Editorial Policy

Editorial Policy

1. Purpose

The Journal of Agricultural Technology and Food Systems (JATAFS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publishing through an independent, transparent, fair, and ethical editorial process.

Published by Novadex Publications, JATAFS aims to disseminate high-quality research in artificial intelligence, integrative medicine, healthcare, biomedical sciences, digital health, and related interdisciplinary fields.

The Editorial Policy establishes the principles governing manuscript evaluation, editorial decision-making, publication ethics, and communication with authors, reviewers, and readers.

The journal follows internationally recognized recommendations issued by:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)

  • International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)

  • Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

  • Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing

  • World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), where applicable

2. Editorial Independence

JATAFS maintains complete editorial independence.

Editorial decisions are made exclusively by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board without influence from:

  • The Publisher

  • Sponsors

  • Advertisers

  • Funding organizations

  • Authors

  • Institutions

  • Commercial organizations

Acceptance or rejection of manuscripts depends solely upon:

  • Scientific merit

  • Originality

  • Methodological quality

  • Ethical compliance

  • Relevance to the journal's scope

  • Reviewer recommendations

Financial considerations, including Article Processing Charges (APCs), do not influence editorial decisions.

3. Editorial Objectives

The journal seeks to:

  • Publish high-quality scientific research.

  • Promote interdisciplinary collaboration.

  • Advance Artificial Intelligence in healthcare.

  • Support evidence-based integrative medicine.

  • Encourage innovation in biomedical research.

  • Improve global access to scientific knowledge.

  • Foster research integrity and responsible publishing.

4. Editorial Decision Process

Each manuscript undergoes a structured editorial evaluation consisting of:

  1. Technical assessment

  2. Scope evaluation

  3. Plagiarism screening

  4. Editorial screening

  5. Double-blind peer review

  6. Revision (where required)

  7. Final editorial decision

  8. Production and publication

Possible editorial decisions include:

  • Accept

  • Minor Revision

  • Major Revision

  • Reject

The Editor-in-Chief retains final responsibility for publication decisions.

5. Fair and Unbiased Evaluation

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on their scientific merit.

Editorial decisions are made without discrimination based on:

  • Nationality

  • Race

  • Ethnicity

  • Gender

  • Age

  • Religion

  • Political beliefs

  • Institutional affiliation

  • Professional seniority

All submissions receive equal and impartial consideration.

6. Confidentiality

Editors maintain strict confidentiality regarding:

  • Submitted manuscripts

  • Author identities

  • Reviewer identities

  • Editorial correspondence

  • Reviewer reports

  • Editorial decisions

Confidential information is shared only with individuals directly involved in the editorial process.

7. Conflict of Interest

Editors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest.

Conflicts may include:

  • Financial interests

  • Employment

  • Institutional relationships

  • Collaborative research

  • Personal relationships

  • Academic competition

Editors with conflicts will not participate in editorial decisions concerning the affected manuscript.

The manuscript will be reassigned to another qualified editor.

8. Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for:

  • Maintaining editorial quality.

  • Selecting qualified reviewers.

  • Ensuring fair peer review.

  • Protecting reviewer confidentiality.

  • Addressing ethical concerns.

  • Communicating editorial decisions promptly.

  • Promoting research integrity.

  • Correcting the scholarly record when necessary.

  • Maintaining transparency throughout the publication process.

Editors should continuously update their knowledge of international publishing standards and ethical guidelines.

9. Editorial Quality Standards

JATAFS is committed to publishing manuscripts that demonstrate:

  • Originality

  • Scientific rigor

  • Methodological soundness

  • Clinical relevance

  • Ethical compliance

  • Clear presentation

  • Accurate reporting

  • Appropriate statistical analysis

  • Reproducibility where applicable

Editors may reject manuscripts that fail to meet these quality standards before external peer review.

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10. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Editorial Decision-Making

JATAFS recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly used in scholarly publishing. However, editorial decisions remain the sole responsibility of qualified human editors.

Editors may use AI-assisted tools for limited administrative purposes such as:

  • Language improvement

  • Grammar checking

  • Workflow management

  • Reference verification

  • Similarity assessment support

Editors shall not use AI systems to:

  • Make editorial decisions.

  • Replace scientific judgment.

  • Evaluate manuscript novelty independently.

  • Determine acceptance or rejection.

  • Upload confidential manuscripts to publicly accessible AI platforms.

Editors remain fully responsible for every editorial decision.

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11. Research Misconduct

JATAFS takes allegations of research misconduct seriously.

