Frequently Asked Questions

1. General Information

What is the Journal of Food Innovation, Nutrition and Environmental Sciences?

The Journal of Food Innovation, Nutrition and Environmental Sciences (JFINES) is a peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal that publishes research in food science, food technology, nutrition, agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, sustainable food systems, and related interdisciplinary fields.

The journal welcomes original and methodologically sound research that contributes to knowledge, practice, policy, innovation, and sustainable development in areas linking food, nutrition, agriculture, health, environment, and society.

What types of articles does JFINES publish?

JFINES considers the following types of manuscripts:

• original research articles;
• review articles, including systematic, scoping, narrative, and critical reviews;
• short communications;
• case studies;
• methodological papers relevant to the journal’s scope;
• policy or practice analyses, where these are evidence-based and scholarly;
• special issue articles and themed collection articles.

All submissions must be original, clearly written, ethically conducted, methodologically sound, and relevant to the journal’s focus and scope.

How can I contact the editorial office?

For inquiries about submissions, peer review, publication policies, APCs, corrections, or other journal-related matters, authors and readers may contact the editorial office through the contact details provided on the journal website.

Editorial Office Email: jfines@gmail.com
Submission/Editorial Email: jfineseditor@gmail.com

Authors are encouraged to use the journal’s online submission system where possible.

2. Manuscript Submission

How do I submit a manuscript to JFINES?

Authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts through the journal’s online submission system by clicking the Submit button on the journal website. Authors may need to create an account or log in before uploading the manuscript and entering the required metadata.

Where technical difficulties prevent online submission, authors may contact the editorial office for assistance.

Does JFINES accept email submissions?

The journal encourages online submission through the OJS platform because it supports proper manuscript tracking, metadata capture, peer review, editorial communication, and archiving of the review record.

Email submission may be considered only where authors experience technical difficulties with the online system or where the editorial office gives specific instructions.

Can I submit a manuscript that is under review by another journal?

No. Manuscripts submitted to JFINES must not be under review or consideration by another journal at the same time.

By submitting to JFINES, authors confirm that the manuscript is original, has not been published previously, and is not being considered for publication elsewhere. Duplicate submission, redundant publication, or submission of previously published work may lead to rejection or other editorial action.

Can I submit work that was presented at a conference?

A manuscript based on work previously presented at a conference may be considered if it has not been formally published as a full article and if the submitted manuscript contains substantial scholarly development beyond any conference abstract or presentation.

Authors should disclose any previous presentation, abstract publication, preprint posting, or conference proceeding related to the manuscript during submission.

What should I prepare before submitting a manuscript?

Before submission, authors should ensure that:

• the manuscript fits the journal’s focus and scope;
• the work is original and not under consideration elsewhere;
• the manuscript follows the journal’s author guidelines;
• all authors have approved the submission;
• author names and affiliations are complete and accurate;
• ethical approval and informed consent statements are included where applicable;
• funding, conflicts of interest, author contributions, acknowledgements, and data availability statements are included where applicable;
• figures, tables, references, and supplementary files are complete and properly labelled;
• the manuscript is submitted in an editable format, preferably Microsoft Word.

What manuscript format does JFINES require?

Authors should follow the formatting instructions provided in the journal’s Author Guidelines. In general, manuscripts should be clearly structured, consistently formatted, and written in clear academic language.

A typical original research article should include:

• title page;
• abstract;
• keywords;
• introduction;
• materials and methods or methodology;
• results;
• discussion;
• conclusion;
• acknowledgements, where applicable;
• funding statement;
• conflict of interest statement;
• ethical approval and consent statements, where applicable;
• data availability statement;
• references.

Authors should consult the current Author Guidelines before submission because requirements may vary by manuscript type.

Should the manuscript be anonymised for peer review?

Yes. JFINES normally uses a double-blind peer-review process. Authors should upload:

1. an anonymised main manuscript without author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, or identifying statements; and
2. a separate title page containing author names, affiliations, corresponding author details, acknowledgements, funding information, conflicts of interest, and other declarations.

The editorial office may return manuscripts that are not properly anonymised.

What is ORCID and why is it useful?

ORCID provides a unique researcher identifier that helps distinguish authors with similar names and supports accurate attribution of scholarly work.

