ethical publication standards
@limentech Journal of Food Science and Technology is fully committed to ethics in research and academic publication. We adhere to the Good Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors, the ethical provisions of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and the stipulations of Law 1266 of 2008 regarding the management of personal information in databases. The journal understands that the publication of peer-reviewed articles is essential for scientific progress and the building of a coherent and respectful network around knowledge.
In the @limentech Journal of Food Science and Technology, every submitted article is evaluated and published based on its merits and scientific contributions, ensuring the implementation of the best practices at each stage of the publication process. Manuscripts undergo thorough review to detect potential cases of plagiarism using Turnitin. Furthermore, every article submitted for review must meet the following requirements:
-Consent: All authors provide their consent for the submission and publication of the article under evaluation.
-Originality of Work: The submitted article is original, has not been previously published, and has not been simultaneously submitted for evaluation to another journal.
-Prior Research: All information derived from previous studies included in the article under review must be properly referenced. In the case of analyzing a previously published proposal, proper citation is required.
-Journal Archives: The article under review will be kept in the archives of the @limentech Journal of Food Science and Technology and will be considered a valid publication as long as it meets each of the aforementioned criteria.
-Review Committee: Members of the Review Committee have no employment, academic, or personal relationship with the authors.
1.RESEARCH INTEGRITY
-Misconduct in Research: Misconduct includes fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, conducting, or reviewing research, as well as reporting its results. If the Editorial Committee detects signs of this behavior, an investigation will be initiated, seeking the collaboration of the supporting institution, employer, sponsor, or competent national entity.
-Reporting Irregularities: Allegations of research misconduct, presented by identified individuals or anonymously, will only be investigated if accompanied by appropriate evidence.
-Fabrication/Falsification and Image Manipulation: Although image editing may occasionally be required to highlight certain features, inappropriate manipulation can lead to misleading results. Researchers must disclose any image edits following these guidelines: specific features should not be altered, original and unmodified images must be presented alongside any modifications intended for publication. Adjustments to brightness or contrast are acceptable only when applied uniformly across the entire image without distorting its meaning. Excessive editing to emphasize the image size is inappropriate. Any removal of parts of a recording or nonlinear adjustments should be indicated in the figure legend. Figures should not be constructed from different components unless clearly indicated with dividing lines in the figure and legend.
-Plagiarism: Plagiarism, which involves copying or misusing someone else's intellectual property, is strictly prohibited. The @limentech Journal of Food Science and Technology conducts thorough plagiarism checks on all manuscripts.
-Duplicate and Redundant Publication of Data: Researchers must avoid submitting previously disclosed data as original. Re-publishing or re-editing data is allowed as long as proper recognition is given. Abstracts and posters presented at conferences, results in scientific meetings, data in unprocessed databases, and theses and dissertations archived in university institutions are not considered duplicate publications.
-Text Recycling: Presentation of partial results from previous publications aimed at a different audience is allowed, as long as the discussion and conclusion differ.
-Simultaneous Submission: Authors cannot submit a manuscript to more than one journal at the same time. If the Editorial Committee identifies such a situation, the manuscript will not be considered for publication.
-Duplicating Information Published in Other Languages: Translations of manuscripts already published will not be considered for publication.
-Sanctions: Sanctions are applied consistently after careful consideration. First, a retraction will be issued. In more severe cases, the institution of the author(s) will be notified, and the Journal will refuse to consider future submissions from the involved author(s).
2. EDITORIAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Authorship:
-The order of authors should reflect the scientific or professional contributions.
-All authors must sign an authorization, indicating their level of participation.
-Contributions not meeting authorship criteria must be included in acknowledgments with permission.
-Compliance with administrative requirements and submission of approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee.
-All communications will be shared with all authors of the article.
Authorship Disputes: In the event of suspected authorship issues, the Editorial Committee will contact the corresponding author for further information and may contact other authors if necessary.
Funding: All funding sources and their specific roles must be detailed in the acknowledgments section. If there are no funding sources, this should be explicitly stated. Other sources, including editorial assistance, must also be specified.
Peer Review:
-The Journal employs a double-blind peer review system for all submitted articles.
-The editorial section is not subject to peer review.
-Confidentiality is maintained throughout the review process.
-Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest when responding to a review invitation.
-In cases of conflict of interest, reviewers should not evaluate manuscripts from authors with whom they have recent relationships in the same institution or direct competition.
Publication Timeliness: The Journal is committed to ensuring timely peer review and avoiding unnecessary delays in the publication process.
Editors and Journal Staff as Authors: Editors, as well as members of the Editorial and Advisory Committees, do not participate in editorial decisions involving their own articles. A detailed statement will be provided about the process followed to make editorial decisions in cases where the editor or members of the Editorial or Advisory Committees are authors of a work.
Conflicts of Interest: Editors, authors, and reviewers must disclose any conflict of interest that may affect their ability to present or review a manuscript objectively. Conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to, financial, personal, political, or religious interests. Authors should describe any relevant funding, including the purpose of such funding, and any patents, stocks, and shares they hold.
Defamation and Libel: The Advisory Committee monitors manuscripts and peer reviews to identify defamatory statements or negligently made misrepresentations that could lead to legal action. Defamatory language is prohibited, and the author of such statements assumes full responsibility.
Editorial Independence and Commercial Issues: Although the University of Pamplona finances and edits the Journal, this does not influence editorial decisions.
Academic Debate: The Journal encourages correspondence and constructive criticism regarding published works. When correspondence addresses a specific article, the author will be invited to respond before publication of the correspondence. Where possible, the correspondence and the author's response will be published together. Authors can indicate whether they consider a correspondence constructive, but they do not have the right to veto comments.
