Editorial Policies

At the Journal of Food Innovations, Nutrition, and Environmental Sciences (JFINES), we are committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing. Our editorial policies are designed to ensure the quality, accuracy, and relevance of the research we publish, while also safeguarding the rights of authors, reviewers, and readers.

1. Conflicts of Interest and Financial Disclosures

Conflicts of interest may arise from various sources, including financial, academic, commercial, political, or personal relationships. Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission. This includes financial interests such as research funding, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or any fiduciary interest relevant to the manuscript. A statement of conflict of interest must be included in the manuscript, or a declaration that no such conflicts exist.

COPE Recommendations:

• Undisclosed conflict of interest (Col) in a submitted manuscript
• Undisclosed conflict of interest (CoI) in a published article

2. Funding / Support and Role of Sponsor

Authors are required to disclose all sources of financial support for the research presented in their manuscript. This information should be included in the Acknowledgment section, detailing the role of the funding organization or sponsor in the research process, if applicable.

3. Data Access and Responsibility

For all manuscripts containing original data, the corresponding author must confirm that they had full access to all the data and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and accuracy of the analysis. This statement should be included in the Acknowledgment section of the manuscript.

4. Acknowledgment Section

The Acknowledgment section should list all contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship but have contributed to the research in significant ways. This section should also include any necessary disclosures regarding conflicts of interest, data access, and funding support. Authors must obtain written permission from all individuals named in the Acknowledgment section.

5. Plagiarism

JFINES strictly prohibits plagiarism in any form. Manuscripts submitted for publication must be original and should not have been published elsewhere, either in print or electronically. The journal uses plagiarism detection tools to screen submissions, and any manuscript found to contain plagiarized content will be rejected.

COPE Recommendations:

• Suspected plagiarism in a submitted manuscript
• Suspected plagiarism in a published manuscript

6. Ethical Approval of Studies

All studies involving human participants or animals must have received formal review and approval from an appropriate institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee. The Methods section of the manuscript must state whether informed consent was obtained from participants and provide documentation of the ethics committee's approval.

• Recommendation against suspicious ethical problem with a submitted manuscript

7. Participant/Patient Privacy and Informed Consent

At the Journal of Food Innovations, Nutrition, and Environmental Sciences (JFINES), we place paramount importance on the ethical treatment of all study participants. Informed consent is a fundamental ethical requirement in research involving human subjects, ensuring that participants' rights, privacy, and autonomy are fully respected. Authors submitting to JFINES are expected to adhere to the highest standards of informed consent as outlined in international ethical guidelines, such as the Declaration of Helsinki, the Nuremberg Code, and the Belmont Report.

Participant Privacy and Informed Consent Requirements

1. Right to Privacy and Autonomy
• All participants involved in research have the inherent right to control what happens to their personal data. This right includes deciding whether and how their identifiable information—such as names, dates of birth, biometrical characteristics, or other distinguishing features—is shared or published. Authors are responsible for ensuring that these rights are not violated.
• Special care must be taken when handling sensitive information, especially concerning vulnerable populations such as minors, patients, refugees, or individuals from marginalized communities. Authors must obtain explicit written consent from participants before publishing any identifiable data, particularly when the research involves sensitive topics or vulnerable groups.
2. Informed Consent for Identifiable Information
• If the research involves the collection of personal data through interviews, photography, or other means, authors must obtain explicit informed consent from participants. This consent should clearly state how the data will be used, including the possibility of publication.
• In cases where identifiable images (e.g., photographs, X-rays, brain scans) are used, authors must ensure that participants provide explicit consent for the use of such images in publications. Merely masking identifying features, such as the eyes, is not sufficient to guarantee anonymity. Authors must ensure that any alterations to protect participant anonymity do not compromise the integrity or meaning of the data.
3. Use of Previously Published Images
• If authors wish to reuse images or data from previous publications, they must obtain permission from the original source. This includes verifying that the original publication had obtained the necessary informed consent from participants. Proper attribution must be provided when reusing such images, and authors must ensure compliance with the original consent terms.
4. Special Considerations for Vulnerable Populations
• For studies involving children, adolescents, or incapacitated individuals, authors must obtain written informed consent from a parent or legal guardian. In cases where verbal consent is obtained instead of written consent, the manuscript must include a clear explanation of the reasons for this approach.
• Informed consent must be given voluntarily, without any form of coercion, influence, or bribery. Authors are responsible for ensuring that consent is obtained ethically and in accordance with the principles outlined in the Nuremberg Code and the Belmont Report.
5. Documentation and Ethical Review
• Authors must include in their manuscript a statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from all participants. This statement should be included in the Methods section of the manuscript. Authors may be required to provide documentation of the informed consent process upon request by the editorial office.
• Studies that categorize participants by race, disability, gender, ethnicity, or disease must provide a clear justification for such categorization, explaining its relevance to the research objectives. The editorial office may request additional documentation to ensure that the categorization is ethically justified and handled with sensitivity.
6. Protection of Vulnerable Groups
• The protection of vulnerable groups is a key ethical consideration in research. Authors must demonstrate that they have taken all necessary steps to protect the rights and welfare of vulnerable participants. This includes obtaining appropriate consent, ensuring anonymity, and providing a clear rationale for including such groups in the research.

8. Human and Animal Rights

All research involving human or animal subjects must be conducted in accordance with ethical principles, such as those outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Authors must provide evidence of ethical approval and confirm that the research was conducted in compliance with relevant ethical standards.

9. Clinical Trials

Authors conducting clinical trials must ensure that the trial is registered in a publicly accessible registry prior to the recruitment of participants. The registration number and any deviations from the original protocol must be clearly stated in the manuscript.

10. Handling Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

JFINES adheres to the guidelines set forth by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for handling errors, corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern. Corrections will be issued for minor errors, while retractions will be made for significant errors or ethical violations.

11. Mechanisms for Ensuring the Quality of Published Articles

To ensure the quality of published research, all submissions are subject to rigorous peer review by experts in the field. The editorial team, composed of highly qualified researchers and subject editors, oversees the review process to maintain the highest standards of scientific integrity.

12. Informed Consent Policy

Informed consent must be obtained from all participants in studies involving human subjects. JFINES follows guidelines for informed consent as outlined by major ethical bodies, ensuring that consent is obtained without coercion and that participants fully understand their involvement in the study.

13. Data Sharing Policy

JFINES encourages the sharing of data associated with published research to promote transparency, replication, and further research. Authors are required to adhere to data sharing policies that ensure the accessibility of high-value datasets, in accordance with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Policy for Data Management and Sharing.

14. Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing

JFINES is committed to following the principles of transparency and best practice in scholarly publishing as described by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). We strive to provide clear and transparent policies on all aspects of the publication process, ensuring trust and integrity in the research we publish.