1. General Provisions
1.1. Status of the Group
Earth Systems and Soil Research Group (ESSRG) is an independent, voluntary scientific research group established to promote interdisciplinary research in soil science, Earth system science, environmental sciences, geospatial technologies, natural resource management, and related fields.
ESSRG is not a legal entity, governmental authority, commercial enterprise, non-governmental organization, or a structural unit of any university, research institution, or other organization.
The activities of the Group are based on the principles of voluntary participation, academic freedom, open scientific collaboration, mutual respect, research integrity, and professional responsibility.
1.2. Independence of Members
Participation in ESSRG is voluntary, and all members contribute in their personal professional capacity.
Membership in ESSRG does not establish employment, contractual, financial, or any other legal relationship among members or between members and the Group.
A member's institutional affiliation is provided solely for identification purposes and does not imply official representation or endorsement by the respective institution.
The opinions, conclusions, and research findings expressed by individual authors do not necessarily represent the views of ESSRG or those of their affiliated institutions.
2. Membership Policy
Researchers, academics, doctoral candidates, students, and professionals who support the mission and principles of ESSRG may become members of the Group.
Membership is voluntary and free of charge.
Members have the right to:
- participate in research projects;
- participate in seminars, conferences, workshops, and other scientific events;
- propose new research initiatives;
- withdraw from the Group at any time without providing a reason.
- ESSRG reserves the right to terminate membership in cases of:
- violation of the principles of research integrity;
- intentional dissemination of false or misleading information;
- actions that damage the reputation of the Group;
- misuse of the ESSRG name contrary to the objectives or policies of the Group.
3. Authorship and Publication Policy
Copyright in research outputs remains with their respective authors in accordance with applicable legislation and publisher requirements.
The inclusion of publication information on the ESSRG website does not constitute a transfer of copyright to the Group.
The website may include:
bibliographic references;
abstracts;
Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs);
links to official publisher websites;
author-accepted manuscripts or other versions where permitted by the publisher or the author.
Research publications authored by individual ESSRG members may be featured on the Group's website even when they have been prepared independently of other members, provided that they are relevant to the scientific scope of ESSRG.
Authors bear sole responsibility for the content of their publications.
4. Research Integrity Policy
ESSRG is committed to the principles of research integrity and open science.
Members of the Group undertake to:
- comply with accepted standards of academic ethics;
- avoid plagiarism, fabrication, and falsification of research results;
- provide appropriate citation and acknowledgement of sources;
- disclose potential conflicts of interest;
- ensure the accuracy, reliability, and reproducibility of research findings.
5. ESSRG Name and Logo Use Policy
The name Earth Systems and Soil Research Group (ESSRG), its logo, and other elements of its visual identity shall be used exclusively to identify the activities of the Group.
The use of the ESSRG name, logo, or identity in commercial activities, advertising, or any materials that may create the impression of official representation or endorsement is prohibited without prior authorization from the Group.
6. Website Information Policy
The materials published on the ESSRG website are intended for scientific, educational, and informational purposes only.
While ESSRG makes every reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the information provided, the Group does not guarantee that all content is complete, current, or free from errors.
Users are solely responsible for any decisions made based on information published on the website.