Appeals: Authors who disagree with editorial feedback have the right to appeal the decision made by the Editorial Committee. Appeals will override previous decisions only if new information is available, and reversals of decisions will not be made without new evidence. The Editorial Committee may seek additional comments from reviewers to make an informed decision.
Corrections: Readers and authors are responsible for notifying the Journal about errors in a publication, especially those that could affect the interpretation of data. Corrections will be published, and if significant errors are found that could invalidate the work, a retraction will be considered. All authors are required to provide retractions or corrections when errors are detected.
Retractions and Expressions of Concern: The Journal adheres to recommendations issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for addressing errata and retractions resulting from scientific misconduct. Retractions are published when reported errors may affect the interpretation of data or when fraudulent information or serious ethical violations are involved.
Withdrawal of Articles: The removal, suppression, or concealment of an article is allowed only in cases involving legal infractions, defamation, or other legal limitations, or when there is false or inaccurate data. In such cases, a withdrawal statement will be published.
Data Protection Legislation: The @limentech Journal of Food Science and Technology complies with data protection legislation.
3. HANDLING COMPLAINTS, GRIEVANCES, AND APPEALS
The @limentech Journal of Food Science and Technology is committed to receiving complaints, grievances, and appeals via email at revista.alimentech@unipamplona.edu.co. These will be managed by the Chief Editor and handled with the utmost confidentiality to preserve the anonymity of the complainant.
Reports of potential misconduct by any individual involved in the research process, including supervisory, administrative, or scientific editing roles, as well as suspicions of research misconduct, even in relation to one's own articles, are encouraged.
The Journal maintains rigorous ethical editorial control and follows the protocol established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to address alleged violations, involving the following general steps:
Detection and Communication:
-The ethical violation is identified and communicated to the author.
-The Editorial and Scientific Committees are notified through regular journal channels (emails).
Editorial Committee Report:
-The Editorial Committee drafts a detailed report on the complaint.
Urgent Meeting:
-An urgent meeting is held between members of the Scientific and Editorial Committees.
-The case is assessed, and measures to be taken are considered.
Final Decision:
-A final decision is made, taking into account all parties involved.
-If a member of the team or Editorial Committee is involved, they will be excluded from the process until its conclusion.
In cases directly involving editors and authors, publication rights, and other obligations, the Assistant Editor, in collaboration with the legal advisors of the University of Pamplona, will handle the claims. Queries should be directed to revista.alimentech@unipamplona.edu.co.
Editors are responsible for implementing the measures dictated by the Editorial Committee. In cases of proven ethical violations, the article may face sanctions such as Erratum, Corrigendum, or Retraction. In the most severe cases, the article will be rejected, and if already published, it will be withdrawn with a retraction. As a consequence, the author will not be allowed to publish again in the Journal, and the violation will be communicated to their direct superior.
4. AUTHOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Information Sources: Authors must provide detailed procedures and calculations in their articles, ensuring that all data is explicitly stated in the document. Any inaccurate or fraudulent calculations are considered an ethical violation.
Originality and Plagiarism: Proper citation of authors, collaborators, and sources is essential. Plagiarism, in its various forms, such as copying, uncredited paraphrasing, or presenting someone else's results as their own, is considered unacceptable.
Redundant or Concurrent Publication: Authors must avoid publishing essentially identical manuscripts in more than one journal. Simultaneous submission of the same work to multiple journals is considered an ethical violation.
Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of the work of others is required. Authors must cite all influential sources in their research and obtain written permission to use confidential information.
Authorship of the Document: Authorship should be limited to those who have significantly contributed to the design, execution, or interpretation of the research. All co-authors must approve the final version of the document and ensure that those with substantial contributions are included.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or other conflicts of interest that may influence the interpretation of the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancy, stock ownership, and other relevant connections.
Similarity Analysis: The @limentech Journal of Food Science and Technology uses Turnitin to detect plagiarism and thoroughly reviews references to ensure academic integrity.
Significant Errors in Published Works: Authors are responsible for immediately notifying the Editor of significant errors in their published work and cooperating in necessary corrections or retractions.
5. EDITOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Publication Decision: The Editor decides which articles are published based on reviewers' reports. Decisions are made considering the importance for the community and legal requirements.
Fair Play: Evaluations are carried out without bias based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or politics. The double-blind evaluation system prevents prejudice.
Conflict of Interest: The Editor will not use unpublished material for their own research without consent. They recuse themselves from reviewing manuscripts with conflicts of interest and guarantee confidentiality of information obtained during the peer review process.
Education on Editorial Ethics: The Editor provides education on ethical standards, especially for researchers early in their careers.
Peer Review: Ensures a fair, impartial, and timely review process. External and independent reviewers evaluate manuscripts, avoiding bias and selecting experts in the relevant field.
Monitoring the Published Record: The Editor works to safeguard the integrity of the record by addressing misconduct and ensuring that necessary corrections are made appropriately.
6. REVIEWER RESPONSIBILITIES
-Contributing to Editorial Decisions: Blind peer review is essential for editorial decisions and provides constructive feedback to authors.
-Timeliness: Reviewers must notify if they cannot review within the given time frame. They treat manuscripts as confidential and avoid discussing them with others without authorization.
-Objectivity: Reviews are conducted objectively, avoiding personal criticism. Reviewers express their views clearly and backed by arguments.
-Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers alert the editor to any missing citations of relevant works and any substantial similarity with prior works.
-Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Reviewers do not use unpublished material for their own research without permission. They avoid reviewing manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest and maintain confidentiality of information obtained during the peer review process.
