Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

This ethics statement is based on the COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors, on policies by Elsevier, and on the ethical standards outlined by the University of North Carolina Press (UNC Press).
Journal of Food and Agricultural Development is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in academic publishing. The journal follows strict ethical guidelines in all aspects of its editorial and peer review processes.

1. Authors' Responsibilities
- Authors must ensure their work is entirely original and that any content or ideas from others are properly cited or quoted.
- Plagiarism, in all its forms, constitutes unethical behavior and will result in immediate rejection.
- Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently is strictly prohibited.
- Authors must participate in peer review and respond constructively to editors' and reviewers’ requests for corrections or clarifications.
- All listed authors must have made significant contributions to the research and approve the final manuscript.
- Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including financial or personal relationships that could influence their research.
- If a significant error is discovered post-publication, the author must inform the editor promptly and cooperate in correcting or retracting the article.

2. Editors' Responsibilities
- Editors evaluate manuscripts solely based on academic merit, regardless of the authors’ identity or background.
- Editors must ensure confidentiality of all manuscript content throughout the review process.
- Editors must not use unpublished materials disclosed in a manuscript for their own research without the author’s explicit consent.
- Editors must avoid conflicts of interest and withdraw from handling submissions where such conflicts exist.
- Editors must act promptly on allegations of misconduct and ensure that, if necessary, retractions, corrections, or expressions of concern are issued in line with COPE and UNC Press standards.
- Editors must investigate every act of alleged unethical behavior, even if discovered years after publication.

3. Reviewers' Responsibilities
- Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential and not use any part of the content for personal advantage.
- Reviews must be objective, constructive, and free of personal criticism.
- Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and decline to review if such conflicts exist.
- Reviewers should highlight relevant published work that is not cited by the authors.
- Reviewers must notify the editor if they feel unqualified to evaluate a manuscript or if a timely review is not possible.

4. Publisher’s Responsibilities
- Skolpex Academic Publishing, in collaboration with the editorial team, ensures that ethical standards are upheld and that measures are taken to prevent or respond to misconduct.
- In confirmed cases of fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or other ethical violations, Skolpex Academic Publishing will work with the editor to take corrective action, including issuing retractions or expressions of concern.
- Skolpex Academic Publishing guarantees the long-term preservation of published work and supports the transparency and integrity of the academic record.

5. References and Guidance
- COPE – Committee on Publication Ethics
- UNC Press Publication Ethics
- COPE Retraction Guidelines