Editorial Policies

Focus and Scope

JASc (Journal of Agribusiness Sciences) is an international, double-blind peer - reviewed, open-access journal, published by Fakultas Pertanian, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia. It will consider submissions from all over the world, on research works not being published or submitted for publication towards publication as the full paper, review article and research note in all areas of tropical agricultural sciences.

JASc (Journal of Agribusiness Sciences) includes a wide range of tropical agricultural fields and disciplines to create a platform for the authors to make their contribution towards the journal and the editorial office promises a peer review process for the submitted manuscripts for the quality of publishing. The scopes of the journal include, but are not limited to, the following fields:

  • Agricultural economics and development
  • Agribusiness and entrepreneurship
  • Agricultural extension and communication.
  • Agricultural economics & natural resources
  • Agricultural management
  • Agricultural marketing
  • Farmer's community empowerment
  • Agricultural communication
  • Economics of halal food
  • Agricultural finance
  • Agricultural policy
  • International trade
  • Agro-technology
  • Food Security

 

Section Policies

Articles

Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed
 

Peer Review Process

Journal of Agribusiness Sciences (JASc) accepts articles by going through a double blind peer review process The stages are as follow:

The first stage:
The editor performs a preliminary plagiarism check by Turnitin. Manuscripts with a similarity of 20% and above will automatically be rejected. Meanwhile, manuscripts free of plagiarism or similarity below or equal to 20% will proceed to the research design examination stage. Manuscripts that present a good research design will be immediately preceded to the peer-review stage. On the other hand, manuscripts that do not present a good research design will be immediately rejected.

Second stage:
Editors distribute manuscripts to reviewers. Journal of Agribusiness Sciences (JASc) uses Double-Blind Peer Review. Therefore, before submitting to reviewers, the editor removes the author's identity, such as name, email, and affiliation. Reviewers check the contents of the manuscript using the review form provided on the journal website through a special login for reviewers. They provide recommendations on the results of the manuscript to the editor in the type of decision, namely the manuscript is accepted, revised, or rejected which must be accompanied by reasons.

Third phase:
The editor sends the results of the reviewer's review to the author. If the manuscript must be revised, but the author does not revise and provide feedback, the manuscript will be rejected. On the other hand, if the manuscript is accepted, the authors must be willing to have their article proceed to the final proofreading stage. If the revised manuscript still contains major revisions, it will be returned to the reviewer; if it contains minor revisions, the editor will review and make a final decision. For every decision made, the author is entitled to a clear rationalization.

 

 

Archiving

This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration. More...

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI Disclosure and Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence Policy

Journal of Agribusiness Sciences (JASc)

Policy Alignment and Scope
The Journal of Agribusiness Sciences (JASc) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, transparency, and research integrity in accordance with internationally recognized scholarly publishing practices.

This policy governs the responsible use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies across all stages of the publication process, including manuscript preparation, peer review, and editorial decision-making. AI tools must not replace human intellectual contribution, critical thinking, or scholarly judgment. Authors, reviewers, and editors remain fully responsible and accountable for the integrity, accuracy, and originality of all submitted and published work.

1. Principle of Human Accountability
JASc affirms that all scholarly work must be the result of human intellectual effort. The use of AI tools is permitted only as a supportive mechanism and must not substitute for:

  • critical analysis,
  • methodological rigor,
  • scholarly interpretation, or
  • academic judgment.

Authors bear full responsibility and accountability for the integrity, validity, and originality of all submitted content, including any portion supported by AI tools.

2. Acceptable Use of AI by Authors
Authors may utilize AI tools under the following conditions:

  • to improve language quality, grammar, clarity, and readability;
  • to assist with the structural organization of the manuscript;
  • to support preliminary idea exploration, provided that all outputs are critically evaluated.

AI tools must not be used to autonomously generate:

  • research findings,
  • data analysis,
  • interpretation of results, or
  • scholarly conclusions without substantial human validation.

All AI-assisted content must undergo rigorous human verification to prevent inaccuracies, fabricated citations, or biased outputs.

3. Mandatory AI Disclosure for Transparency
To ensure transparency and reproducibility, JASc requires explicit disclosure of AI usage:

  • A dedicated “AI Disclosure Statement” must be included in the manuscript prior to the references section.
  • The disclosure must include:
    • the name and version (if applicable) of the AI tool,
    • the specific purpose of use,
    • the extent of use, and
    • confirmation of full human oversight and responsibility.

