Effective and last updated: 29 August 2026
Future Agriculture expects authors, editors and reviewers to act honestly, transparently and fairly. The journal considers concerns raised before or after publication and follows proportionate procedures based on the available evidence.
1. Originality and duplicate submission
A submission must be the authors' original work, must cite and distinguish reused material, and must not be under consideration elsewhere. Substantially overlapping or previously published work must be disclosed. Translations, adaptations or conference-derived work require transparent disclosure and any necessary permission.
2. Plagiarism and research misconduct
Plagiarism, fabricated or falsified information, manipulated images, deceptive reporting, citation manipulation and undisclosed redundant publication are not acceptable. Manuscripts may be screened with similarity-detection tools. The current author guide treats similarity above 15% as requiring revision, but editors assess legitimate quotations, references, methods and other context rather than relying only on a score.
3. Authorship and contributorship
Each listed author must have made a meaningful contribution, approved the submitted and final versions, and accepted responsibility for their contribution. The corresponding author must obtain the agreement of all co-authors and keep their contact and affiliation details accurate. Guest, gift and ghost authorship are prohibited. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged with permission.
4. Artificial-intelligence tools
An AI system cannot be an author because it cannot take responsibility for the work. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, citations, confidentiality and rights status of all submitted content. Material use of generative AI in writing, analysis or image creation must be disclosed in the manuscript, except for routine spelling or grammar assistance.
5. Conflicts of interest
Authors must disclose financial, personal, institutional or other relationships that could reasonably be seen as influencing the work. Editors and reviewers must disclose conflicts and recuse themselves when impartial assessment is not possible. Funding sources and the funder's role should be stated.
6. Ethical approval, consent and welfare
Research involving people, identifiable personal information, animals, hazardous materials or protected biological resources must comply with applicable law and recognised disciplinary standards. Authors must provide ethics-committee approval, informed consent or a justified exemption when relevant. Identifiable persons must not be published without appropriate consent. Animal work must describe welfare safeguards and required approvals.
7. Data, sources and permissions
Claims must be supported by accurate records and reliable sources. Authors should retain underlying data and make it available to the editor when reasonably necessary to assess a concern, subject to privacy, confidentiality and legal restrictions. Authors are responsible for permission to reuse figures, tables, photographs, questionnaires and other third-party material.
8. Editor and reviewer responsibilities
Editors must assess manuscripts on their merits, preserve confidentiality, avoid using unpublished ideas for personal advantage and manage conflicts. Reviewers must provide respectful, evidence-based comments, protect confidential material and disclose inability or conflicts promptly. Editorial-board status does not guarantee publication or preferential treatment.
9. Allegations, complaints and outcomes
Concerns may be sent to chiefeditor@futureagriculture.co.in with supporting information. The journal may seek a response from the authors, preserve relevant records, consult reviewers or institutions, and pause review or publication while assessing the matter. Outcomes may include no action, clarification, revision, rejection, correction, expression of concern, retraction, notification to an institution or another proportionate step. Whistleblower identity will be protected where reasonably possible, but confidentiality cannot be guaranteed when law or a fair investigation requires disclosure.
10. Guidance
This policy is informed by the COPE Core Practices. See the Editorial Policy for appeals, corrections, retractions and withdrawals.