Research Ethics Policy for Authors

The North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research is dedicated to upholding the highest ethical standards in all research we publish. We expect all authors to conduct their studies with integrity, transparency, and respect for participants, animals, and the environment. This policy outlines our guidelines for ethical research conduct and our commitment to ensuring that all submitted work adheres to these principles.

We strongly encourage authors to consult the ethical regulations and norms specific to their discipline and country to ensure full compliance. Our editorial team diligently reviews all submitted manuscripts to verify their conformity with these guidelines.

Key Ethical Considerations and Recommended Practices:

• Informed Consent: For all studies involving human participants, authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from participants (or their legal guardians) prior to data collection. The consent process should clearly explain the study's purpose, procedures, potential risks and benefits, and participants' right to withdraw.
• Institutional Oversight and Ethics Approval: Authors must confirm that their research received prior ethics approval from an appropriate institutional review board (IRB), ethics committee, or equivalent oversight body. The name of the ethics committee and approval number (if applicable) should be stated within the manuscript.
• Compliance with International Guidelines: All research must comply with relevant international guidelines, such as the Declaration of Helsinki for human research, the ARRIVE guidelines for animal research, and other pertinent ethical frameworks.
• Confidentiality and Data Protection: Authors are responsible for ensuring the confidentiality and privacy of research participants' data. This includes anonymizing data where appropriate and storing it securely.
• Clinical Trial Registration: Clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) prior to the enrollment of the first participant. The registration number should be included in the manuscript.

Publishing Ethics

The North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in research and publication. We recognize the critical importance of addressing allegations of misconduct promptly, fairly, and transparently. This policy outlines our mechanisms for receiving and responding to such allegations, ensuring the integrity of the scholarly record.

The rules presented below were developed on the basis of the recommendations of COPE (the Committee on Publication Ethics), which were included in the Core Practices.

The NAJFNR editors and assistants are working hard to guarantee the content we publish is ethically sound. Aiming to achieve that goal, we carefully follow the guidelines and flowcharts provided and published by the COPE website.

• Any manuscript you submit to the NAJFNR should not have been published prior in its current, or similar, form. Exceptions to this rule are outlined in pre-print and conference papers (see below the Pre-print policy).  If any substantial element of your paper has been previously published, you need to declare this to the journal editor upon submission. Please note, the NAJFNR uses Crossref Similarity Check to check on the originality of submissions received. This service compares submissions against a database of 49 million works from 800 scholarly publishers.
• Your work should not have been submitted elsewhere and should not be under consideration by any other publication.
• If you have a conflict of interest, you must declare it upon submission; this allows the editor to decide how they would like to proceed. 
• By submitting your work to the NAJFNR, you are guaranteeing that the work is not in infringement of any existing copyright.

Types of Misconduct:

Our journal defines misconduct to include, but not be limited to, allegations of:

• Research Misconduct: Fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.

• Publication Misconduct: Issues such as redundant publication, undisclosed conflicts of interest, authorship disputes (e.g., ghost, guest, or gift authorship), citation manipulation, and image manipulation.

• Reviewer Misconduct: Breaches of confidentiality, unreasonable delays in review, or inappropriate use of privileged information obtained during the peer-review process.

• Editorial Misconduct: Undisclosed conflicts of interest, biased decision-making, or breaches of confidentiality by editorial staff.

Any individual who suspects research, publication, or review misconduct related to a manuscript submitted to or published by our journal is encouraged to report their concerns.

All allegations of misconduct should be directed to our designated Ethics Officer Dr. Imen Benchikh at ethics@najfnr.com. This individual is responsible for receiving and coordinating the initial response to all such inquiries. 

Whistleblower Protection: We are committed to protecting the identity of whistleblowers and will handle all allegations with the utmost confidentiality, provided the information is supplied in good faith.

Investigation and Management Process

Upon receiving an allegation, our process involves the following steps:

1. Initial Assessment: The Ethics Officer, or a designated ethics panel, will conduct an initial assessment to determine if the allegation falls within our scope of misconduct and warrants a formal investigation.

2. Impartial and Confidential Investigation: If a formal investigation is deemed necessary, it will be conducted impartially and confidentially. This may involve gathering evidence, contacting relevant parties (including authors, reviewers, and editors), and seeking clarification.

3. Institutional Contact: In cases involving research or author misconduct, we will formally contact the author's institution, employer, or funding agency, requesting that they conduct their own investigation and inform the journal of their findings and any actions taken. We may also contact other journals if the allegation involves multiple publications.

