Editorial Policy

1. Introduction

The Journal of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) is a non-profit, APC-free journal affiliated with Wollega University, Ethiopia. It publishes original research articles, review articles, systematic reviews/meta-analyses, short communications, research/technical notes, case studies, and policy briefs from international scholars in agriculture, food sciences, natural resources, and related disciplines. Research and innovation in these areas are critical for addressing global challenges affecting food security and natural resource use.

1.1 Editorial Bodies

The Journal is governed by a structured editorial system appointed by the Management of Wollega University. The editorial bodies comprise:

  1. Editor-in-Chief (EIC)
  2. Associate Editor(s)
  3. Section Editor(s)
  4. Language Editor(s)
  5. Layout Editor(s)
  6. Managing Editor(s)
  7. National and International Advisory Board

The EIC, Associate Editors, Section Editors, Language Editors, Layout Editors, and Managing Editors constitute the Editorial Board and editorial management structure. The National and International Advisory Board provides independent scholarly, strategic, and professional advice.

All editorial appointments are based on academic qualifications, subject expertise, scholarly record, editorial experience, professional integrity, and commitment to research and publication ethics.

Editorial Board members normally serve three-year terms, renewable once, subject to satisfactory performance and the Journal’s needs. Advisory Board members serve five-year terms, renewable as needed. Appointments may be reviewed or terminated early in cases of sustained non-performance, ethical or professional misconduct, persistent non-compliance with Journal policies, or circumstances adversely affecting the Journal's functioning or integrity.

1.2. Editorial Independence and Responsibilities

The editorial process operates with appropriate editorial independence. Decisions on manuscript evaluation, peer-review, revision, acceptance, rejection, and publication are based on scholarly, ethical, and professional criteria. They shall not be influenced by commercial, political, personal, institutional, or other inappropriate considerations. The Journal maintains a fair, transparent, confidential, timely, and properly documented peer-review process.

All editors and editorial staff shall:

  • Apply editorial policies consistently and impartially;
  • Protect the confidentiality of manuscripts and editorial correspondence;
  • Disclose and appropriately manage conflicts of interest;
  • Uphold research and publication ethics;
  • Respect the rights and responsibilities of authors and reviewers;
  • Protect the integrity of the scholarly record; and
  • Comply with applicable institutional, legal, copyright, intellectual-property, and publication-ethics requirements.

1.2.1 Editor-in-Chief (EIC)

The EIC provides overall academic, editorial, and strategic leadership for the Journal, maintaining its scholarly quality, editorial integrity, independence, reputation, and long-term development.

Principal Responsibilities:

  1. Manuscript Evaluation and Publication Decisions: Oversee assessment, peer-review, revision, acceptance, rejection, and publication of manuscripts; make or confirm final editorial decisions; consider recommendations from Associate Editors, Section Editors, and peer reviewers; and ensure decisions are supported by appropriate scholarly and ethical considerations.
  2. Peer-Review Oversight: Ensure that qualified and independent reviewers are selected; reviewer conflicts of interest are managed; confidentiality is maintained; peer-review is conducted fairly and within reasonable timeframes; and editorial decisions are not based solely on one reviewer's recommendation.
  3. Confidentiality and Data Protection: Ensure appropriate protection of submitted manuscripts, reviewer reports and identities, author information, editorial correspondence, deliberations, and other confidential information. Confidential information shall not be used for personal, institutional, professional, or commercial advantage.
  4. Editorial Appointments: Recommend the appointment, renewal, or replacement of Associate Editors, Section Editors, Language Editors, Layout Editors, Managing Editors, and other editorial personnel.
  5. Editorial Board Development: Promote a competent, diverse, multidisciplinary, and internationally representative Editorial Board, and facilitate appropriate training and professional development.
  6. Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement: Monitor peer-review quality and timeliness, manuscript processing efficiency, publication schedules, ethical compliance, author and reviewer feedback, the Journal’s visibility and accessibility, and overall scholarly quality. Introduce measures to strengthen the journal's efficiency, credibility, accessibility, and academic standing.
  7. Reporting and Accountability: Provide periodic reports to Wollega University concerning editorial activities, achievements, challenges, performance, and strategic priorities while maintaining confidentiality regarding individual manuscripts, reviewers, and editorial deliberations.
  8. Final Editorial Authority: Exercise final editorial authority over the content and publication of the journal, subject to approved journal policies, institutional regulations, ethical standards, and principles of editorial independence.

1.2.2 Associate Editor

The Associate Editor supports the EIC in managing manuscripts within designated disciplinary or thematic areas and serves as a member of the Editorial Board.

Principal Responsibilities:

  1. Manuscript Management: Conduct initial editorial assessment of assigned manuscripts; coordinate the peer-review process; identify and invite appropriate reviewers; evaluate reviewer reports; and make editorial recommendations to the EIC.
  2. Reviewer Selection and Management: Identify qualified, independent, and appropriately experienced reviewers with relevant subject expertise; apply the double-blind peer-review policy consistently; and identify and manage potential reviewer conflicts of interest.
  3. Scientific Quality and Ethical Compliance: Ensure manuscripts are consistent with the Journal's aims and scope; assess scientific rigor, methodological soundness, originality, clarity, and ethical compliance; and provide constructive recommendations for improving manuscripts.
  4. Appeals: Receive and assess initial appeals concerning editorial decisions within assigned areas and refer unresolved appeals to the EIC.
  5. Editorial Coordination: Work closely with the EIC, Section Editors, Language Editor, Layout Editor, and Managing Editor, and promote consistent application of editorial policies and publication standards.
  6. Confidentiality and Professional Conduct: Maintain strict confidentiality of manuscripts, reviewer identities, reports, correspondence, and editorial deliberations; and conduct all editorial activities objectively, impartially, and professionally.

