Governance Policy

1. Introduction

The Andalasian International Journal of Agriculture and Natural Sciences (AIJANS) is committed to transparent, accountable, independent, and ethical journal governance. The journal maintains a governance framework that distinguishes institutional publishing responsibilities from editorial decision-making authority while ensuring that all participants in the publication process fulfill their respective professional and ethical obligations.

AIJANS recognizes that sound journal governance is essential for maintaining scholarly integrity, editorial independence, public trust, and the long-term sustainability of scientific publishing.

This Governance Policy defines the responsibilities, authority, relationships, and accountability of the journal's publisher, Editor-in-Chief, editorial team, Editorial Board, reviewers, and other individuals involved in journal management.

The policy is informed by the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, Version 5, developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA), and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

2. Journal Ownership and Institutional Management

The Andalasian International Journal of Agriculture and Natural Sciences (AIJANS) is published by:

Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat (LPPM)
Universitas Andalas
Kampus Limau Manis
Padang, West Sumatra 25163
Indonesia

LPPM Universitas Andalas provides the institutional framework within which AIJANS operates. The publisher supports the continuity, administration, infrastructure, and sustainable development of the journal.

The publisher's institutional responsibilities include:

Providing an appropriate organizational framework for journal management.
Supporting the operation and maintenance of the journal's publishing platform.
Facilitating access to administrative and technical resources required for publication.
Supporting the implementation of journal policies and publishing standards.
Promoting the sustainability, transparency, and accountability of journal operations.
Supporting appropriate responses to institutional, legal, technical, or publishing integrity concerns.
Maintaining appropriate institutional oversight without interfering with independent scholarly judgments.

The publisher's administrative responsibilities do not confer authority to require the acceptance, rejection, modification, or withdrawal of a manuscript for reasons unrelated to scholarly merit, publication ethics, or legitimate editorial procedures.

3. Editorial Independence

AIJANS maintains the principle that editorial decisions must be based on scholarly merit, methodological soundness, relevance to the journal's aims and scope, ethical compliance, and the quality and reliability of the research.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by:

The nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, or political beliefs of authors.
The institutional affiliation, professional status, or geographic origin of authors.
Personal relationships or academic rivalries.
Institutional preferences or external organizational pressure.
Commercial interests, advertising arrangements, or sponsorship.
The ability or willingness of authors to pay publication-related fees.
Other improper financial, professional, or personal interests.

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for protecting the independence and integrity of editorial decisions.

The publisher, institutional administrators, sponsors, and other external parties must not exert inappropriate influence over decisions concerning individual manuscripts.

Where an attempt at undue influence occurs, the Editor-in-Chief should document the concern and seek its resolution through appropriate editorial or institutional channels while protecting confidential manuscript information.

4. Responsibilities and Authority of the Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief provides overall scholarly leadership and is accountable for the integrity, consistency, and fairness of the journal's editorial processes.

The responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief include:

Maintaining and developing the journal's scholarly direction within its stated aims and scope.
Overseeing editorial policies, procedures, and standards.
Ensuring that manuscript assessment and peer review are conducted fairly and consistently.
Supervising the assignment and management of editorial responsibilities.
Protecting the confidentiality and integrity of the peer-review process.
Overseeing the management of editorial conflicts of interest.
Making or authorizing final editorial decisions in accordance with established procedures.
Addressing credible concerns involving research or publication misconduct.
Overseeing appropriate post-publication actions, including corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions.
Supporting the professional development and effective functioning of the editorial team.
Periodically reviewing the journal's editorial practices and policies.

The Editor-in-Chief retains final editorial responsibility for decisions to accept, request revision of, or reject manuscripts, including decisions made through appropriately delegated editorial responsibilities.

Editorial decisions may take account of recommendations from associate editors, handling editors, reviewers, or members of the Editorial Board. Such recommendations inform the decision but do not automatically determine the outcome.

The Editor-in-Chief must exercise this authority independently, consistently, and with appropriate consideration of the evidence available.

5. Responsibilities of Editors and the Editorial Team

Editors and other members of the editorial team are responsible for supporting the journal's scholarly standards and ensuring that assigned editorial activities are conducted professionally.

Their responsibilities may include:

Conducting preliminary manuscript assessments within their assigned responsibilities.
Evaluating the suitability of manuscripts for the journal's aims and scope.
Identifying and inviting qualified peer reviewers.
Managing assigned manuscripts and monitoring review progress.
Evaluating reviewer reports and author responses.
Preparing editorial recommendations and communicating authorized decisions.
Ensuring that manuscripts receive consistent and impartial treatment.
Identifying and declaring actual, potential, or perceived competing interests.
Protecting confidential information obtained through editorial duties.
Reporting suspected research or publication misconduct through appropriate channels.