Standard format:

“The authors used [AI tool name] solely for [specific purpose, e.g., language editing and structural refinement]. All outputs were critically reviewed, validated, and revised by the authors. The authors take full responsibility for the content of this manuscript.”

Routine spelling and grammar checks do not require disclosure.

If AI tools are employed as part of the research design or methodology, their use must be described in detail in the Methods section to ensure methodological transparency and reproducibility.

4. Data Governance, Privacy, and Intellectual Property
Authors must ensure that the use of AI tools does not compromise:

  • the confidentiality of unpublished manuscripts,
  • the protection of research data and participant privacy, or
  • intellectual property rights.

Authors are required to review the terms of service of AI tools to ensure that no unintended data sharing, storage, or reuse occurs, particularly in relation to sensitive or proprietary materials.

5. AI Use in Visual Materials and Research Outputs
JASc strictly prohibits the use of generative AI for:

  • creating, altering, or manipulating figures, images, or graphical representations;
  • producing graphical abstracts or other visual research outputs.

An exception is permitted only when AI constitutes an integral component of the research methodology (e.g., AI-based image analysis). In such cases:

  • the methodology must be described in a transparent and reproducible manner;
  • technical specifications (tool name, version, parameters) must be provided;
  • original data may be requested for verification during the review process.

6. Authorship and Contribution Ethics
AI tools do not meet the criteria for authorship and must not be listed as authors or co-authors.

Authorship is limited to individuals who:

  • make substantial scholarly contributions,
  • participate in drafting or revising the manuscript,
  • approve the final version, and
  • agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

7. AI Use in the Peer Review Process
To maintain the integrity and confidentiality of the peer review process:

  • Reviewers are strictly prohibited from uploading manuscripts or any part thereof into AI systems.
  • AI tools must not be used to generate, draft, or refine peer review reports.

Peer review requires independent human evaluation, and reviewers remain fully accountable for their assessments.

8. AI Use in Editorial Decision-Making
Editors must not use generative AI tools to:

  • evaluate manuscripts,
  • formulate editorial decisions, or
  • generate decision letters containing confidential information.

Editorial responsibilities require independent expert judgment and must adhere to principles of fairness, confidentiality, and academic integrity.

9. Monitoring, Compliance, and Sanctions
JASc reserves the right to:

  • request clarification regarding AI usage,
  • conduct ethical checks during submission and review processes, and
  • reject manuscripts or retract published articles in cases of policy violations.

Non-compliance with this policy may constitute a breach of publication ethics and will be handled in accordance with established ethical guidelines.

10. Continuous Policy Development
JASc acknowledges the evolving nature of AI technologies and commits to periodically reviewing and updating this policy to maintain alignment with international standards, indexing requirements, and best practices in scholarly publishing.

 

 

Retraction and Withdrawal Policy

Retraction

The Journal of Agribusiness Scienses (JASc) is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. A published article may be retracted if, after careful investigation, one or more of the following conditions are identified:

  1. There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable due to research misconduct (e.g., data fabrication, data falsification, or image manipulation) or honest error (e.g., significant miscalculation or experimental error).
  2. The article has been previously published elsewhere without appropriate citation, permission, or editorial justification (redundant or duplicate publication).
  3. The article contains plagiarism or substantial unattributed content from other published or unpublished works.
  4. The research violates accepted ethical standards, including but not limited to the absence of required ethical approval, lack of informed consent where applicable, or other forms of unethical research conduct.
  5. The publication has been found to involve serious authorship disputes, undisclosed conflicts of interest that compromise the validity of the work, or manipulation of the peer-review process.

The retraction process follows the principles and guidance established by the Committee on Publication Ethics.

The editorial process for retraction includes the following steps:

  • Concerns regarding a published article may be raised by readers, reviewers, editors, authors, or other stakeholders.
  • The Editor-in-Chief conducts a preliminary assessment and, where appropriate, initiates an investigation following COPE's flowcharts and ethical guidelines.
  • The corresponding author will be invited to provide an explanation and supporting evidence within a specified timeframe.
  • The editorial board may consult independent experts or the authors' affiliated institution when necessary.
  • Based on the available evidence, the Editor-in-Chief will determine whether correction, expression of concern, or retraction is the most appropriate course of action.
  • If retraction is warranted, a formal retraction notice explaining the reasons for retraction will be published and linked to the original article.
  • The original article will remain accessible to preserve the scholarly record but will be clearly marked as Retracted on every page.