4. Decision and Action: Based on the investigation's findings, the journal will determine the appropriate course of action, which may include:

   • Issuing corrections, errata, or expressions of concern.

   • Retracting the article.

   • Imposing a ban on future submissions from the involved parties.

   • Notifying relevant professional bodies or regulatory authorities.

5. Appeals: Authors, reviewers, or editors subject to a misconduct finding will have a clear process for appealing the journal's decision.

Our procedures are guided by the recommendations and flowcharts provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), which serves as a leading resource for best practices in publication ethics. We encourage all stakeholders to familiarize themselves with COPE's resources for further understanding of ethical guidelines in scholarly publishing.

Preprint policy

The NAJFNR will consider papers for publication that have been posted to a preprint server before they are submitted to our journal.

However, we can only consider papers where no copyright have not been assigned or an exclusive licence signed  when posting work to a preprint server. 

When submitting a paper to the NAJFNR that has been shared to a preprint server, we ask that authors make it clear to the editor of the journal on submission that the work is already hosted on a preprint server.

Duplicate Submission

​Manuscripts that are found to have been published elsewhere, or to be under review elsewhere, will incur duplicate submission/publication sanctions. If authors have used their own previously published work, or work that is currently under review, as the basis for a submitted manuscript, they are required to cite the previous work and indicate how their submitted manuscript offers novel contributions beyond those of the previous work.

Citation Manipulation

Submitted manuscripts that are found to include citations whose primary purpose is to increase the number of citations to a given author’s work, or to articles published in a particular journal, will incur citation manipulation sanctions.

Data Fabrication and Falsification

Submitted manuscripts that are found to have either fabricated or falsified experimental results, including the manipulation of images, will incur data fabrication and falsification sanctions.

Improper Author Contribution or Attribution

All listed authors must have made a significant scientific contribution to the research in the manuscript and approved all its claims. It is important to list everyone who made a significant scientific contribution, including students and laboratory technicians.

Redundant or Overlapping Publications

Redundant publication refers to the inappropriate duplication of an article's content. This includes submitting or publishing a manuscript that overlaps substantially in data, findings, or text with a work already published or under consideration elsewhere.

Work is considered previously published if it has appeared in a peer-reviewed journal, a book, or an online publication with an ISSN/ISBN. The journal will not consider a manuscript that is a direct republication of such a work.

We acknowledge that some overlap may be unavoidable—for instance, when a paper expands on a previously published conference abstract or when a series of papers from the same research group shares a small amount of methodological text. Such cases may be acceptable if the prior work is properly cited and does not constitute redundant publication. However, authors must disclose all overlapping publications upon submission.

Utilization of Copyrighted Material

Authors must secure all required permissions to reproduce copyrighted material in their manuscript. This applies to any third-party content, including figures, tables, illustrations, or extensive excerpts from previously published works.

Permission Requirements for Copyrighted Material

1. Written Permission Required
If your manuscript includes material (e.g., figures, tables, or text excerpts) for which you do not hold copyright, you must obtain written permission from the copyright holder. Proof of this permission must be submitted with your manuscript.

2. Citation Alone Is Insufficient
Proper attribution (citation) does not replace the need for formal permission. Even if the source is credited, you must still secure explicit authorization from the copyright owner.

For further guidance on ethical publishing practices, we recommend consulting the resources available from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Sanctions

In the event that there are documented violations of any of the above mentioned policies in any journal, regardless of whether or not the violations occurred in any article published by NAJFNR, the following sanctions will be applied:

• Immediate rejection of the infringing manuscript.

• Prohibition against all of the authors for any new submissions to NAJFNR, either individually or in combination with other authors of the infringing manuscript, as well as in combination with any other authors. This prohibition will be imposed for a minimum of 36 months.

• Prohibition against all of the authors from serving on the Editorial Board NAJFNR.

In cases where the violations of the above policies are found to be particularly egregious, the publisher reserves the right to impose additional sanctions beyond those described above.

About Plagiarism

As defined by the ORI (Office of Research Integrity), plagiarism can include, “theft or misappropriation of intellectual property and the substantial unattributed textual copying of another’s work”. Plagiarism is the unethical act of copying someone else’s prior ideas, processes, results or words without explicit acknowledgement of the original author and source. 

Plagiarism is the use or close imitation of the language and ideas of another author and representation of them as one's own original work. Duplicate publication, sometimes called self-plagiarism, occurs when an author reuses substantial parts of his or her own published work without providing the appropriate references. This can range from getting an identical paper published in multiple journals, where authors add small amounts of new data to a previous paper.