Editors must not exploit unpublished information obtained through their editorial responsibilities for personal research, financial advantage, or other unauthorized purposes.

Editors must also avoid using their position to obtain preferential treatment for their own work or the work of colleagues, collaborators, or affiliated institutions.

6. Editorial Board: Composition and Responsibilities

AIJANS maintains an Editorial Board to support the journal's scholarly development, disciplinary expertise, editorial quality, and ethical publishing practices.

Editorial Board members should possess appropriate academic qualifications, research experience, and professional expertise relevant to the journal's aims and scope.

The journal seeks appropriate diversity in disciplinary backgrounds, institutional affiliations, geographic representation, and professional perspectives.

The responsibilities of Editorial Board members may include:

Providing scholarly advice concerning the journal's direction and scope.
Supporting the development and periodic evaluation of editorial policies.
Advising on emerging research topics and disciplinary developments.
Assisting with the identification of qualified reviewers where appropriate.
Contributing to the evaluation of editorial practices and journal quality.
Promoting ethical standards and responsible scholarly communication.
Supporting the journal's academic visibility through appropriate professional activities.

Membership of the Editorial Board does not automatically entitle an individual to make decisions concerning manuscripts outside their assigned editorial responsibilities.

The journal should maintain an accurate and current public list of Editorial Board members, including their full names and institutional affiliations.

7. Appointment, Participation, and Review of Editorial Board Members

Individuals invited to serve on the editorial team or Editorial Board should have qualifications and expertise appropriate to their proposed responsibilities.

Before an individual is publicly listed as an editorial or advisory board member, the journal must obtain their agreement to serve.

Editorial appointments and membership arrangements should consider:

Relevant scholarly expertise and professional experience.
Alignment with the journal's aims and scope.
Ability and willingness to fulfill the assigned responsibilities.
Professional integrity and commitment to ethical publishing.
Potential competing interests that could affect impartiality.
The overall disciplinary, institutional, and geographic composition of the editorial team.

AIJANS should periodically review the composition and functioning of its Editorial Board to ensure continued relevance, accuracy, and effectiveness.

Where a member is no longer able or willing to serve, the journal should update the public membership information accordingly.

Any appointment, renewal, change of responsibilities, or removal of an editorial member must follow the applicable institutional arrangements and journal governance procedures.

8. Editorial Decision-Making Process

Editorial assessment at AIJANS follows an established process designed to provide fair, independent, and evidence-based decisions.

The process generally includes the following stages:

8.1 Initial Editorial Assessment

Submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial assessment to determine their relevance to the journal's aims and scope, basic scholarly quality, adherence to submission requirements, and compliance with applicable ethical standards.

Manuscripts that are clearly outside the journal's scope, do not meet minimum editorial requirements, or present substantial unresolved ethical concerns may be rejected without external peer review.

8.2 Peer Review

Manuscripts considered suitable for further evaluation proceed to the journal's double-anonymized peer-review process.

Qualified reviewers provide independent assessments of the manuscript's scholarly contribution, methodology, analysis, interpretation, presentation, and relevant ethical considerations.

Reviewer recommendations are advisory and form part of the evidence considered by the responsible editor.

8.3 Editorial Evaluation and Decision

The responsible editor evaluates the manuscript, reviewer reports, author responses, and applicable editorial standards.

Editorial decisions may include rejection, a request for revision, or acceptance, according to the journal's established procedures.

The Editor-in-Chief retains ultimate responsibility for the integrity of editorial decisions and may delegate specified responsibilities to qualified editors while maintaining appropriate oversight.

8.4 Final Decision

The final decision must be based on the scholarly and ethical merits of the manuscript.

A favorable reviewer recommendation does not guarantee acceptance, and disagreement among reviewers does not automatically require rejection.

The reasons for editorial decisions should be communicated appropriately to authors, consistent with reviewer confidentiality and the journal's editorial procedures.

Detailed procedures are described in the journal's Peer Review Process and Editorial Assessment policy.

9. Management of Competing Interests

All individuals participating in journal governance and editorial activities must disclose actual, potential, or perceived competing interests that could compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, independent judgment.

Competing interests may arise from financial relationships, professional collaborations, institutional affiliations, personal relationships, academic disputes, supervisory relationships, or other relevant circumstances.

Editors must not manage or decide manuscripts when their competing interests create an unacceptable risk of bias.

