Ethics and Malpractice

Publication Ethics and Malpractice

The Journal of Meat Science is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and preventing misconduct. We ensure that all manuscripts are evaluated based solely on their scientific merit, without any publication charges. We strive to maintain transparency and integrity in our publication process and adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Research Ethics Policies

  1. Research Involving Animals:

    • Our journal strictly adheres to ethical standards for studies involving animals. All research published in our journal must comply with applicable regulations and guidelines concerning animal welfare.
    • Detailed policies regarding the ethical treatment of animals in research are available on our website. These policies outline how animal welfare is ensured, including procedures for minimizing suffering and adhering to ethical research practices. For example, research like "Effect of Grape Seed Extract Powder on Shelf Life of Superchilled Meat" follows stringent ethical standards for animal studies.

  2. Conflict of Interest:

    • We have a clear policy for managing conflicts of interest to ensure the integrity of the research publication process. Authors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to their research and financial support.
    • This policy is detailed on our website and ensures that all conflicts are transparently managed to maintain the trustworthiness of the research published in our journal.

Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Duties of Editors:

    • The Editorial Team, including the Editorial Board and Staff, is responsible for making impartial publication decisions. Decisions are based solely on the scholarly content of the manuscripts, without bias related to the authors' personal characteristics or institutional affiliations.
    • Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest and ensure confidentiality throughout the review process. Manuscript details are shared only with the corresponding author, reviewers, and the publisher.
    • Errors identified during the review process should be corrected while preserving reviewer anonymity.

  2. Duties of Reviewers:

    • Reviewers are essential to the peer review process and must maintain confidentiality and objectivity. They evaluate manuscripts for originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, clarity, and proper referencing.
    • Reviewers should disclose any conflicts of interest and avoid using information obtained through peer review for personal gain. They are also responsible for identifying relevant unpublished work and reporting any overlaps with other published studies.

  3. Duties of Authors:

    • Authors must provide a truthful and comprehensive account of their research, including a thorough discussion of its significance. Manuscripts should be original and not previously published or submitted elsewhere.
    • All sources of financial support and contributions should be disclosed. Any significant errors discovered post-publication must be reported to the editors promptly for correction or retraction.

Publication Responsibility

  • We take measures to identify and prevent the publication of manuscripts where research misconduct has occurred. Articles with significant flaws may be retracted if necessary.
  • The journal upholds high ethical standards and addresses any misconduct involving authors or reviewers promptly.
  • Copyright and licensing information will be clearly described on the journal’s website, and we ensure electronic backup and preservation of content.

Corrections and Retractions

  • Errors identified in published articles will be corrected through corrigenda (for author errors) or errata (for publisher errors). Significant errors affecting conclusions or evidence of misconduct may lead to retraction or an expression of concern following COPE Retraction Guidelines.
  • All authors will be consulted before any retraction or expression of concern is issued.

Peer Review Policy

  • The Journal of Meat Science employs a single-blind review process, where reviewers remain anonymous to authors. Reviewers are selected based on their expertise and evaluate manuscripts for originality, methodological soundness, adherence to ethical guidelines, and clarity of results.
  • The review process typically takes 2-8 weeks. The final decision to accept or reject a manuscript is made by the editors based on reviewer feedback.

Special Issues and Conference Proceedings

  • Special issues or conference proceedings may have different peer review procedures. Authors contributing to these projects will receive details of the review process upon request.

Becoming a Reviewer

  • To become a reviewer, contact the editorial office at acspublisher@gmail.com with your contact details and areas of expertise. Approved reviewers will receive a confirmation email and instructions to update their subject classifications.