Publication Ethics

1. Introduction

Agricultural and Biotechnological Reflections (ABR) is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity and promoting ethical publishing practices. This policy outlines the ethical responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors, and the journal to ensure that the publication process is fair, transparent, and based on high scholarly standards.

2. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to ABR are expected to adhere to the following ethical guidelines:

• Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their work is original and has not been plagiarized from any source. Proper citations and references should be provided for any work, data, or ideas that are not the author’s own. The journal employs plagiarism detection software to screen all submitted manuscripts.

• Data Integrity: Authors must ensure the accuracy and integrity of the data presented in their manuscript. Any errors or inaccuracies discovered during the review or publication process must be corrected promptly.

• Multiple Submissions and Redundant Publication: Authors should not submit the same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently. Manuscripts submitted to ABR should not have been published or be under consideration elsewhere.

• Authorship: Only those who have contributed significantly to the research should be listed as authors. All co-authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and its submission to the journal.

• Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of the manuscript. Financial, personal, or professional relationships that could bias the research should be disclosed in the manuscript.

• Human and Animal Rights: Authors must comply with ethical guidelines in research involving human participants or animals. Institutional approval (e.g., ethical review board approval) should be provided for studies involving human or animal subjects.

• Acknowledgments: Authors should acknowledge any financial support, individuals, or organizations that contributed to the research in the appropriate section of the manuscript.

3. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are essential to maintaining the quality and integrity of the review process. Reviewers should adhere to the following ethical guidelines:

• Confidentiality: Reviewers must keep all information regarding the manuscript confidential. They should not share or discuss the manuscript with others, except where required for the review process.

• Impartiality and Objectivity: Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts based solely on their scientific merit, without any bias or prejudice. Any personal or professional conflicts of interest should be declared before accepting a review request.

• Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their evaluations within the agreed time frame. If they are unable to review the manuscript in time, they should inform the editorial team as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary delays in the publication process.

• Constructive Feedback: Reviewers should provide constructive and unbiased feedback that helps authors improve their manuscript. Reviewers should avoid making derogatory or overly critical comments and should focus on offering useful suggestions for revision.

• Acknowledging Sources: Reviewers should alert the editor if they identify any plagiarism or the use of unreliable or fabricated data in the manuscript. They should also suggest additional references that are relevant but not cited by the authors.

4. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

Editors play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the journal’s content. Editors are expected to adhere to the following ethical responsibilities:

• Fairness: Editors must evaluate manuscripts solely on the basis of their scientific merit, relevance to the journal’s scope, and quality of research, without discrimination based on the author’s gender, ethnicity, nationality, or institutional affiliation.

• Confidentiality: Editors must treat all manuscripts as confidential until they are published. Manuscripts should not be disclosed or discussed with anyone other than the authors, reviewers, and appropriate editorial board members.

• Conflict of Interest: Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest, whether financial, personal, or professional, that could influence their decision-making process. If such conflicts arise, the editor must recuse themselves from the decision-making process and delegate the responsibility to another editor.

• Publication Decisions: The editor’s decision to accept or reject a manuscript should be based on the peer review process, the quality of the manuscript, and its relevance to the journal’s scope. The editor should consider all aspects of the submission and ensure that the peer review process is fair and thorough.

• Timeliness: Editors should strive to make publication decisions promptly, balancing the need for thorough peer review with the goal of timely publication.

• Handling Unethical Behavior: Editors are responsible for addressing ethical concerns related to manuscripts, including allegations of plagiarism, data falsification, or other unethical research practices. The editor should investigate these concerns thoroughly and take appropriate action, which may include rejecting the manuscript or retracting a published article if necessary.

5. Ethical Responsibilities of the Journal

Agricultural and Biotechnological Reflections is committed to maintaining ethical publishing practices, including the following:

• Integrity: The journal will maintain the highest standards of academic integrity and transparency in all aspects of the publication process, from manuscript submission to final publication.

• Corrections and Retractions: If errors or issues are identified in published articles (e.g., plagiarism, data falsification, etc.), the journal will issue corrections, retractions, or clarifications as necessary. The retraction process will follow the guidelines established by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics).

• Conflicts of Interest: The journal will manage conflicts of interest in an open and transparent manner, ensuring that all involved parties (authors, reviewers, and editors) disclose any potential conflicts that could affect the integrity of the publication process.

• Open Access and Accessibility: The journal is committed to providing open access to its content, ensuring that research is accessible to all members of the scientific community and the public. It also adheres to the principles of fair and unbiased publication.

6. Compliance with Ethical Standards

Agricultural and Biotechnological Reflections follows the guidelines and standards set by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics), ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors), and WAME (World Association of Medical Editors) to ensure adherence to ethical publishing practices. The journal encourages authors, reviewers, and editors to be familiar with these guidelines.

7. Policy Review

This publication ethics policy will be reviewed periodically and updated as necessary to remain aligned with best practices in academic publishing. Any significant changes to the policy will be communicated to authors, reviewers, and editors.