Examples include manuscripts:

Authored or coauthored by the handling editor.
Submitted by close family members or individuals with whom the editor has a significant personal relationship.
Submitted by individuals with whom the editor has an active collaboration that could compromise impartiality.
Involving financial or professional interests that could reasonably influence the editor's judgment.

Where a significant competing interest exists, the manuscript must be reassigned to a qualified editor who can conduct an independent assessment.

If the Editor-in-Chief has a relevant competing interest, editorial responsibility must be transferred to an appropriately qualified and independent editor. The conflicted Editor-in-Chief must not influence the resulting editorial decision.

Institutional affiliation alone does not automatically establish misconduct or disqualify an editor; however, the relationship must be assessed in light of the circumstances and the possibility of real or perceived bias.

Further requirements are established in the journal's Competing Interests Policy.

10. Manuscripts Submitted by Editors or Editorial Board Members

AIJANS recognizes that editors and Editorial Board members may also conduct research and submit scholarly manuscripts.

Such submissions must receive independent editorial assessment and the same applicable scholarly and ethical scrutiny as manuscripts submitted by other authors.

Editorial position or institutional affiliation must not provide preferential access, expedited acceptance, reduced review requirements, or other inappropriate advantages.

When an editor or Editorial Board member submits a manuscript:

The submitting individual must not exercise editorial authority over their own manuscript.
The manuscript must be assigned to an independent editor without a relevant competing interest.
Peer review must follow the journal's established procedures.
The submitting individual must not access confidential reviewer identities or editorial deliberations through privileged editorial permissions.
The handling of the manuscript must be documented appropriately within the editorial system.

Where necessary, the journal should arrange additional safeguards to ensure that the assessment is demonstrably independent.

11. Special Issues and Guest Editorial Responsibilities

If AIJANS publishes a special issue or appoints guest editors, the journal's established editorial and ethical standards continue to apply.

Guest editors must act within clearly defined responsibilities and remain accountable to the journal's editorial governance framework.

Special issues must not operate as independent publishing arrangements exempt from the journal's normal standards.

In particular:

Special-issue manuscripts must undergo appropriate editorial assessment and peer review.
Guest editors must declare relevant competing interests.
Guest editors must not make decisions on manuscripts where their independence is compromised.
The journal must retain oversight of editorial quality and publication ethics.
The Editor-in-Chief remains accountable for the integrity of content published under the journal's title.
Special-issue arrangements must not allow commercial, institutional, or personal interests to override scholarly evaluation.

Any appointment of guest editors should clearly establish the scope and limits of their responsibilities before editorial activities begin.

12. Ethical Oversight and Research Integrity

AIJANS is committed to responsible research and publication ethics.

The journal's governance responsibilities include maintaining procedures for addressing credible concerns involving:

Plagiarism and inappropriate text reuse.
Fabrication or falsification of research data.
Inappropriate authorship practices.
Undisclosed competing interests.
Manipulation of peer review.
Citation manipulation.
Redundant or duplicate publication.
Misleading or unauthorized use of artificial intelligence.
Research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive information without appropriate ethical safeguards.
Other conduct that may compromise the reliability or integrity of published research.

Editors should assess concerns impartially, preserve confidentiality where appropriate, provide relevant parties with a fair opportunity to respond, and distinguish allegations from established findings.

Where necessary, AIJANS may seek clarification from authors, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties, consistent with applicable procedures and legal obligations.

The journal follows relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when addressing publication ethics concerns.

Detailed procedures are provided in the journal's policies concerning allegations of misconduct, corrections and retractions, authorship, and publication ethics.

13. Complaints and Appeals Concerning Governance or Editorial Decisions

AIJANS recognizes the right of authors and other relevant parties to raise legitimate concerns about editorial procedures, professional conduct, and journal governance.

Complaints may concern editorial conduct, procedural fairness, confidentiality, competing interests, or possible departures from the journal's published policies.

Appeals concerning editorial decisions must be considered according to the journal's established Complaints and Appeals policy.

The following principles apply:

Complaints and appeals must be assessed impartially.
Individuals who are the subject of a complaint must not exercise sole authority over its investigation or resolution.
Where the Editor-in-Chief is directly implicated, the matter should be referred to an appropriately independent person or institutional authority.
Relevant parties should be given a fair opportunity to provide explanations and supporting evidence.
Confidential information must be protected throughout the process.
Decisions and their reasons should be documented and communicated appropriately.

An appeal does not automatically result in reversal of an editorial decision. A change requires sufficient grounds under the journal's established procedures.

14. Relationship Between the Publisher and Editorial Leadership

The relationship between LPPM Universitas Andalas and the editorial leadership of AIJANS is based on the separation of institutional publishing responsibilities from independent editorial judgment.

