Publication Ethics

Jefore Ethiopian Journal of Applied Sciences is a peer-reviewed journal published by Wolkite University. The Journal adheres to international standards for research and publication. All researchers submitting to the Journal are expected to conduct their work ethically and responsibly, with integrity and compliance with all relevant international codes for research and reporting findings. Jefore follows the guidelines and core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to address matters of ethics.

Peer Review

Jefore employs a double-blind peer-review process. All submissions are first assessed by the Editorial Office to determine suitability for review. Manuscripts deemed suitable are sent to at least two independent reviewers. When the Editor has a conflict of interest or is listed as an author, another member of the Editorial Team handles the peer-review process.

Publication Consent

Submission of a manuscript implies that all authors have read and agreed to its content and structure, and that the manuscript conforms to the Journal’s standards and policies. The corresponding author is responsible for obtaining approval from all co-authors and from the relevant institution where the work originated.

The Editorial Office acknowledges receipt of manuscripts and communicates further correspondence and proofs to the corresponding author, unless otherwise indicated. All authors are expected to sign a consent form once their manuscript is accepted.

Authorship

Authorship should be limited to those who made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. Jefore adheres to authorship criteria suggested by COPE and ICMJE. Contributors who do not meet the authorship criteria should be acknowledged. A signed consent letter from all authors is required before publication.

Allegations of Research Misconduct

Jefore rigorously guards against unethical conduct, including fabrication, falsification, citation manipulation, and plagiarism. Errors may occur due to negligence or honest mistakes; however, serious scientific misconduct will be treated strictly.

Suspected misconduct is investigated by the Editorial Team, which first determines the validity of the allegation and checks for conflicts of interest. If misconduct is possible, the corresponding author is asked to provide a detailed response on behalf of all co-authors. Additional expert review may be sought.

If misconduct is confirmed in a submitted manuscript, it will be rejected. In the case of a published article, a retraction may be issued, linked to the original paper. Repeat offenses may lead to a ban from submission for two years or permanently.

Publication Decisions

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for deciding which articles are published, guided by the editorial policy, reviewers’ reports, and recommendations. Even with a positive review, concerns from another reviewer may result in rejection or reassignment to another reviewer.

Complaints and Appeals

Complaints regarding the Journal, staff, editorial board, or publisher can be submitted to the Editorial Office with credible evidence. The Editorial Office evaluates the complaint and provides a decision. COPE guidelines are followed in handling complaints.

Confidentiality

All communication with the Editorial Office is confidential, including correspondence and reviewer reports. Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and reviews, and authors can be confident that their work will not be shared with third parties without consent.

Ethical Procedures

Authors must disclose sources of funding and potential conflicts of interest to ensure transparency. Research involving human participants requires informed consent, and research involving animals must include a statement on animal welfare and institutional approval. Experiments must comply with relevant guidelines and regulations, and authors are encouraged to consult international standards for ethical procedures.

Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest arises when private interests could influence scientific judgment. Authors must disclose financial or other substantive conflicts. Reviewers and editors must also declare conflicts and may decline participation in manuscript handling or review. Conflicted manuscripts will be reassigned.

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

Jefore publishes all accepted manuscripts without charging submission, processing, or publication fees. Costs are covered by Wolkite University.

Copyright and Licensing

All articles published in Jefore are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). The license permits anyone to copy, use, print, share, adapt, and distribute the content, including for commercial purposes, provided proper credit is given to the authors and the Journal. No additional permission is required for reuse; proper attribution is provided by citing the original article.

Licensing

All articles in Jefore are licensed under CC BY 4.0, which allows unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is cited.

Archiving and Preservation

The Journal ensures long-term preservation of its published content through the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) and may integrate additional trusted preservation systems as needed.

Self-Archiving Policy

Authors are allowed and encouraged to deposit the published version of their article in institutional or disciplinary repositories without embargo.