Editor

The Brazilian Journal of Agribusiness - BJOA provides this guide with detailed instructions for authors, editors, and reviewers, including information about the journal's scope, editorial policies, submission process, and the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved. We recommend reading this document in full. If you have any questions, please contact the editorial team.

1.Duties of Editors

1.1 Registration on the BJOA’s website

Authors, editors and reviewers are required to complete their registration on the journal’s official website.

1.2 Impartial Editorial Decisions

The editor is independently responsible for deciding which manuscripts are accepted for publication, based on their relevance, originality, and scientific quality, and always aligned with the policies of the Editorial Board and applicable legal standards (e.g., copyright, defamation, plagiarism).

Decisions must:

  • Be based on the importance of the work to the scientific community and readers;
  • Be made impartially and responsibly;
  • Be shared with co-editors or the editorial board when necessary.

1.3 Fair and Transparent Peer Review

 The editor must ensure that the peer review process is fair, unbiased, and conducted within reasonable timeframes.

It is recommended that each article be reviewed by at least two independent external reviewers. The editor must:

  • Select reviewers with appropriate expertise in the manuscript's subject area
  • Promote diversity and representation among reviewers
  • Avoid selecting fraudulent reviewers
  • Evaluate possible conflicts of interest or inappropriate self-citation requests by reviewers.

1.4 Ethical Editorial Conduct

The editor should not interfere with the journal's metrics, requiring or suggesting citations to articles with the aim of inflating bibliometric indicators.

References to articles from the journal itself or to the editor's work should only be suggested for justifiable academic reasons.

1.5 Confidentiality

The editor must maintain confidentiality regarding:

  • All submitted manuscripts
  • All communications with reviewers and authors

Disclosure of any content is only allowed under exceptional circumstances, such as in cases of research misconduct investigations, and always with appropriate justification.

Editors must not use unpublished manuscript content for personal benefit or disclose ideas obtained during the review process without the authors’ explicit consent.

2.Conflicts of Interest

Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest before appointment and update them as necessary. Editors must not participate in editorial decisions involving:

  • Manuscripts they authored
  • Manuscripts by colleagues, family members, or individuals with whom they have a close personal/professional relationship
  • Work related to products or services in which the editor has a financial or professional interest.

 All editorial procedures must be conducted independently and transparently. In case of conflict, an alternative editor should be assigned.

3.Integrity of the Scientific Record

 The editor is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the content published in the journal. In cases of suspected or reported scientific misconduct, the editor must:

  • Contact the authors
  • Request clarification and supporting documentation
  • Notify affiliated institutions or research bodies if necessary
  • Use plagiarism detection tools and other resources to verify the facts

If misconduct or error is confirmed, the editor must take appropriate action, such as:

  • Publishing an erratum for minor errors
  • Issuing an expression of concern if the issue cannot be resolved immediately
  • Publishing a retraction if the integrity of the article is significantly compromised

4.Retractions and Errata

4.1 Retractions

Retractions are formal notices issued when a published article contains:

  • Fabricated or manipulated data
  • Plagiarism
  • Ethical or scientific misconduct

Retractions include a clear explanation of the issues that compromise the article’s credibility. In serious cases, retractions may result in the full removal of the article from publication.

4.2 Errata

Errata are minor corrections that do not affect the scientific validity of the article but must be addressed to avoid confusion. Examples include:

  • Typos
  • Errors in tables, figures, or citations
  • Small inaccuracies that do not impact the results or conclusions

Both retractions and errata are essential to uphold the credibility, accuracy, and transparency of scientific publishing.

5.Peer Review Process

All manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process.

The Editor-in-Chief first verifies the manuscript’s compliance with the journal’s scope and assigns it to the appropriate Section Editors.

The Section Editors then invite external reviewers with recognized expertise in the subject matter of the article.

Reviewers are granted 30 days to evaluate the manuscript.

During the review process, authors are given 15 days to address and incorporate the corrections or suggestions proposed by the reviewers.

Upon completion of the evaluation, the Section Editor issues the final decision—acceptance or rejection—within 10 days.

6.Training for Editors.

The trainings are available via the links below:

  • Registration on the BJOA’s website
  • BJOA Access
  • Privacy Policy
  • Criteria for selecting reviewers
  • Sending documents for review
  • Submission
  • Removal of personal data in WORD format files
  • Editorial Process
  • Virus precautions.