Duties of Editors
Fair Play and Editorial Independence
Editors at the Journal of Agricultural Digitalization Research evaluate submitted manuscripts solely on the basis of their academic merit—such as originality, relevance, technical soundness, clarity, and alignment with the journal’s scope—particularly in relation to digital innovations and technologies in agriculture. Editorial decisions are made impartially, without discrimination based on authors’ personal characteristics (e.g., race, gender, religion, or institutional affiliation). The Editor-in-Chief maintains full authority over editorial content and publication timelines, ensuring an unbiased and independent editorial process.

Confidentiality
Editors treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Information related to a manuscript may not be disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisors, or the publisher—unless permitted by the Editor-in-Chief. This standard of confidentiality is especially important in the context of sensitive data, proprietary digital systems, algorithms, and unpublished software.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Editors and editorial board members must not use unpublished information from a submitted manuscript for their own research without the author's written consent. Any editor who has a conflict of interest (e.g., personal, academic, or financial relationship with any author or affiliated organization) must recuse themselves from handling that manuscript and request an unbiased colleague to manage the editorial process.

Publication Decisions
The Editor-in-Chief, supported by the editorial team, is responsible for deciding which manuscripts will be published. All submissions undergo a rigorous peer-review process involving at least two expert reviewers in agricultural digitalization. Final decisions consider reviewers’ recommendations, the manuscript’s significance to the field, and ethical/legal standards such as plagiarism and copyright laws.

Involvement and Cooperation in Investigations
Editors will actively respond to ethical concerns regarding submitted or published manuscripts. When misconduct is suspected (e.g., data manipulation, authorship fraud, or duplicate submission), appropriate action will be taken following COPE guidelines. Outcomes may include corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern, published transparently to uphold academic integrity.

Duties of Reviewers
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Reviewers provide critical insights that aid editors in decision-making and offer authors constructive feedback to improve their manuscripts. Their role is essential in validating research in emerging areas such as AI in farming, precision agriculture, big data, blockchain, or IoT applications in agri-tech.

Promptness
Reviewers invited to evaluate a manuscript should respond promptly. If they are unqualified or unable to complete the review in a timely manner, they should inform the editors immediately to facilitate reassignment and avoid publication delays.

Confidentiality
All manuscripts received for review are confidential and must not be shared, discussed, or used by reviewers for personal or competitive gain. This confidentiality applies even when the reviewer declines the review invitation.

Objectivity and Constructive Feedback
Reviews should be conducted objectively. Comments should focus on the scholarly value and technical rigor of the manuscript, particularly regarding data validity, algorithmic soundness, application in real-world agriculture, and usability of digital tools. Personal bias or criticism of the authors is inappropriate.

Acknowledgement of Sources
Reviewers should identify missing citations to relevant literature in agricultural digitalization. They must also alert the editors to any significant overlap with other published or submitted works.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Reviewers must declare any potential conflicts of interest (e.g., collaborations, competitive relationships, or funding ties) and recuse themselves if necessary. They must not use any unpublished content or ideas from the manuscript under review for their own research without explicit permission from the author.

Duties of Authors
Reporting Standards
Authors must present accurate, complete, and objective accounts of their research. Submissions should clearly outline the methodology and contributions of digital innovations to agricultural practices. Editorials and opinion pieces must be clearly identified as such.

Data Access and Retention
Authors should be prepared to share raw data or source code upon request for peer review or replication purposes, especially in the context of digital tools, sensors, or datasets. Data should be preserved and made available in repositories when appropriate, while safeguarding privacy and proprietary constraints.

Originality and Plagiarism
Manuscripts must be original, and any use of others’ work must be properly cited. Plagiarism—including self-plagiarism and improper paraphrasing—is strictly prohibited. Authors should acknowledge the contributions of previous research, especially foundational work in agricultural digitalization.

Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Submissions
Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Republishing the same data or research across multiple journals without justification and acknowledgment constitutes unethical behavior.

Authorship
Only individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, or analysis of the work—and have approved the final version—should be listed as authors. Contributions not qualifying for authorship should be acknowledged with consent.

Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of their research. This includes funding sources, advisory roles, intellectual property ownership, or affiliations.

Acknowledgement of Sources
All sources influencing the work, including datasets, APIs, algorithms, or software libraries, must be appropriately credited. Privately obtained information or services (e.g., peer reviews or funding decisions) must not be used without permission.

Hazards and Subjects
If the manuscript involves hazardous digital systems (e.g., drone flight risks) or field studies with human/animal interaction (e.g., digital monitoring), appropriate safety and ethical approvals must be disclosed.

Participation in Peer Review
Authors are expected to engage respectfully with reviewers, respond to feedback, and revise manuscripts as necessary. All revisions must address reviewer comments systematically and within deadlines.

Corrections and Retractions
If errors are discovered after publication, authors must notify the journal immediately and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions as appropriate.

Duties of the Publisher
Ethical Oversight and Integrity
The publisher of the Journal of Agricultural Digitalization Research works collaboratively with editors to identify, prevent, and act upon unethical publishing behavior, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or unethical authorship practices. In cases of confirmed misconduct, appropriate measures will be taken, including corrections, retractions, or clarifications.

The publisher remains committed to upholding academic and ethical integrity and supports the editorial board in applying COPE and best-practice guidelines across all journal operations.