Research & Publication Ethics

These policies are based on the Journal Ethics Statement included in the Scholastica and American Journal Experts’ Guide to Managing Authors: Journal Editor Training Course, which is licensed under CC-BY.

We seek diverse participation in JEED, defined by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) as “the full spectrum of personal attributes, cultural affiliations, and professional or socioeconomic statuses,”[1] and we affirm these values as developed by Alliance of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science Societies (ACSESS):

Uphold the highest standards of scientific investigation and professional comportment, and an uncompromising commitment to the advancement of knowledge.
Honor the rights and accomplishments of others and properly credit the work and ideas of others.
Strive to avoid conflicts of interest.
Demonstrate social responsibility in scientific and professional practice, by considering whom their scientific and professional activities benefit, and whom they neglect.
Provide honest and impartial advice on subjects about which they are informed and qualified.
As mentors of the next generation of scientific and professional leaders, strive to instill these ethical standards in students at all educational levels.[2]

Publication Ethics

We adhere to the principles of publication ethics outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). JEED enforces a rigorous peer-review process together with ethical policies and standards to ensure high quality research publication. We will investigate any allegations of publication misconduct and may contact the authors’ institutions or funders if necessary. If evidence of misconduct is found, appropriate action will be taken to correct or retract the publication.

Authors wishing to publish their papers in JEED must abide by the following:

Authors should accurately present their findings and include an objective discussion of their significance.
Data and methods used in the research need to be presented in sufficient detail in the paper, so that other researchers can replicate the work.
Key raw data must be made publicly available by the authors upon acceptance for publication as either supplemental files with the submission or via public repositories.
Simultaneous submission of manuscripts to more than one journal is not tolerated.
Republishing content that is not novel is not tolerated (for example, an English translation of a paper that is already published in another language will not be accepted).
If errors and inaccuracies are found by the authors after publication of their paper, they need to be promptly communicated to the editors of this journal so that appropriate actions can be taken.

Your manuscript should not contain any information that has already been published. If you include already published figures or images, please obtain the necessary written permission from the copyright holder to publish under the CC-BY-NC-ND license.

Plagiarism

COPE defines plagiarism as “when somebody presents the work of others (data, words or theories) as if they were his/her own and without proper acknowledgment.”[3]

JEED screens incoming manuscripts for plagiarism. Please ensure that all text in your manuscript is original and not published elsewhere. Bear in mind that copying your own text from prior publications is also a breach of our guidelines. Credit must be given to the original source of any text, images, or data.

JEED does not publish plagiarized material. If plagiarism is detected during peer review, the manuscript may be rejected. If plagiarism is detected after publication, we reserve the right to publish a correction or retract the paper.

Image Integrity

All primary images should be presented in a manner that does not alter their true nature. We will inspect any images submitted, as appropriate. When preparing your figures, please keep the following requirements in mind. This list is not exhaustive.

Do not enhance, alter, move, delete, remove, or obscure any specific feature within an image. All adjustments (for example, brightness or contrast) should be made linearly across the entire image.
Images from different original sources should be clearly identified within a figure (e.g., by using dividing lines or whitespace), not simply spliced against each other.
Reused images should be acknowledged and used only when necessary.

We reserve the right to request original image files at any point in the review and publication process. Inability to provide original files upon request may result in delay of your paper’s publication or even in rejection or retraction.

Use of Inclusive Language

Inclusive language acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equity.[4] Authors should ensure that writing is free from bias, stereotypes, slang, reference to dominant culture and/or cultural assumptions. Seek gender neutrality by using plural nouns as default and avoid using “he, she,” or “he/she.” Avoid the use of descriptors that refer to personal attributes such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability or health condition unless they are relevant and valid. These guidelines are meant as a point of reference to help identify appropriate language but are by no means exhaustive or definitive.

Research Involving Human Subjects

JEED is interested in publishing high-quality research at the intersection of human and natural systems as they relate to ecological engineering. All research conducted on human subjects must have prior approval from the appropriate regulatory body, such as your Institutional Review Board (IRB). Editors may ask authors to provide copies of study protocols and IRB approvals, which may be shared with experts as appropriate. The specific details of their approval (protocol number, date) must be listed in the Acknowledgements section of your manuscript.