Examples of misconduct include:

  • Plagiarism

  • Self-plagiarism

  • Data fabrication

  • Data falsification

  • Image manipulation

  • Citation manipulation

  • Duplicate publication

  • False authorship

  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

  • Ethical approval violations

When concerns arise, the Editorial Office may:

  • Contact the corresponding author.

  • Request supporting documentation.

  • Consult reviewers or independent experts.

  • Contact the authors' institution when appropriate.

  • Follow COPE guidance throughout the investigation.

Appropriate editorial actions may include:

  • Rejection

  • Publication of corrections

  • Expressions of Concern

  • Retraction

  • Notification of relevant institutions where appropriate

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12. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

Maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record is a fundamental editorial responsibility.

Where necessary, JATAFS may publish:

  • Corrections (Errata)

  • Corrigenda

  • Retractions

  • Expressions of Concern

Such notices will be:

  • Clearly identified.

  • Linked to the original article.

  • Freely accessible.

  • Published promptly following editorial review.

Retractions remain permanently associated with the original publication to preserve transparency.

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13. Complaints and Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a written request to the Editor-in-Chief.

Appeals should include:

  • Reasons for the appeal.

  • Scientific justification.

  • Responses to reviewer comments where applicable.

  • Supporting documentation.

Editorial appeals are reviewed independently.

Complaints regarding:

  • Editorial procedures

  • Peer review

  • Publication ethics

  • Editorial conduct

  • Publication delays

should be submitted to:

Editorial Office
Journal of Agricultural Technology and Food Systems (JATAFS)
Novadex Publications
Email: editor@novadexpub.com

All complaints are handled confidentially, fairly, and promptly.

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14. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

JATAFS is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within scholarly publishing.

Editorial decisions are made without discrimination based on:

  • Race

  • Ethnicity

  • Nationality

  • Gender

  • Sexual Orientation

  • Religion

  • Age

  • Disability

  • Institutional affiliation

  • Career stage

  • Political beliefs

The journal welcomes submissions from researchers worldwide and encourages diverse representation among authors, reviewers, editors, and Editorial Board members.

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15. Data Transparency and Reproducibility

Editors encourage authors to support transparency by:

  • Providing sufficient methodological detail.

  • Sharing research data where appropriate.

  • Depositing datasets in recognized repositories.

  • Making analytical code available where possible.

  • Reporting statistical analyses accurately.

Editors may request additional documentation during editorial assessment when necessary to verify research findings.

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16. Editorial Board Responsibilities

Members of the Editorial Board are expected to:

  • Promote the journal within the scientific community.

  • Maintain confidentiality.

  • Support ethical publishing.

  • Assist with peer review.

  • Recommend qualified reviewers.

  • Provide scientific advice to the editorial team.

  • Identify emerging research areas.

  • Declare conflicts of interest.

Editorial Board members are expected to maintain high standards of professionalism and integrity.

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17. Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief has overall responsibility for the journal's editorial quality and integrity.

Responsibilities include:

  • Ensuring editorial independence.

  • Appointing editors and reviewers.

  • Maintaining publication quality.

  • Making final editorial decisions.

  • Addressing ethical concerns.

  • Implementing editorial policies.

  • Maintaining compliance with international publishing standards.

  • Representing the journal within the scholarly community.

The Editor-in-Chief works closely with the Editorial Board to ensure the continued development and reputation of the journal.

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18. Continuous Policy Review

JATAFS periodically reviews its editorial policies to ensure alignment with evolving international standards, publishing technologies, and ethical recommendations.

Policies may be updated to reflect guidance issued by organizations such as:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)

  • International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)

  • Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

  • World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)

The most current version of the Editorial Policy is published on the journal website.

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19. Contact Information

For questions regarding editorial policies, manuscript evaluation, publication ethics, or editorial procedures, please contact:

Editorial Office
Journal of Agricultural Technology and Food Systems (JATAFS)
Novadex Publications
Email: editor@novadexpub.com

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20. Commitment to Editorial Excellence

The Journal of Agricultural Technology and Food Systems (JATAFS) is dedicated to maintaining a transparent, independent, fair, and ethical editorial process that supports scientific excellence and research integrity.

Through rigorous editorial oversight, qualified peer review, and adherence to internationally recognized publishing standards, JATAFS strives to publish innovative, reliable, and impactful research that advances artificial intelligence, integrative medicine, biomedical sciences, and healthcare worldwide.

The journal remains committed to continuous improvement of its editorial practices and welcomes constructive feedback from authors, reviewers, readers, and the broader scientific community.