JFINES encourages authors, especially corresponding authors, to provide ORCID iDs during submission. ORCID improves author identification, metadata quality, indexing, and discoverability of published work.

Is ORCID mandatory?

ORCID is strongly encouraged for all authors but may not be mandatory for submission unless stated in the Author Guidelines or submission system. Authors who do not yet have an ORCID iD can register for one free of charge through the ORCID website.

Can I submit supplementary materials?

Yes. Authors may submit supplementary materials where these support the manuscript. Supplementary files may include datasets, additional tables, figures, questionnaires, protocols, checklists, multimedia files, or other relevant materials.

Supplementary materials should be clearly labelled, cited in the manuscript, and submitted in appropriate file formats. The editorial team may assess whether supplementary materials are relevant and suitable for publication alongside the article.

3. Manuscript Tracking and Communication

How do I track the status of my manuscript?

Authors who submit through the online system can track the progress of their manuscript by logging into their author account. The online system allows authors to view the manuscript status and respond to editorial requests.

For submissions handled by email due to technical reasons, the editorial office will communicate updates through the corresponding author’s email address.

What should I do if I do not receive a submission confirmation?

If you submit through the online system, check your email inbox and spam or junk folder for the confirmation message. If you do not receive confirmation within a reasonable time, log into your account to confirm that the submission was completed.

If you submitted by email after receiving permission from the editorial office, check that all attachments were included and contact the editorial office if you do not receive an acknowledgement.

Who receives editorial communication?

All official editorial communication is normally sent to the corresponding author. The corresponding author is responsible for communicating with co-authors and ensuring that all authors are informed about submission, revisions, decisions, proofs, and publication.

4. Peer Review

Is JFINES a peer-reviewed journal?

Yes. JFINES is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. Submitted manuscripts undergo editorial screening and, where suitable, external peer review before an editorial decision is made.

What peer-review model does JFINES use?

JFINES normally uses a double-blind peer-review process. Under this model, the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from each other during the review process.

The journal recognises that complete anonymity may not always be possible, especially where manuscripts involve specific datasets, locations, institutions, preprints, conference presentations, or specialised research groups.

How many reviewers evaluate a manuscript?

Manuscripts sent for external review are normally assessed by at least two independent reviewers with relevant subject or methodological expertise. Additional reviewers may be invited where the manuscript is interdisciplinary, methodologically complex, or where reviewer reports differ substantially.

Can I suggest potential reviewers?

Yes. Authors may suggest potential reviewers during submission. Suggested reviewers should have relevant expertise and should not have conflicts of interest with the authors or the manuscript.

Authors should not suggest recent collaborators, supervisors, students, colleagues from the same institution, close personal contacts, or individuals with financial, professional, or academic relationships that may compromise impartiality.

The editorial team may consider suggested reviewers but is not obliged to use them.

How long does peer review take?

Peer-review timelines vary depending on reviewer availability, manuscript complexity, the quality of the submission, the extent of revisions required, author response time, and the volume of submissions being handled.

JFINES aims to handle manuscripts efficiently while allowing sufficient time for careful scholarly evaluation. The journal does not guarantee acceptance or publication within a fixed timeframe.

What decisions can be made after peer review?

Possible editorial decisions include:

• accept;
• minor revision;
• major revision;
• resubmit for further review;
• reject.

Reviewer recommendations are advisory. Final decisions are made by the editorial team based on reviewer reports, editorial assessment, journal policy, ethical requirements, and suitability for publication.

What happens if my manuscript is rejected?

If a manuscript is rejected after review, the decision letter may include reviewer and editorial comments. Authors may use the feedback to improve the work for possible submission elsewhere.

Rejection may occur for several reasons, including lack of scope fit, methodological concerns, insufficient originality, ethical concerns, unclear reporting, unsupported conclusions, or inability to meet the journal’s publication standards.

5. Revisions and Resubmissions

What should I do if revisions are requested?

Authors should carefully address all reviewer and editor comments. A revised submission should normally include:

• a revised manuscript;
• a point-by-point response to each reviewer and editor comment;
• a clean version of the revised manuscript;
• a tracked-changes or marked version where requested;
• any additional files or clarifications requested by the editorial office.

Authors should explain how each comment was addressed. Where authors disagree with a comment, they should provide a clear and evidence-based explanation.

Will my revised manuscript be reviewed again?