Retraction is intended to correct the scholarly literature and maintain its integrity, rather than to punish authors.

Withdrawal

A manuscript may be withdrawn only under limited circumstances and with the approval of the Editor-in-Chief.

Before Peer Review

Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript before it has been assigned for peer review by submitting a written request from the corresponding author explaining the reason for withdrawal. Once the request is approved by the editor, the manuscript will be withdrawn from the editorial system.

During Peer Review

Authors wishing to withdraw a manuscript that is under peer review must submit a formal written request signed by the corresponding author, stating the reason for withdrawal.

The editorial office will evaluate the request and notify the author of its decision. Authors are expected not to submit the manuscript to another journal until the withdrawal request has been formally approved.

After Acceptance

Withdrawal of an accepted manuscript is permitted only under exceptional circumstances, such as:

  • discovery of a major error affecting the validity of the research;
  • ethical concerns identified before publication;
  • legal or copyright issues; or
  • other compelling reasons accepted by the Editor-in-Chief.

Accepted manuscripts require substantial editorial, peer-review, and production resources. Therefore, withdrawal after acceptance is strongly discouraged.

After Publication

Once an article has been published, it cannot be withdrawn. If significant problems are identified after publication, the journal will consider issuing a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Withdrawal Procedure

Authors requesting withdrawal must:

  • submit a formal request signed by the corresponding author;
  • clearly explain the reason for withdrawal;
  • obtain written agreement from all co-authors if the manuscript has entered peer review or has been accepted.

The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to approve or reject withdrawal requests based on the stage of the editorial process and the reasons provided.

Ethical Compliance

The Journal of Agribusiness Scienses (JASc) follows internationally recognized publication ethics standards and adheres to the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics regarding corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions.

 

 

Authorship Criteria

Authorship Policy Journal of Agribusiness Sciences (JASc) is committed to upholding transparency, accountability, and integrity in authorship. Authorship must reflect genuine scholarly contributions to the research and manuscript preparation. All authors are expected to comply with the journal's authorship criteria standards. To qualify for authorship in Journal of Agribusiness Sciences (JASc), each author must meet all of the following criteria:

  1. Substantial Scholarly Contribution: The author must have made a significant contribution to the conception or design of the study, data collection, data analysis, interpretation of findings, or other substantive aspects of the research.
  2. Manuscript Preparation and Revision: The author must have participated in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.
  3. Final Approval: The author must have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission to JASc.
  4. Accountability and Integrity: The author must agree to be accountable for their own contributions and to cooperate in ensuring that questions concerning the accuracy, validity, integrity, and ethical conduct of the research are appropriately addressed.

All individuals listed as authors must satisfy all four criteria. Individuals who have contributed to the research but do not meet the authorship requirements should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section, subject to their permission. Honorary, guest, or gift authorship, as well as the omission of individuals who have made qualifying contributions, is not permitted. Authorship must not be granted solely on the basis of academic position, institutional affiliation, seniority, funding provision, or supervisory status.

 

Manuscript Types

The JASc (Journal of  Agribusiness Sciences) journal accepts original research articles and systematic literature review, subject to the following criteria:

Articles must report original empirical research findings within the fields of agricultural science and agribusiness. Manuscripts may employ qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods approaches and must address relevant research issues in areas such as agriculture, agribusiness management, agricultural economics, farming systems, agribusiness marketing, agricultural technology, sustainable agriculture, and other related fields. Manuscripts must present clear research objectives, appropriate and rigorous methodology, a systematic analysis of findings, and a discussion regarding the implications of the research for scientific advancement, agricultural practices, agribusiness development, and sustainable agricultural systems.

 

Allegation of Research Misconduct

Journal of Agribusiness Sciences (JASc) is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity, academic honesty, and publication ethics in agricultural sciences and agribusiness research. The journal takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously and is committed to handling concerns fairly, confidentially, objectively, and promptly, in accordance with established publication ethics principles.

Research misconduct may include, but is not limited to, fabrication or falsification of research data, plagiarism, inappropriate manipulation of data, images, tables, or research results, unethical research practices, duplicate or redundant publication, inappropriate authorship, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and other violations of accepted standards of scholarly integrity.

1. Reporting Alleged Misconduct

Any individual who suspects research misconduct in a manuscript submitted to or an article published by Journal of Agribusiness Sciences (JASc) may report the concern to the editorial team. Reports should provide sufficient details and supporting evidence to enable an appropriate preliminary assessment.

