Conflict of Interest Policy

The Journal of Research in Agriculture and Food Sciences (JRAFS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of transparency, integrity, objectivity, and ethical conduct throughout the research, peer review, editorial, and publication processes.

A conflict of interest (COI) exists when an individual's personal, professional, financial, academic, or other relationships or interests could reasonably be perceived as influencing, or having the potential to influence, their judgment, objectivity, or actions in relation to a manuscript or published article.

JRAFS requires authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members to disclose relevant conflicts of interest and to take appropriate steps to manage or eliminate potential sources of bias.

A conflict of interest does not necessarily constitute misconduct or prevent publication. The purpose of disclosure is to promote transparency and allow potential conflicts to be appropriately assessed and managed.

1. Authors

All authors must disclose any financial or non-financial relationships, activities, or interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, interpretation of findings, or preparation of the manuscript.

Potential conflicts may include, but are not limited to:

• Research grants or other financial support;

• Employment or consultancy relationships;

• Honoraria, advisory fees, or other payments;

• Ownership of stocks, shares, patents, or intellectual property relevant to the research;

• Commercial or industry relationships;

• Personal or family relationships that may influence the research;

• Professional or institutional relationships;

• Academic competition or rivalry;

• Membership in organizations that may have an interest in the research;

• Legal or regulatory interests;

• Intellectual interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing interpretation; and

• Other circumstances that may create an actual, potential, or perceived conflict.

Authors must disclose relevant conflicts at the time of manuscript submission.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all authors have been given the opportunity to disclose relevant conflicts of interest and that the information provided to the journal is complete and accurate.

No Conflict of Interest

If no relevant conflict exists, authors must provide an explicit statement such as:

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest that could have influenced the research, its interpretation, or the preparation of this manuscript.

The journal may require clarification or additional information where a potential conflict is identified.

2. Reviewers

JRAFS follows a double-blind peer review process, and reviewers must maintain objectivity, independence, and confidentiality.

Reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest before accepting a review invitation and should decline the review when the conflict could reasonably affect, or appear to affect, their impartiality.

Potential reviewer conflicts may include:

• A close personal or professional relationship with any author;

• Current or recent collaboration with an author;

• Employment at the same institution as an author where this could create a conflict;

• Direct academic competition;

• Financial or commercial interests related to the manuscript;

• A personal or professional dispute with an author;

• Previous involvement in the research under review; or

• Any other circumstance that could reasonably compromise impartiality.

A reviewer who becomes aware of a potential conflict after accepting an invitation must promptly inform the editorial office.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal, academic, professional, or financial advantage.

3. Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and editorial board members must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest relating to manuscripts they are asked to handle or evaluate.

Editors must not allow personal, professional, financial, institutional, academic, or other interests to influence editorial decisions.

An editor should recuse themselves when they:

• Have a significant personal or professional relationship with one or more authors;

• Have recently collaborated with an author;

• Work at the same institution as an author where this may create a conflict;

• Have a financial or commercial interest related to the manuscript;

• Are in direct academic competition with the authors;

• Have previously been involved in the research in a way that creates a conflict; or

• Have another circumstance that could reasonably compromise or appear to compromise their impartiality.

When an editor has a conflict of interest, the manuscript will be assigned to an independent editor who has no relevant conflict.

The conflicted editor must not participate in the editorial decision or peer review process for that manuscript and must not attempt to influence the decision.

The same principles apply to members of the editorial board when they are involved in manuscript evaluation or editorial decision-making.

4. Conflicts Involving the Editor-in-Chief

If the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict of interest concerning a manuscript, the manuscript will be handled by an appropriately independent editor.

The Editor-in-Chief will not participate in the editorial decision, reviewer selection, or other aspects of the editorial process where the conflict could affect impartiality.

This procedure applies particularly to manuscripts authored or co-authored by the Editor-in-Chief, close collaborators, colleagues, or individuals with whom the Editor-in-Chief has a significant professional or personal relationship.

5. Institutional and Academic Conflicts

Conflicts of interest may arise not only from financial relationships but also from academic, professional, or institutional circumstances.