A revised manuscript may be assessed by the handling editor, returned to the original reviewers, or sent to additional reviewers depending on the nature and extent of revisions required.

How do I submit a revised manuscript?

Authors should submit revisions through the online submission system where the manuscript was originally submitted. If the manuscript was handled by email due to technical reasons, the editorial office will provide instructions for resubmission.

6. Publication Process

What happens after acceptance?

After acceptance, the manuscript proceeds through final editorial and production processes. These may include:

• final editorial checks;
• copyediting;
• formatting and typesetting;
• proofreading;
• metadata preparation;
• DOI registration where applicable;
• online publication.

Authors may be asked to review proofs before publication. Proof corrections should be limited to typographical, formatting, or factual errors unless substantial changes are approved by the editorial office.

How long does it take from submission to publication?

The time from submission to publication varies depending on editorial screening, peer review, revisions, author response time, production requirements, and submission volume.

JFINES aims to handle manuscripts responsibly and efficiently, but it does not guarantee publication within a fixed period.

Can I request urgent or expedited publication?

JFINES does not provide guaranteed acceptance or publication based on urgency, payment, or author deadlines. Requests for timely handling may be considered where justified, but all manuscripts must complete the journal’s required editorial assessment, peer review, revision, and production processes.

The journal does not compromise peer-review integrity or editorial standards for expedited publication.

Can I withdraw my manuscript after submission?

Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript by contacting the editorial office. The request should come from the corresponding author and should include the manuscript title, submission details, reason for withdrawal, and confirmation that all authors agree to the withdrawal.

Withdrawal is normally permitted before acceptance. After acceptance or during production, withdrawal may require additional editorial consideration, especially where production work has already begun.

7. Originality, Plagiarism and Research Integrity

Does JFINES check manuscripts for plagiarism or similarity?

JFINES may use similarity-checking tools and editorial assessment to identify possible plagiarism, text overlap, redundant publication, or other originality concerns.

Similarity reports are interpreted carefully. A similarity percentage alone does not determine the editorial decision. The journal considers the nature, source, amount, and context of any overlap.

Manuscripts may be returned for correction, declined, or investigated further if there are concerns about plagiarism, duplicate publication, inappropriate text reuse, data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, authorship concerns, or other forms of misconduct.

What should I do if my manuscript has been checked in Turnitin or another system?

Authors should ensure that use of similarity-checking tools does not result in inappropriate public posting or database indexing of unpublished manuscripts. If authors have concerns that a manuscript has been stored in a similarity-checking database, they should disclose this to the editorial office during submission.

What ethical approvals are required?

Research involving human participants, animals, identifiable personal data, biological samples, sensitive information, or vulnerable groups must include appropriate ethical approval and consent statements.

Where applicable, authors should provide:

• name of the ethics committee or institutional review board;
• approval number or reference number;
• date of approval;
• informed consent statement;
• animal welfare statement;
• permissions for use of protected data or materials.

If ethical approval was not required, authors should explain why.

8. Indexing, Identifiers and Discoverability

Does JFINES have ISSNs and DOIs?

JFINES has ISSN information for the journal. Published articles may also be assigned Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) where applicable.

ISSNs identify the journal as a serial publication, while DOIs provide persistent identifiers that support article citation, linking, metadata registration, and discoverability.

Where is JFINES indexed or listed?

JFINES is currently indexed/listed in DOAJ, AJOL and Google Scholar.

The journal continues to strengthen its metadata quality, publication standards, editorial processes, preservation practices, and discoverability in preparation for future evaluation by additional indexing and abstracting services.

Inclusion in any indexing database is determined independently by the relevant indexing body. JFINES does not guarantee inclusion in any specific database.

How can I find my article after publication?

After publication, authors will be notified by the editorial office or through the online system. Articles can be accessed from the journal website. Where a DOI has been assigned, the DOI link can also be used to locate and cite the article.

Indexing in external platforms may take time and depends on the harvesting or evaluation processes of each platform.

Why can I not find my article immediately in Google Scholar or other databases?

Search engines and indexing services do not always index new articles immediately. Visibility may depend on metadata quality, harvesting schedules, platform crawling, article structure, and database-specific processes.

If an article has been published for a considerable time and still does not appear in a relevant discovery platform, authors may contact the editorial office for assistance.

9. Article Processing Charges, Waivers and Payment

Does JFINES charge Article Processing Charges?

