Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Jurnal Online Pertanian Tropik (JOPT) is a peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal published by TALENTA Publisher, Universitas Sumatera Utara. This statement outlines the ethical standards and responsibilities of all parties involved in scholarly publication, including authors, editors, editorial board members, peer reviewers, and the publisher.

JOPT is committed to maintaining academic integrity, transparency, fairness, and responsible research publication. Its publication ethics principles are informed by the guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

The publication of peer-reviewed scientific articles contributes to the development and dissemination of reliable knowledge in agriculture and related disciplines. Published research should reflect scientific accuracy, methodological integrity, transparency, and the responsible conduct of research.

All parties involved in the publication process are expected to uphold internationally recognized standards of publication ethics. TALENTA Publisher, Universitas Sumatera Utara, together with the editorial board of JOPT, is committed to ensuring that editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit and are not influenced by commercial interests, institutional affiliations, or other inappropriate considerations.

2. Duties of Editors

Publication Decisions

The Editor-in-Chief and designated editors are responsible for deciding which submitted manuscripts are suitable for publication. Editorial decisions are based on scientific quality, originality, relevance to the journal's focus and scope, methodological soundness, ethical compliance, and recommendations from qualified peer reviewers. Editors may consult other editorial board members or reviewers when necessary.

Fair Play and Non-Discrimination

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on their intellectual and scientific merit, without discrimination based on the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, political views, or institutional affiliation.

Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts. Information about a manuscript may be disclosed only to the corresponding author, assigned reviewers, potential reviewers, authorized editorial advisers, and the publisher when appropriate for editorial processing.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Editors must not use unpublished information, data, or ideas contained in submitted manuscripts for their own research or personal advantage without the authors' explicit written consent. Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest and withdraw from handling manuscripts when their impartiality may be compromised. Manuscripts involving editorial board members must be handled independently to maintain fairness and editorial integrity.

3. Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer reviewers assist editors in evaluating the scientific quality, originality, methodology, interpretation, and relevance of submitted manuscripts. Their recommendations also help authors improve the clarity and scientific contribution of their research. JOPT applies a double-blind peer review process involving at least two qualified reviewers.

Promptness

Reviewers who feel unqualified to evaluate a manuscript or are unable to complete the review within the requested period should promptly notify the editor and decline the invitation when necessary.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not disclose, distribute, reproduce, or discuss manuscript contents with unauthorized individuals without prior editorial permission.

Standards of Objectivity

Reviews must be conducted objectively, constructively, and professionally. Reviewers should provide clear, evidence-based comments and recommendations. Personal criticism, discriminatory remarks, and unsupported judgments are unacceptable.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published research that has not been appropriately cited. They should also inform the editor of any substantial similarity, suspected plagiarism, or significant overlap between the manuscript under review and other published or submitted works of which they are aware.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must not use privileged information obtained during peer review for personal or professional advantage. Reviewers should decline assignments involving financial, competitive, collaborative, institutional, or personal relationships that may compromise their impartiality.

4. Duties of Authors

Reporting Standards

Authors must present an accurate and objective account of their research, including research objectives, experimental design, sampling procedures, analytical methods, results, and interpretation. Research data must be reported truthfully and in sufficient detail to support scientific evaluation and reproducibility. Fabrication, falsification, and deliberately misleading statements are unacceptable.

Data Access and Retention

Authors should retain relevant original research data and supporting documentation for a reasonable period after publication. When requested by the editorial team, authors should provide data or methodological clarification necessary to verify the reliability and integrity of their research, subject to applicable confidentiality, ethical, and legal restrictions.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their manuscripts represent original scholarly work. All sources, ideas, data, figures, and statements derived from other works must be properly acknowledged and cited. Plagiarism, inappropriate text recycling, and misrepresentation of previously published research are unacceptable. Submitted manuscripts are screened using Turnitin in accordance with the journal's Plagiarism Policy, which establishes a maximum similarity threshold of 25%. A similarity score within this threshold does not automatically establish the absence of plagiarism; editorial assessment remains necessary.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals or publish substantially identical research in more than one primary publication without appropriate disclosure and justification. Duplicate and redundant publication practices are considered unethical.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Authors must appropriately acknowledge all relevant sources that have contributed to the development of their research. References must be accurate, relevant, and presented in accordance with the journal's Author Guidelines.

Authorship and Contributor Responsibilities

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the research and manuscript. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all eligible contributors are appropriately credited, that no inappropriate authors are included, and that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the submitted manuscript and its subsequent revisions. Contributions that do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

Hazards and Human or Animal Research

Research involving hazardous chemicals, biological materials, experimental procedures, human participants, or animals must comply with applicable ethical, biosafety, and legal requirements. Authors must disclose relevant hazards and report ethical approval, informed consent, or other required authorizations when applicable.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest and Funding

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, personal, or other relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation. All relevant funding sources and institutional support must be acknowledged.

Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

Authors must transparently disclose the use of artificial intelligence or large language model tools in manuscript preparation when applicable, consistent with the journal's stated requirements. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and appropriate attribution of all manuscript content. Artificial intelligence tools must not be listed as authors.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

When authors discover significant errors or inaccuracies in their published articles, they must promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate in determining the appropriate corrective action, including the publication of a correction or retraction when warranted.

5. Responsibilities of the Publisher

TALENTA Publisher, Universitas Sumatera Utara, supports the editorial independence of JOPT and the integrity of its scholarly publication process. The publisher and editorial board are committed to maintaining ethical publication practices, safeguarding the scholarly record, and addressing allegations of publication misconduct through fair and appropriate procedures.

6. Handling of Publication Misconduct and Post-Publication Concerns

Suspected cases of plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other ethical violations may be examined by the editorial team. Where necessary, editors may request clarification and supporting documentation from the parties involved and consult relevant COPE guidance.

Depending on the findings and the stage of publication, appropriate actions may include manuscript rejection, requests for clarification or correction, publication of a correction or retraction, or communication with relevant institutions when justified. Such matters should be handled impartially, confidentially where appropriate, and with due consideration for the parties involved.

For further information on publication ethics, please refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).