JRAFS therefore recognizes that potential conflicts may include:

• Employment or affiliation with the same institution;

• Institutional competition;

• Academic rivalry;

• Previous disputes or disagreements;

• Collaboration or co-authorship;

• Supervisory or mentoring relationships;

• Professional relationships;

• Intellectual property interests; and

• Other circumstances that could reasonably affect impartiality.

Such circumstances should be disclosed so that the journal can determine whether appropriate management measures are necessary.

6. Funding and Commercial Interests

Financial support for research does not automatically constitute a conflict of interest. However, all relevant funding and financial relationships must be disclosed.

Authors must declare sources of funding and, where applicable, explain the role of the funder in:

• Study design;

• Data collection;

• Data analysis;

• Interpretation of results;

• Manuscript preparation;

• The decision to submit the manuscript; and

• The decision to publish the research.

Where the funder had no role in these activities, authors should state this where appropriate.

7. Management of Disclosed Conflicts

When a conflict of interest is disclosed, JRAFS will assess the nature and significance of the conflict on a case-by-case basis.

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may:

• Request additional information or clarification;

• Require an appropriate disclosure statement in the manuscript;

• Assign a different reviewer;

• Assign an independent editor;

• Require additional independent review;

• Request clarification of the role of a funder or sponsor;

• Require appropriate amendments to the manuscript; or

• Take other reasonable measures to protect the integrity and impartiality of the editorial process.

Disclosure of a conflict does not automatically result in rejection of a manuscript.

The objective is to identify, disclose, and appropriately manage potential sources of bias.

8. Confidentiality

Information disclosed as part of the conflict-of-interest process will be handled confidentially and used only for legitimate editorial, ethical, and research-integrity purposes.

Reviewers and editors must not disclose confidential information obtained during manuscript evaluation.

The journal may disclose relevant conflict-of-interest information when necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record, investigate suspected misconduct, comply with legal or ethical obligations, or address a legitimate institutional inquiry.

9. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

If JRAFS becomes aware of a potentially significant conflict that was not disclosed during submission, peer review, or publication, the journal may request an explanation from the relevant individual.

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may:

• Request a correction to the published article;

• Publish an appropriate conflict-of-interest statement;

• Reassess the editorial or peer review process;

• Conduct additional review or investigation;

• Notify relevant institutions where appropriate; or

• Take other corrective action necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Failure to disclose a significant conflict may be considered a publication-integrity concern, particularly where the omission appears intentional or where the undisclosed conflict could have materially affected the research or editorial process.

10. Post-Publication Conflicts

If a relevant conflict of interest is identified after publication, JRAFS will assess the matter and determine whether a correction, editorial notice, expression of concern, or other action is appropriate.

The discovery of an undisclosed conflict does not automatically invalidate the research. The journal will consider the nature of the conflict, its potential influence, the circumstances of the non-disclosure, and whether the published findings remain reliable.

11. Transparency

JRAFS is committed to transparency and accountability in all aspects of scholarly publishing.

Authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members are expected to disclose potential conflicts at the earliest appropriate stage.

The journal believes that transparent disclosure enables potential conflicts to be appropriately managed and helps protect the independence, credibility, and reliability of the research and publication process.

12. Editorial Independence

JRAFS maintains editorial independence in the evaluation, peer review, and publication of manuscripts.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by:

• Commercial interests;

• Advertising;

• Article processing charges;

• Sponsorship;

• Personal relationships;

• Institutional pressure;

• Political considerations; or

• Other external interests unrelated to the scientific and editorial merits of the manuscript.

The Editor-in-Chief and editorial team retain responsibility for editorial decisions, subject to the journal's established policies and procedures.

The publisher, Eldaghayes Publisher, does not interfere with editorial decisions concerning individual manuscripts.

13. Compliance with Ethical Standards

JRAFS manages conflicts of interest in accordance with recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing and relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

All authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members are expected to cooperate fully with reasonable requests for clarification or documentation concerning potential conflicts of interest.

The overall purpose of this policy is to ensure that potential conflicts are identified transparently and managed appropriately so that they do not compromise the fairness, objectivity, credibility, or integrity of the scholarly record.