JFINES currently does not charge Article Processing Charges for manuscripts submitted before 1 January 2027.

With effect from 1 January 2027, JFINES will introduce an Article Processing Charge of USD 150 for manuscripts submitted on or after that date.

Manuscripts submitted before 1 January 2027 will remain under the current no-APC policy, even if accepted after this date.

When is the APC payable?

The APC is payable only after a manuscript has successfully completed peer review and has been formally accepted for publication.

JFINES does not charge submission fees, review fees, editorial assessment fees, or hidden publication charges.

Does APC payment influence editorial decisions?

No. APC payment does not influence editorial assessment, peer review, acceptance, rejection, or publication decisions. Editorial decisions are based on scholarly quality, originality, methodological soundness, ethical compliance, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

Are waivers or discounts available?

From 1 January 2027, JFINES may consider partial or full APC waivers in exceptional cases, particularly for unfunded authors, postgraduate students, and authors from low-resource institutions or low-income settings.

Waiver requests will be handled separately from editorial decision-making. Editors and reviewers will not make acceptance or rejection decisions based on an author’s ability to pay.

Does JFINES accept voluntary contributions?

Before the APC policy takes effect, JFINES may accept voluntary contributions from authors, institutions, partners, or members of the public who wish to support the journal’s development.

Voluntary contributions are not linked to any specific manuscript and do not influence peer review, editorial decisions, publication timelines, or acceptance outcomes.

10. Copyright, Open Access and Licensing

What is the copyright policy of JFINES?

Authors retain copyright of articles published in JFINES.

By publishing with the journal, authors grant JFINES a non-exclusive licence to publish the article, make it available online, distribute it through the journal platform, and identify JFINES as the original publisher.

Under which licence are JFINES articles published?

Articles published in JFINES are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0), unless otherwise stated.

This licence permits use, distribution, adaptation, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and any changes are indicated.

Can I reuse content from JFINES articles?

Yes. Content from JFINES articles may be reused under the terms of the applicable Creative Commons licence. Users must properly cite the original article, provide a link to the licence where possible, and indicate if changes were made.

Reuse must not imply endorsement by the authors, journal, editors, or publisher unless explicit permission has been given.

Can authors share their published articles?

Yes. Authors may share and deposit their published articles in institutional repositories, subject repositories, personal websites, academic networking platforms, funder repositories, and other lawful platforms, provided the original publication in JFINES is properly cited.

11. Repository and Self-Archiving Policy

Can I deposit my manuscript in a repository?

Yes. JFINES supports responsible self-archiving.

Authors may deposit:

Submitted Version / Preprint

Authors may deposit the original submitted version of the manuscript in a recognised preprint server, institutional repository, or other appropriate platform. Authors should disclose preprint posting during submission.

Accepted Version / Author Accepted Manuscript

Authors may deposit the accepted version of the manuscript after peer review, provided that the repository record acknowledges acceptance by JFINES and links to the final published version where available.

Published Version / Version of Record

Authors may deposit and share the final published version of record, provided that the full citation and DOI or article link are included.

What citation should be included when sharing the published article?

Authors should include the full article citation, journal title, year of publication, volume, issue, article number or pages where applicable, DOI, and link to the official published version on the JFINES website.

12. Digital Preservation and Archiving

Does JFINES preserve published content?

JFINES is committed to supporting the long-term accessibility and preservation of published content. The journal uses digital preservation and archiving mechanisms available through its publishing platform and other recognised services where applicable.

The journal continues to strengthen its metadata, archiving, preservation, and discoverability practices in line with recognised standards for open-access scholarly publishing.

Will published articles remain accessible?

JFINES aims to maintain long-term access to published articles through the journal website, metadata registration, indexing where available, and preservation arrangements supported by the journal’s publishing infrastructure.

13. Privacy and Data Protection

What is JFINES’ privacy policy?

JFINES uses personal information provided by authors, reviewers, readers, and editors for journal-related purposes, including submission handling, peer review, editorial communication, publication, indexing, and journal administration.

The journal does not knowingly sell personal data. Personal information is handled according to the journal’s privacy policy and applicable data protection principles.

Authors, reviewers, and users of the journal website are encouraged to consult the full Privacy Statement available on the journal website.

14. Authorship and Contributions

Who qualifies as an author?