Allegations should be submitted in good faith and should clearly identify the nature of the concern. The identity of the person reporting the allegation will be treated confidentially to the extent possible, subject to the requirements of a fair assessment and investigation.

2. Preliminary Assessment

Upon receiving an allegation, the Editor-in-Chief or an authorized editor will conduct a preliminary assessment to determine whether the concern falls within the journal's responsibility and whether sufficient information is available to justify further examination.

Where necessary, the editorial team may request additional documentation, review relevant research materials, consult appropriate experts, or use suitable tools to assess the concern. No conclusion of misconduct will be reached solely on the basis of an unverified allegation.

3. Investigation Procedure

If an allegation warrants further examination, JASc may undertake one or more of the following actions:

  1. Review the submitted manuscript or published article, research data, supplementary materials, tables, figures, and relevant editorial correspondence.
  2. Request a written explanation, original research data, supporting documents, or other relevant evidence from the authors concerned.
  3. Consult independent experts, peer reviewers, editorial board members, or research ethics specialists, where appropriate.
  4. Contact the authors' affiliated institutions, research funders, or relevant authorities when necessary and justified by the circumstances.
  5. Evaluate the available evidence objectively, maintain appropriate records of the investigation, and document the rationale for the editorial decision.

Authors and other relevant parties will be given a reasonable opportunity to provide explanations or relevant evidence before a decision is made, where appropriate. The journal will seek to ensure that the assessment is impartial and proportionate to the nature and seriousness of the allegation.

4. Possible Outcomes and Editorial Actions

Depending on the nature of the allegation, the evidence available, and the stage of publication, JASc may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Dismiss the allegation if it is not supported by sufficient evidence.
  • Request clarification, additional documentation, or original research data from the authors.
  • Require revisions or corrections when the identified issues can be appropriately resolved.
  • Reject a submitted manuscript if serious misconduct is established or the concerns cannot be resolved satisfactorily.
  • Publish a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction for a published article when warranted.
  • Suspend the editorial process while a relevant investigation is ongoing, where appropriate.
  • Notify the authors' affiliated institutions, research funders, or other relevant bodies when necessary.

All decisions will be based on the available evidence, the seriousness of the concern, the potential impact on the reliability of the research findings, and applicable publication ethics principles. Editorial actions will be taken to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

5. Confidentiality and Protection Against Retaliation

JASc will handle allegations and related information confidentially to the extent possible. Information will be shared only with individuals or institutions whose involvement is reasonably necessary for the assessment, investigation, or resolution of the matter.

The journal does not tolerate intimidation or retaliation against individuals who raise concerns in good faith. Allegations will be assessed based on their supporting evidence rather than the identity or position of the person reporting them. Deliberately false or malicious allegations may be addressed through appropriate procedures.

6. Cooperation with Institutions

Where an allegation requires investigation beyond the journal's authority, JASc may refer the matter to the relevant author's institution, research organization, funding agency, or other competent authority.

The journal may consider the findings of a competent institutional investigation when determining appropriate editorial action. However, JASc retains responsibility for decisions concerning manuscript acceptance, publication, correction, expression of concern, retraction, and the integrity of its published record.

7. Commitment to Research Integrity

Journal of Agribusiness Sciences (JASc) is committed to protecting the reliability of scholarly publications and promoting responsible research practices in agricultural sciences, agribusiness, agricultural economics, farming systems, agricultural marketing, and related fields.

All allegations of research misconduct will be handled carefully, fairly, and consistently with the journal's publication ethics policies and recognized standards of publication ethics, including relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), where applicable.

By submitting a manuscript to JASc, authors acknowledge their responsibility to ensure that their research is conducted and reported honestly, transparently, and in accordance with applicable ethical standards.

 

Conflict of Interest Policy

Conflict of Interest Policy

Journal of Agribusiness Sciences (JASc) is committed to maintaining transparency, objectivity, and integrity throughout the publication process. Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any financial, professional, personal, or institutional relationships that may influence, or be perceived to influence, their research, manuscript evaluation, or editorial decisions.

1. Authors' Responsibilities

All authors must disclose actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest relevant to their research. Authors must also declare all funding sources and, where applicable, explain the role of funders in the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and manuscript preparation.

If no conflict of interest exists, authors should include the following statement:

“The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest related to the publication of this article.”

2. Editors' Responsibilities

Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest related to a submitted manuscript and withdraw from editorial handling when their impartiality may be compromised. An independent editor will be assigned to ensure an objective editorial process.