Plagiarism can be said to have clearly occurred when large chunks of text have been cut and pasted. Such manuscripts would not be considered for publication. But minor plagiarism without dishonest intent is relatively frequent, for example when an author reuses parts of an introduction from an earlier paper. The editors will judge any case of which they become aware (either by their own knowledge of and reading about the literature, or when alerted by referees) on its own merits.

If a case of plagiarism comes to light after a paper is published in NAJFNR, the journal will conduct a preliminary investigation. If plagiarism is found, the journal will contact the author's institute and funding agencies. A determination of misconduct will lead the Journal to run a statement, bidirectionally linked online to and from the original paper, to note the plagiarism and to provide a reference to the plagiarized material. The paper containing the plagiarism will also be obviously marked on each page of the PDF. Depending on the extent of the plagiarism, the paper may also be formally retracted.

The following types of plagiarism are considered by The NAJFNR:

Full Plagiarism: Any text taken from previously published content without any changes to the text, idea and grammar is considered as full plagiarism. It involves presenting exact text from a source as one's own.

Partial Plagiarism: If content constitutes a mixture from multiple different sources, where the author has extensively rephrased text, then it is known as partial plagiarism.

Self-Plagiarism: When an author reutilizes complete or parts of their previously published work, then it is known as self-plagiarism. Complete self-plagiarism is a case when an author republishes their own previously published work in a new journal.

Ethical Standards and Action for Plagiarism:

The North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research (NAJFNR) is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of intellectual property rights and safeguarding the integrity of original scholarly work. Submissions found to contain plagiarized material are in direct violation of our standards for quality, research rigor, and innovation. Consequently, all contributors submitting articles to NAJFNR are expected to adhere strictly to ethical standards and abstain from plagiarism in any form.

A. Detection and Initial Action

The NAJFNR employs a robust screening process for all submissions, including the use of iThenticate as text-matching software. It is crucial to understand that a high similarity score from this software serves solely as a flag for further investigation and does not, in itself, constitute proof of plagiarism. Editors will meticulously review identified areas of overlap to differentiate between legitimate textual similarities (such as references, standardized methodological descriptions, or preprints declared by authors during submission) and potential instances of plagiarism.

Should an author be suspected of plagiarism in either a submitted or a published article, the NAJFNR editorial office will formally contact the author(s) to request a comprehensive explanation within a two-week period. This explanation, along with all relevant evidence, will then be forwarded to the NAJFNR Editorial Office for the purpose of investigating such allegations.

B. Institutional Notification

Should no response be received from the concerned author(s) within the stipulated timeframe, or if the provided explanation is deemed insufficient, the Director/Dean/Head of the author's affiliated College, Institution, or Organization, or the Vice Chancellor of the University, will be formally notified. This notification will request the institution to initiate an appropriate internal investigation and undertake necessary action against the author(s).

C. Actions for Published Articles Found to Contain Plagiarism (Retraction Policy)

The NAJFNR will take serious action against published articles definitively found to contain plagiarism or other forms of scientific misconduct. Our primary action for such cases will be formal retraction from the scientific record, executed with utmost transparency and in strict adherence to COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines:

• Retraction Note Publication: A prominent "Retraction Note" will be published in a subsequent issue of the journal. This note will clearly state the reasons for the retraction (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication) and will be formally linked to the original article.
• Article Accessibility and Markings: The original article will remain accessible in the online database but will be conspicuously watermarked as "Retracted" on each page of its PDF version.
• Indexing and Abstracting Services Notification: All relevant abstracting and indexing services will be formally notified of the retraction to ensure that the article's status is widely disseminated within the scholarly literature.
• Author Sanctions: Sanctions against the identified author(s) will be applied based on the severity and nature of the misconduct. These may include, but are not limited to, the rejection of all current and future submissions to NAJFNR for a specified period of three years, or a permanent ban from publishing in the journal.
• Other Actions: Any other course of action deemed appropriate in accordance with COPE guidelines and legal considerations, may be implemented to address the specific case.

Article Removal: Legal limitations

In rare cases, we may remove an article from our online database if:

• The content is demonstrably defamatory or violates legal rights;

• The article is (or is likely to become) subject to a court order; or

• The article poses a serious health risk if acted upon.

In such instances, the article text will be replaced with a notice stating its removal for legal reasons, while the metadata (title and authors) will remain visible.

