Publication Ethic

Agricultural Science is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. This publication ethics statement is based on the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and internationally accepted standards of scholarly publishing.

All parties involved in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—must adhere to these ethical principles.

Duties of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring the quality and integrity of all published articles.

Editors shall:

Make publication decisions solely based on academic merit, originality, significance, clarity, and relevance to the journal's scope.
Evaluate manuscripts without discrimination regarding race, gender, nationality, religion, institutional affiliation, or political beliefs.
Maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts.
Ensure a fair, unbiased, and timely peer-review process.
Select qualified and independent reviewers.
Avoid conflicts of interest in editorial decisions.
Investigate allegations of misconduct according to COPE guidelines.
Publish corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary.
Preserve the integrity of the academic record.

Editors shall not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for their own research.

Duties of Authors

Authors are expected to submit original, ethical, and scientifically sound research.

Authors must:

Submit only original work.
Ensure that the manuscript has not been published elsewhere.
Avoid simultaneous submission to multiple journals.
Properly acknowledge all sources.
Accurately present research methods and findings.
Retain research data and provide access when requested.
Ensure that all listed authors have made substantial contributions.
Disclose conflicts of interest.
Identify all funding sources.
Promptly notify editors if significant errors are discovered after publication.
Obtain ethical approval where required.
Obtain informed consent from human participants.
Follow institutional and international ethical standards.

Fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, and inappropriate authorship are unacceptable.

Duties of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play an essential role in maintaining publication quality.

Reviewers should:

Conduct reviews objectively.
Maintain confidentiality.
Evaluate manuscripts fairly and constructively.
Identify relevant published work not cited.
Inform editors about suspected plagiarism or misconduct.
Decline review if conflicts of interest exist.
Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information for personal advantage.

Duties of Publisher

The publisher is committed to safeguarding editorial independence and ensuring ethical publishing practices.

The publisher shall:

Support editorial independence.
Ensure ethical oversight.
Prevent commercial influence on editorial decisions.
Cooperate with investigations of misconduct.
Preserve published content.
Maintain transparent publication policies.

Human Subjects

Research involving human participants must comply with internationally recognized ethical standards.

Authors must:

Obtain approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee before conducting research.
Include the name of the approving institution and approval number in the manuscript.
Conduct research according to the Declaration of Helsinki.
Respect participants' privacy and confidentiality.

Editors may request ethics approval documentation at any time.

Animal Research

Research involving animals must comply with internationally accepted animal welfare regulations.

Authors should:

Follow institutional and national animal care guidelines.
Minimize animal suffering.
Use the minimum number of animals necessary.
Include ethical approval information in the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

All participants in the publication process must disclose conflicts of interest.

Authors should disclose:

Financial support
Employment
Consultancy
Patents
Honoraria
Personal relationships
Academic competition

Editors and reviewers must also declare conflicts of interest and recuse themselves where appropriate.

Informed Consent

When research involves identifiable human participants, informed consent must be obtained before participation.

Authors must confirm that:

Participants voluntarily agreed to participate.
Participants understood the research objectives.
Consent was documented.
Consent was obtained for publication of identifiable information when applicable.

Data Availability

Agricultural Science encourages transparency and reproducibility.

Authors are encouraged to:

Make research data publicly available whenever possible.
Deposit datasets in recognized repositories.
Include a Data Availability Statement.
Provide data upon reasonable request.

Example:

Data Availability Statement:
"The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request."