Post Publication Discussion

The Journal of Advanced Food Technology, Cultivation, and Innovation (JAFTCI) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, transparency, reliability, and integrity of the scholarly record through constructive post-publication discussion. The journal recognizes that scientific evaluation does not end when an article is published. Scholarly findings remain open to critical examination, clarification, replication, and evidence-based debate.

JAFTCI welcomes scientifically grounded comments, questions, critical analyses, methodological observations, alternative interpretations, and relevant evidence concerning previously published articles. Such contributions support the continuous evaluation of research in food technology, cultivation systems, sustainable agriculture, aquaculture, biotechnology, and technological innovation.

This policy establishes procedures for submitting post-publication comments, editorial assessment, author responses, publication of scholarly discussions, investigation of publication integrity concerns, and appropriate amendments to the scholarly record. The policy is informed by relevant principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

💬 01. Objectives of Post-Publication Discussion

Post-publication discussion provides a formal mechanism for continuing scientific communication after an article has appeared in the journal. The primary objective is to encourage constructive academic exchange while safeguarding the reliability of the published scientific record.

Main Objectives

  • Encourage evidence-based scientific dialogue concerning published research.
  • Facilitate critical examination of research methods, findings, and conclusions.
  • Provide opportunities for scholarly clarification and alternative interpretations.
  • Promote the identification and correction of substantive publication errors.
  • Support reproducibility, research transparency, and intellectual accountability.
  • Ensure that credible concerns about research integrity receive appropriate editorial consideration.
  • Maintain the accuracy and reliability of the journal's published scholarly record.

Scientific Discussion Principle

Publication does not mark the end of scientific scrutiny. Articles published in JAFTCI remain open to constructive, respectful, and evidence-based academic discussion to support the continued development of scientific knowledge.

👥 02. Participation in Post-Publication Discussion

JAFTCI provides opportunities for members of the scientific and professional communities to submit relevant post-publication observations and critical comments. Submissions are evaluated according to their scientific merit and supporting evidence rather than the contributor's academic position, institutional affiliation, or professional status.

🎓 Researchers and Academics

Researchers and academic scholars may submit methodological critiques, analytical observations, replication findings, theoretical clarifications, and scientific evidence related to published studies.

✍️ Authors and Contributors

Authors may provide additional clarification, respond to substantive criticism, identify publication errors, or contribute further evidence relevant to their published research.

🧪 Scientific Practitioners

Professionals in food technology, agricultural production, cultivation, aquaculture, biotechnology, and related fields may contribute evidence-based observations and practical scientific perspectives.

📖 Readers and Stakeholders

Readers and relevant stakeholders may raise questions concerning the accuracy, transparency, interpretation, or responsible communication of published scientific information.

📨 03. Submission of Post-Publication Comments

Post-publication comments, questions, and evidence-based criticisms should be submitted to the JAFTCI editorial office through the journal's official communication channels. Contributors may use the journal's official Contact page to initiate a discussion or report a concern relating to a published article.

Official Submission Channel

Editorial Office: Journal of Advanced Food Technology, Cultivation, and Innovation

🔗 Contact the JAFTCI Editorial Office ↗

Submission Requirements

  1. Article Identification: Provide the title, authors, and DOI or official article URL of the publication being discussed.
  2. Specific Issue: Clearly identify the research finding, analytical claim, methodology, table, figure, reference, or conclusion under discussion.
  3. Scholarly Explanation: Present a concise and logically structured explanation of the scientific question, criticism, or concern.
  4. Supporting Evidence: Include relevant scientific references, documented evidence, calculations, analytical observations, or other appropriate supporting material.
  5. Contributor Information: Provide the contributor's name, institutional affiliation where applicable, and contact information for editorial correspondence.
  6. Competing Interests: Declare relevant financial, institutional, professional, personal, or other interests that may affect the discussion.
  7. Confidentiality: Avoid publicly disclosing protected personal information, confidential peer-review materials, or restricted research data without appropriate authorization.

Submission Notice: Post-publication comments must be communicated through an authorized journal channel. Submitting a comment does not automatically guarantee its publication. The editorial office may request clarification or supporting evidence before proceeding with a formal assessment.