The publisher is responsible for the institutional and administrative framework supporting the journal, while the Editor-in-Chief and authorized editors are responsible for scholarly assessment and editorial decisions.

The publisher may participate in resolving institutional, operational, financial, legal, or governance concerns within its legitimate responsibilities.

Such involvement must not be used to impose editorial outcomes that are inconsistent with the journal's published policies or accepted principles of scholarly integrity.

If a disagreement arises between the publisher and editorial leadership concerning a manuscript, the parties should seek a documented resolution that respects editorial independence, applicable law, and publication ethics.

Where a matter involves legal obligations or serious institutional risk, the journal should obtain appropriate institutional advice while preserving the integrity of the scholarly assessment process.

15. Financial and Commercial Independence

AIJANS maintains a clear distinction between financial administration and editorial decision-making.

Revenue sources, financial support, institutional funding arrangements, or other commercial considerations must not influence whether individual manuscripts are accepted or rejected.

Any applicable author fees must be governed by the journal's publicly available Author Fees and Business Model policy.

Payment of a fee, where applicable, must not guarantee publication or affect the scholarly assessment of a manuscript.

Advertising, sponsorship, promotional activities, and other commercial arrangements must remain separate from editorial decisions.

Editors must not be rewarded or evaluated under arrangements that create inappropriate incentives to accept manuscripts regardless of scholarly quality.

16. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

AIJANS supports fair participation in scholarly publishing and recognizes the value of diverse academic perspectives, institutional backgrounds, and research traditions.

The journal seeks to provide equitable consideration to manuscripts without discrimination based on characteristics unrelated to scholarly merit.

The journal also encourages appropriate diversity in its editorial and reviewer communities, including disciplinary expertise, geographic representation, institutional backgrounds, and career stages.

Diversity considerations must not replace the requirement for appropriate scholarly competence, editorial independence, and ethical conduct.

17. Accountability and Periodic Governance Review

AIJANS recognizes that journal governance must remain responsive to developments in research integrity, publishing standards, scholarly communication, and editorial technology.

The journal should periodically evaluate:

The continuing relevance of its aims and scope.
The composition and functioning of the editorial team and Editorial Board.
The transparency and fairness of editorial decision-making.
The effectiveness of peer-review procedures.
The management of competing interests.
The handling of complaints, appeals, and allegations of misconduct.
The consistency of published policies with actual editorial practices.
The clarity and accessibility of information provided to authors, reviewers, and readers.
The adequacy of the publishing platform and associated operational arrangements.

Identified shortcomings should be addressed through appropriate revisions to journal procedures, policies, responsibilities, or operational practices.

Changes affecting authors, reviewers, or readers should be communicated through the journal's website or other appropriate channels.

18. Transparency of Editorial and Institutional Information

AIJANS is committed to publishing accurate and accessible information about its governance and editorial management.

The journal website should provide:

The journal's full title and publishing institution.
Information identifying the organization responsible for publishing the journal.
The names and institutional affiliations of the Editor-in-Chief and other editors.
The names and institutional affiliations of Editorial Board members.
Reliable contact details for the Editorial Office, including a physical business address.
Clear information about editorial assessment and peer-review procedures.
Accessible policies concerning publication ethics, competing interests, complaints, and appeals.
Transparent information about author fees, copyright, licensing, and open access.

Editorial appointments and institutional information should be updated whenever relevant changes occur.

Information concerning journal governance must accurately reflect the individuals and organizations involved and must not misrepresent affiliations, responsibilities, or external endorsements.

19. Governance Concerns and Contact Information

Questions or concerns concerning AIJANS governance, editorial independence, or institutional publishing responsibilities may be submitted to the journal's Editorial Office.

AIJANS Editorial Office
Andalasian International Journal of Agriculture and Natural Sciences (AIJANS)
Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat (LPPM)
Universitas Andalas
Kampus Limau Manis, Padang, West Sumatra 25163
Indonesia
Email: aijans@unand.ac.id

Correspondence concerning a governance complaint should identify the relevant issue and provide sufficient supporting information to permit an appropriate assessment.

When a concern directly involves the Editor-in-Chief or another individual responsible for handling the matter, an appropriate independent review arrangement should be established to avoid conflicts of interest.

20. Policy Review and References

This Governance Policy may be reviewed and updated when necessary to reflect changes in the journal's organizational structure, editorial practices, applicable regulations, or recognized standards of scholarly publishing.

The policy has been developed with reference to:

Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, Version 5, developed by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME.
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), guidance on editorial responsibilities, competing interests, editorial independence, and publication ethics.