1.2.3 Section Editors

Section Editors provide academic and editorial leadership within designated subject areas. They ensure manuscripts assigned to their sections are processed efficiently, impartially, and in accordance with the Journal's scientific, editorial, and ethical standards

Principal Responsibilities:

  1. Editorial Assessment: Assess submitted manuscripts for relevance to the Journal and assigned section, and evaluate them against minimum requirements for scientific quality, originality, methodological soundness, and ethical compliance.
  2. Manuscript Assignment: Manage manuscripts assigned to the section and coordinate manuscript processing with the EIC and Associate Editor, where applicable.
  3. Peer-Review Coordination: Identify or recommend qualified, independent reviewers; ensure compliance with peer-review and conflict-of-interest requirements; and monitor the progress of peer-review.
  4. Editorial Recommendations: Provide evidence-based recommendations concerning revision, acceptance, rejection, or further review; and provide clear academic justification for recommendations submitted to the EIC.
  5. Quality Assurance: Monitor scientific and editorial quality; and ensure compliance with requirements relating to research integrity, reporting, citation, authorship, originality, and publication ethics.
  6. Confidentiality: Maintain strict confidentiality regarding manuscripts, reviewer identities, correspondence, reports, editorial deliberations, and decisions.
  7. Communication with Authors: Ensure that correspondence with authors is clear, professional, constructive, and timely, and that authors have a reasonable opportunity to respond to editorial and reviewer comments.
  8. Timeliness and Accountability: Process assigned manuscripts within established timeframes and promptly communicate circumstances that may cause delays.

1.2.4 Language Editor

The Language Editor is responsible for ensuring the linguistic accuracy, clarity, consistency, and readability of manuscripts approved for publication in the Journal. The Language Editor reviews and refines manuscripts for grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, sentence structure, and appropriate use of academic English, while ensuring clarity, coherence, and conciseness. The Language Editor ensures consistent use of scientific terminology, abbreviations, units of measurement, capitalization, and other language conventions in accordance with the Journal’s prescribed style. All language editing shall preserve the authors’ intended scientific meaning, technical content, research findings, and interpretations. Any language-related concern that requires substantive clarification or could alter scientific content shall be referred to the responsible editor or author. Where assigned, the Language Editor also reviews final proofs to identify and correct any remaining linguistic, typographical, or stylistic errors before publication.

1.2.5 Layout Editor

The Layout Editor is responsible for formatting accepted manuscripts in accordance with the approved Journal template and for ensuring consistency in the Journal’s layout, presentation, and visual identity. The Layout Editor ensures that all manuscript components, including titles, author names and affiliations, abstracts, keywords, headings, tables, figures, citations, and references, comply with the Journal’s prescribed formatting standards. The Layout Editor prepares publication-ready article files in the formats supported by the Journal’s publishing platform, ensuring the proper placement of page numbers, running heads, copyright information, tables, figures, captions, and other required publication elements. The Layout Editor verifies the completeness, consistency, readability, and technical quality of the formatted manuscripts, including the sizing, legibility, numbering, positioning, and in-text citation of tables and figures. The Layout Editor coordinates the preparation and review of article proofs, incorporates approved corrections, and produces the final publication files. Before publication, the Layout Editor conducts a final layout and formatting check to ensure that each article meets the Journal’s approved production standards. The Layout Editor also ensures that finalized article files are properly organized and archived within the Journal’s publishing system.

1.2.6 Managing Editor

The Managing Editor is responsible for the administrative and operational coordination of the Journal’s manuscript management process, from initial submission through final publication. The Managing Editor provides administrative support for the peer-review process, facilitates timely communication among reviewers and editors, and maintains accurate and up-to-date records of manuscript submissions, review activities, and editorial decisions. The Managing Editor also serves as the principal administrative liaison among the Editor-in-Chief, the Editorial Board, authors, reviewers, the publisher, and relevant technical and production personnel to ensure the efficient coordination of editorial activities. In addition, the Managing Editor facilitates the organization of Editorial Board meetings, maintains appropriate editorial documentation, and assist in preparing periodic reports on manuscript submissions, review progress, publication schedules, editorial workload, and other relevant Journal performance indicators.

  • National and International Advisory Board

The National and International Advisory Board is the Journal's principal strategic, scholarly, and professional advisory body. Its primary responsibilities include providing high-level guidance on the Journal’s long-term strategic direction, academic development, international visibility and readership, scholarly reputation, interdisciplinary expansion, and alignment with internationally recognized standards of scholarly publishing. The Advisory Board acts in an advisory capacity and is not involved in routine manuscript evaluation, peer-review, or day-to-day editorial decision-making. Members ordinarily serve in a voluntary or honorary capacity, and their contributions shall be formally acknowledged in the journal’s official records and publications.