📋 04. Standards of Scholarly Discussion

All contributions must maintain appropriate standards of academic communication. Scientific disagreement is welcomed when it is supported by reasonable arguments and verifiable evidence. Personal differences, unsupported accusations, or inappropriate conduct are not acceptable substitutes for scholarly criticism.

✅ Acceptable Contributions

  • Evidence-based scientific criticism.
  • Methodological questions and clarifications.
  • Alternative interpretations of findings.
  • Replication results and independent analyses.
  • Corrections of factual or analytical errors.
  • Professionally expressed scholarly disagreement.

🚫 Unacceptable Contributions

  • Personal attacks or intimidation.
  • Discriminatory or defamatory statements.
  • Unsupported allegations of misconduct.
  • Commercial advertising or promotional content.
  • Harassment and abusive communications.
  • Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.

Disagreement with an author's interpretation does not, by itself, establish that the published article contains an error or that misconduct has occurred. All concerns must be considered according to their scientific content and available evidence.

⚖️ 05. Editorial Assessment of Comments

The JAFTCI editorial office evaluates post-publication submissions to determine their relevance, scientific merit, evidentiary quality, clarity, originality, and compliance with scholarly communication standards.

The responsible editor may request further information, consult independent subject specialists, invite an author response, or refer the matter for formal examination when the submission raises substantive concerns about the published scientific record.

Editorial Assessment Procedure

  1. Preliminary Examination: Verify the article identification and determine whether the submission concerns scholarly content or publication integrity.
  2. Evidence Assessment: Examine the accuracy, relevance, and adequacy of the supporting arguments or documentation.
  3. Scholarly Evaluation: Determine whether the matter requires scientific clarification, independent expert assessment, or formal investigation.
  4. Author Consultation: Invite the original authors to address substantive questions when appropriate.
  5. Editorial Determination: Decide whether a comment, response, clarification, or formal publication notice should be issued.
  6. Documentation: Record material correspondence, evidence, assessments, and editorial decisions.

Editors may decline to publish submissions that are irrelevant, repetitive, abusive, promotional, insufficiently substantiated, or inconsistent with the journal's publication ethics requirements.

✍️ 06. Author Responses and Right of Reply

Authors whose published articles are the subject of substantive post-publication discussion may be invited to provide a scholarly response. The right of reply is intended to promote fairness, facilitate clarification, and ensure that relevant evidence and interpretations receive appropriate consideration.

Responses should address the specific scientific issues raised, explain relevant methodological decisions or analytical interpretations, and provide supporting evidence where necessary. Authors should avoid personal remarks or unsupported counter-accusations.

Author Response Requirements

  • Address the substantive issues raised in the discussion.
  • Provide appropriate scientific explanations or supporting documentation.
  • Clarify research methods, statistical analyses, datasets, or interpretations where necessary.
  • Acknowledge verified errors and cooperate with appropriate corrective procedures.
  • Maintain respectful, professional, and evidence-based academic communication.

Editorial Independence: Failure by an author to respond to a substantiated concern does not prevent JAFTCI from examining the evidence or taking appropriate editorial action. Authors' responses are considered alongside other relevant scientific information.

📚 07. Publication of Scholarly Discussion

Following editorial assessment, JAFTCI may publish relevant post-publication contributions in a form appropriate to the scientific subject, the nature of the discussion, and the requirements of the scholarly record.

💬 Scholarly Comment

An evidence-based commentary addressing a specific scientific issue, methodological limitation, analytical claim, or interpretation presented in a published article.

✍️ Author Reply

A formal scholarly response by the original authors explaining their research decisions, addressing criticism, or providing additional scientifically relevant clarification.

📋 Editorial Clarification

An editorial statement explaining a relevant aspect of the published record, reporting an editorial determination, or clarifying information required for accurate scholarly interpretation.

🔬 Expert Commentary

An independent scientific assessment or commentary prepared where specialized disciplinary expertise is necessary to evaluate a substantive post-publication question.

Published discussions should be clearly identified and linked to the relevant original article. Substantive scientific comments and replies may undergo editorial or independent expert review before publication.

The publication of a scholarly comment does not automatically imply that the original article is incorrect, nor does it mean that the journal endorses every interpretation expressed by the contributor.

