or correspondence to open AI systems without prior consent from authors and reviewers. The editorial board utilizes specialized verification tools, including the "Antiplagiarism" system, to detect texts generated using artificial intelligence.

5. Responsibility and Sanctions

  • Responsibility for compliance with this Policy rests with the authors. Submitting a manuscript to the editorial board constitutes the authors’ agreement to the terms of this Policy.
  • In cases of detected unethical use of AI (including non-disclosure, data fabrication, breach of confidentiality, or attributing authorship to AI), the editorial board reserves the right to reject the manuscript at any stage of review, deny publication, and apply other measures as stipulated by the journal's editorial ethics and policy. The author’s affiliated institution, as well as scientific organizations and databases (e.g., RSCI, Scopus, WoS) may be informed about identified violations in accordance with applicable regulations.

6. Final Provisions

This Policy is effective from the date of its publication on the journal website. The editorial board reserves the right to amend this Policy due to technological advancements and the emergence of new domestic and international guidelines.

All questions related to the application of this Policy will be considered by the editorial board in the ordinary course of business. Inquiries should be directed to the editorial email address.