3. Reviewers' Responsibilities

Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest and decline review invitations when impartiality cannot be maintained. Reviewers must also protect manuscript confidentiality and must not use unpublished information for personal or professional benefit.

4. Management of Conflicts of Interest

JASc will assess disclosed or identified conflicts of interest and take appropriate measures to safeguard the integrity of peer review and editorial decisions. Failure to disclose a significant conflict may result in manuscript rejection or, for published articles, a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the circumstances.

5. Commitment to Transparency

JASc is committed to managing conflicts of interest fairly and transparently to maintain the credibility of research publications in agricultural sciences, agribusiness, and related fields. All parties involved in the publication process are responsible for ensuring that relevant conflicts are disclosed accurately and promptly.

 

Post-Publication Discussion

JASc (Journal of Agribusiness Sciences) welcomes scholarly discussion, feedback, and constructive criticism regarding articles that have been published in the journal. Readers may submit comments, questions, or concerns about the accuracy, originality, methodology, and ethical aspects of published articles to the Editorial Board.

The Editorial Board will evaluate all submissions fairly and objectively. Authors of the articles concerned may be invited to respond. If a post-publication discussion reveals potential errors, plagiarism, research misconduct, or other ethical concerns, the journal will investigate the matter and take appropriate action in accordance with its publication ethics policies and the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The journal is committed to promoting transparent academic dialogue, maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record, and ensuring that post-publication concerns are handled responsibly.

 

Ownership and Management Information

Journal of Agribusiness Sciences (JASc) is a peer-reviewed scientific journal owned, managed, and published by Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) through the Faculty of Agriculture (Fakultas Pertanian). The journal provides an academic platform for disseminating original research and scholarly studies in agribusiness, agricultural sciences, agricultural economics, and related fields.

1. Ownership

JASc is owned by Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU), an Indonesian higher education institution. The university provides institutional support for the journal's academic development, publication activities, and commitment to research integrity and scholarly excellence.

2. Management

JASc is managed by an editorial team consisting of the Editor-in-Chief, managing editors, section editors, editorial board members, and peer reviewers. The editorial team is responsible for managing manuscript submissions, conducting initial assessments, coordinating peer review, making editorial decisions, and overseeing the publication process in accordance with the journal's policies and publication ethics standards.

Editorial decisions are based on manuscript quality, originality, relevance to the journal's focus and scope, peer-review evaluations, and compliance with publication ethics.

3. Editorial Independence

JASc maintains editorial independence in the evaluation and selection of manuscripts. Ownership and institutional affiliation do not determine the acceptance or rejection of submissions. Editorial decisions are made on academic and ethical grounds, without inappropriate influence from the journal owner, publisher, authors, or other external parties.

4. Publisher and Institutional Support

Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara, through the Faculty of Agriculture, supports JASc's academic and publication activities by providing an institutional environment for the advancement of research and scholarly communication in agriculture and agribusiness.

5. Transparency and Accountability

JASc is committed to transparency and accountability in its ownership, management, editorial structure, peer-review procedures, and publication policies. Information regarding the editorial team, focus and scope, author guidelines, peer-review process, and publication ethics is made available through the journal's official website.

 

Publication Schedule

Journal of Agribusiness Sciences (JASc) is published twice a year, with two issues published annually:

  • Issue 1: April
  • Issue 2: October

JASc publishes peer-reviewed scholarly articles covering agribusiness, agricultural sciences, agricultural economics, agricultural management, and related fields in accordance with the journal's focus and scope.

Manuscripts are accepted throughout the year. All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening and, if deemed suitable, a peer-review process. Accepted manuscripts are scheduled for publication based on editorial decisions, completion of the review and production processes, and the journal's publication schedule.

JASc is committed to maintaining a consistent publication schedule and ensuring the quality, integrity, and timely dissemination of scholarly research in agriculture and agribusiness.

 

License

JASc (Journal of Agribusiness Sciences) is an open-access journal licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Under this license, users are permitted to:

  • Share: Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.

  • Adapt: Remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, including commercial purposes.

These permissions are subject to the following conditions:

  1. Attribution: Users must give appropriate credit to the original author(s), provide a link to the license, and indicate whether changes have been made.

  2. ShareAlike: If users remix, transform, or build upon the material, they must distribute their contributions under the same license as the original.

  3. No Additional Restrictions: Users may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from exercising the rights granted by the license.

The full terms of the license are available at: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).