🔄 08. Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

Post-publication discussion may reveal factual errors, methodological problems, inaccurate citations, unreliable findings, or other concerns requiring an amendment to the published scholarly record. JAFTCI determines the appropriate editorial action based on the available evidence and the seriousness of the identified issue.

📝 Correction

A correction may be published when a substantive error requires amendment but the principal findings and conclusions remain sufficiently reliable.

⚠️ Expression of Concern

An expression of concern may be issued when credible questions regarding article reliability or publication integrity remain unresolved or require further investigation.

🚫 Retraction

Retraction may be necessary when a published article is shown to contain seriously unreliable findings or major research or publication integrity violations that invalidate confidence in the work.

📄 Additional Editorial Notice

An appropriate editorial notice may be issued to provide essential information about a published article or report the outcome of a scholarly or ethical assessment.

Scholarly Record Integrity

Corrections, expressions of concern, and retraction notices must be clearly identified, publicly accessible, and appropriately linked to the original published article.

Substantive changes must not be made silently. Retracted articles should ordinarily remain identifiable in the scholarly record with clear retraction information, except where exceptional legal, privacy, or safety circumstances justify another approach.

🔍 09. Concerns Requiring Formal Investigation

Some post-publication concerns involve potential misconduct or problems extending beyond ordinary scientific disagreement. Such concerns require an appropriate editorial investigation rather than unrestricted public debate.

Matters Subject to Further Examination

  • Potentially fabricated or falsified research data.
  • Questionable manipulation of experimental images, scientific figures, or statistical evidence.
  • Serious plagiarism, inappropriate attribution, or redundant publication.
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest that may materially affect the published work.
  • Research conducted without required ethical safeguards or authorizations.
  • Concerns regarding authorship, data ownership, or research transparency.
  • Evidence of compromised or manipulated editorial and peer-review procedures.
  • Other substantial issues affecting the reliability or integrity of published scientific findings.

The editorial office may seek explanations from the authors, obtain independent expert advice, consult relevant institutions, or follow applicable publication ethics procedures. Allegations must be handled impartially, with appropriate confidentiality and opportunities for relevant parties to respond.

🔐 10. Confidentiality, Documentation, and Editorial Accountability

JAFTCI is committed to maintaining appropriate records of substantive post-publication discussions, including received comments, supporting documentation, author responses, independent expert assessments, editorial correspondence, and resulting decisions.

Confidential information obtained during editorial examination must be protected from unauthorized disclosure. The identities of individuals reporting concerns and other sensitive information should be handled responsibly in accordance with applicable privacy, confidentiality, and publication ethics requirements.

Editorial Documentation

  • Original post-publication comments or concerns.
  • Identification of the relevant published article.
  • Supporting evidence and source documentation.
  • Author replies and additional scientific explanations.
  • Independent expert evaluations, where applicable.
  • Editorial findings, decisions, and issued notices.
  • Correspondence and records supporting scholarly accountability.

⚖️ 11. Editorial Appeals and Reconsideration

Contributors and affected authors may request reconsideration of a material editorial determination when they can identify relevant scientific evidence, procedural irregularities, factual errors, or possible conflicts of interest that warrant further examination.

Appeals should clearly identify the relevant article and editorial decision, explain the specific grounds for reconsideration, and provide supporting documentation where applicable.

Where appropriate, reconsideration may be undertaken by an editor or independent academic representative who was not directly involved in the original decision and does not have a relevant conflict of interest. Reconsideration is not guaranteed merely because a contributor disagrees with an editorial conclusion.

📨 12. Official Discussion Channel and Ethical Guidance

Questions, scientific comments, requests for clarification, and concerns regarding previously published JAFTCI articles should be directed to the journal's editorial office through its official website. The journal will determine the appropriate editorial procedure according to the nature and supporting evidence of the submission.

Journal of Advanced Food Technology, Cultivation, and Innovation

Policy: Post-Publication Discussion

Participation: Authors, Researchers, Reviewers, Practitioners, and Readers

Discussion Standard: Evidence-Based and Respectful Scholarly Communication

Editorial Responsibility: Authorized JAFTCI Academic Editors

Discussion and Review Fees: IDR 0,-

Journal Website: https://journal.austrodemika.org/index.php/jaftci

Official Contact: Contact the JAFTCI Editorial Office ↗