Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Food Innovations, Nutrition, and Environmental Sciences (JFINES) is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of ethical behavior in all stages of the publication process. We adhere to the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing as recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other recognized international bodies. Our commitment to ethical publishing practices is reflected in the following guidelines for authors, editors, and reviewers.

  1. Publication Ethics for Authors

1.1 Authorship Criteria Authorship should be based on significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research. All authors should be able to take public responsibility for the content of their work. Merely acquiring funding or collecting data does not justify authorship. The order of authorship should reflect the contribution of each author, and changes to the author list after submission must be approved by all authors.

1.2 Conflicts of Interest Authors must disclose any financial, academic, commercial, political, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence their research. This includes any funding sources, affiliations, stock ownership, or consultancies that may pose a conflict. All conflicts of interest should be declared at the end of the manuscript. If no conflicts exist, a statement to that effect should be included.

1.3 Plagiarism JFINES strictly prohibits plagiarism in any form. Authors must ensure that their work is original and has not been published or submitted elsewhere. Any manuscript found to contain plagiarized content will be rejected. We use plagiarism detection software to verify the originality of submitted manuscripts.

1.4 Data Access and Responsibility The corresponding author must confirm that they had full access to all data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the data analysis. Authors are encouraged to make their data available for verification and reuse by other researchers.

1.5 Ethical Approval of Studies and Informed Consent For research involving human participants or animals, authors must obtain approval from an appropriate institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee. A statement of ethical approval should be included in the manuscript, along with a description of how informed consent was obtained from participants.

  1. Ethical Guidelines for Editors

2.1 Editorial Independence The editorial decision to publish a manuscript is based solely on its academic merit and relevance to the journal’s scope. Editors should not be influenced by the race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.

2.2 Confidentiality Editors must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Information about a submitted manuscript should not be disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, or other editorial advisers.

2.3 Conflict of Interest Editors should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors or institutions connected to the papers.

2.4 Addressing Misconduct Editors should take any ethical complaints about a manuscript seriously. This includes concerns about plagiarism, conflicts of interest, or breaches of confidentiality. Editors should follow COPE guidelines when dealing with potential misconduct.

  1. Ethical Guidelines for Reviewers

3.1 Confidentiality Reviewers must treat the manuscripts they receive as confidential documents. The content should not be shared or discussed with anyone outside the review process. Reviewers should not use unpublished information from a submitted manuscript for their personal research.

3.2 Objectivity and Fairness Reviews should be conducted objectively and without bias. Reviewers should provide clear, constructive feedback, and should not be influenced by the origin, nationality, or personal characteristics of the authors.

3.3 Conflict of Interest Reviewers should decline to review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest, whether financial, personal, or professional. If a conflict of interest arises during the review process, the reviewer should notify the editor immediately.

3.4 Timeliness Reviewers should complete their reviews within the agreed timeframe to ensure a timely publication process. If a reviewer is unable to meet the deadline, they should inform the editor as soon as possible.

  1. Handling Ethical Issues

4.1 Investigation of Ethical Complaints JFINES takes any allegations of ethical misconduct seriously. All complaints will be investigated thoroughly by the editorial board. If a violation of ethical standards is confirmed, appropriate actions will be taken, which may include the publication of a correction, retraction, or an editorial expression of concern.

4.2 Transparency in Reporting In cases of ethical breaches, JFINES will make the findings of the investigation public under the ANNOUNCEMENT section of the journal. This transparency is essential for maintaining the trust of our authors, reviewers, and readers.

4.3 Corrections and Retractions If significant errors or misconduct are discovered after publication, JFINES will issue corrections, retractions, or editorial expressions of concern in accordance with COPE guidelines. The original article will remain accessible with clear indications of any changes made.