Authorship should be based on substantial contributions to the work. Authors should have contributed to one or more key aspects of the research, such as conception, design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, drafting, revision, or approval of the final manuscript.

All listed authors should approve the submitted version and agree to be accountable for their contribution to the work.

How should contributors who do not qualify as authors be acknowledged?

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section. This may include technical assistance, administrative support, language editing, field support, laboratory assistance, or funding support.

Authors should obtain permission from individuals named in the Acknowledgements section because their names will appear in the published article.

Can authorship be changed after submission?

Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors after submission must be explained in writing and approved by all authors, including any author being added or removed. The editorial office may request signed confirmation from all authors before approving authorship changes.

15. Conflicts of Interest and Funding

How should conflicts of interest be declared?

Authors must disclose any financial, personal, academic, institutional, or professional relationships that could influence, or be perceived to influence, the research or its interpretation.

If there are no conflicts of interest, authors should include a statement such as:

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

How should funding be declared?

Authors should disclose all sources of funding that supported the research, writing, or publication of the manuscript. If the study received no specific funding, authors should state this clearly.

16. Data Sharing and Availability

What is the data availability policy?

JFINES encourages authors to provide a Data Availability Statement for research articles and other manuscripts where data availability is relevant.

The statement should explain whether the data supporting the findings are:

• publicly available in a repository;
• included in the article or supplementary materials;
• available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request;
• restricted due to ethical, legal, privacy, or institutional reasons;
• not applicable because no datasets were generated or analysed.

Where should the Data Availability Statement appear?

The Data Availability Statement should normally appear near the end of the manuscript, before the references, or in another location specified by the Author Guidelines.

17. Corrections, Retractions and Publication Updates

How can I report an error in a published article?

Authors, readers, reviewers, or editors may report an error by contacting the editorial office. The report should include the article title, DOI or link, details of the error, and any supporting information.

The editorial team will assess the issue and determine whether a correction, clarification, expression of concern, retraction, or other action is appropriate.

How does JFINES handle corrections?

Minor errors that do not affect the findings, interpretation, or reliability of the article may be corrected through a correction notice or updated version, depending on the nature of the error and journal policy.

When may an article be retracted?

Retraction may be considered where there is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable due to major error, misconduct, plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, unethical research, duplicate publication, or other serious concerns.

A retraction notice will be published and linked to the original article. The article may remain accessible with clear labelling to preserve the scholarly record, unless removal is required for legal, ethical, or safety reasons.

18. Special Issues and Themed Collections

Does JFINES publish special issues or themed collections?

JFINES may publish special issues or themed collections on topics within the journal’s scope. Such collections must follow the journal’s normal editorial, peer-review, ethical, and publication standards.

Special issue articles are not exempt from peer review.

How can I submit to a special issue?

Authors should follow the instructions provided in the special issue call for papers. During submission, authors should indicate that the manuscript is intended for the relevant special issue or themed collection.

Acceptance into a special issue is not guaranteed. Manuscripts must meet the journal’s scholarly and ethical requirements.

19. Appeals and Complaints

Can I appeal an editorial decision?

Authors may appeal an editorial decision by contacting the editorial office with a clear, evidence-based explanation.

Appeals are normally considered where there is evidence of a procedural error, factual misunderstanding, conflict of interest, or concern about fairness in the review process.

Appeals are not intended to provide repeated review of manuscripts rejected on scholarly, methodological, ethical, or scope-related grounds.

How does JFINES handle complaints?

Complaints about editorial handling, peer review, publication ethics, corrections, or journal processes should be submitted to the editorial office. The journal will assess the complaint and may consult relevant editors, reviewers, authors, or external guidance where appropriate.

20. Editorial Policies and Ethical Standards

What ethical standards does JFINES follow?

JFINES is committed to responsible scholarly publishing and expects authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff to follow recognised principles of publication ethics.

The journal’s policies cover originality, authorship, peer review, conflicts of interest, plagiarism, research ethics, data integrity, corrections, retractions, complaints, appeals, copyright, licensing, and open access.

What should authors do if they are unsure about a policy?

Authors who are unsure about manuscript suitability, ethical requirements, formatting, APCs, licensing, data availability, or any other policy may contact the editorial office before submission. A brief inquiry should include the manuscript title, abstract, and specific question.