This comprehensive policy underscores our unwavering commitment to maintaining the integrity and ethical standards of scholarly publishing.

Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest represent situations that hold the potential to unduly influence professional judgment, particularly in the context of peer review, editorial decisions, and publication management. The NAJFNR requires mandatory disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest by all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, staff, and the journal publisher/owner.

The NAJFNR is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes seriously publication malpractice and conflicts of interest. Personal, financial and professional affiliations or relationships can be perceived as conflicts of interest. All authors and all members of NAJFNR’ Editorial Boards are required to disclose any actual and potential conflicts of interest at submission or upon accepting an editorial or review assignment.

The NAJFNR review process is designed to guarantee transparent and objective editorial and review process, and because handling Editor and reviewers' names are made public upon the publication of articles, conflicts of interest will be openly apparent.

 Our policy defines, discloses, and manages conflicts of interest by:

• Defining Competing Interests: Clearly outlining various types of competing interests, including financial, professional, personal, or intellectual relationships that could bias judgment.

• Mandatory Disclosure: Requiring all parties to disclose the nature, extent, and timeframe of any potential competing interest. This includes, but is not limited to, funding sources for the study and the specific role of the funder in the research design, execution, analysis, interpretation, or manuscript preparation.

• Collection of Information: Specifying how and when such conflict of interest information is collected (e.g., via submission forms, reviewer agreements, editorial declarations).

​As an author, disclosure of any potential conflict of interest should be addressed during the submission process. Consider the following questions and make sure you disclose any positive answers. If you failed to disclose any of the potential conflict of interest below during submission, please contact the NAJFNR Editorial Office with the details as soon as possible:

1. Did you or your institution at any time receive payment or services from a third party for any aspect of the submitted work?

2. Do you have financial relationships with entities that could be perceived to influence, or that give the appearance of potentially influencing, what you wrote in the submitted work?

3. Do you have any patents and copyrights, whether pending, issued, licensed and/or receiving royalties related to the research?

4. Do you have other relationships or activities that readers could perceive to have influenced, or that give the appearance of potentially influencing, what you wrote in the submitted work?

Data Policies:

To foster greater transparency, enhance replicability, and build trust in scientific findings, authors are increasingly expected to improve reporting practices by registering clinical trials, adhering to standardized guidelines, and sharing associated data, code, and materials. Our journal promotes cooperative practices between journal editors and institutional oversight bodies concerning issues such as alleged data fabrication and falsification.

Our guidelines for data policy encompass:

• Data Sharing: We strongly encourage (and may mandate for certain study types) the sharing of research data. Our policy specifies when exceptions to data sharing are permitted (e.g., for privacy or ethical reasons) and requires a Data Availability Statement in all manuscripts. (Please refer to Guidelines for Authors, Section 9.1 Data & Intellectual Property Policy).

• Data Citation: Clear guidelines are provided on how research data should be formally cited within manuscripts.

• Data Repository and Confidentiality: When relevant, authors are encouraged to share or upload anonymized data to specific online repositories or websites. Procedures for handling confidential data are strictly adhered to, and authors are required to register clinical trials and utilize relevant reporting guidelines, including the submission of associated reporting checklists. (Please refer to Guidelines for Authors, Section 9.1 Data & Intellectual Property Policy).

These comprehensive policies are designed to ensure ethical conduct and robust scientific practice throughout the entire publication lifecycle.

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Complaint Policy

The best way to reach us is by email. Complaints should be directly emailed to contact@najfnr.com where they are dealt with confidentiality.

For more details please go to Complaints Policy webpage: (Link) 

Responding to Ethical Breaches

The NAJFNR is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and has a clear process for addressing suspected ethical breaches, as mentioned previousely. We have established a framework to ensure that all issues are handled promptly, transparently, and fairly.

• Ethics Contact: We have designated a contact person to handle all ethics inquiries, complaints, and appeals. This ensures a consistent and centralized point of communication.

• Prompt Action: Our primary focus is on the swift and accurate correction of the scholarly literature. For cases of author misconduct, we will formally request that the author's institution, employer, or funding agency conduct a full investigation and follow up with appropriate action.

• Appeals and Misconduct: We maintain formal processes for authors to appeal editorial decisions they believe are unfair. Additionally, we have procedures in place to investigate and manage instances of misconduct by editors, reviewers, or staff, such as undeclared conflicts of interest.

• External Consultation: When necessary, our team will contact other journals, authors' and reviewers' institutions, and seek independent legal counsel to ensure that all ethical concerns are handled with the seriousness they deserve.