Penelitian Gizi dan Makanan (The Journal of Nutrition and Food Research) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, transparency, and accountability. The journal seeks to ensure that all stages of scholarly publishing, including manuscript submission, peer review, editorial decision-making, publication, and post-publication assessment, are conducted fairly and responsibly.

This policy is guided by relevant principles and guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and applies to authors, reviewers, editors, Editorial Board members, editorial staff, the publisher, and other individuals involved in the journal's publication process.

All parties are expected to act honestly, disclose relevant competing interests, respect confidentiality, and cooperate in addressing concerns that may affect the integrity of research or the scholarly record.

1. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to the journal are responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical conduct of their research.

Authors must:

1. Ensure originality. Submit original scholarly work, acknowledge the contributions of others, and cite relevant sources appropriately.

2. Report research accurately. Present methods, data, analyses, results, and conclusions honestly and transparently. Fabrication, falsification, inappropriate manipulation, and deliberate misrepresentation of research findings are unacceptable.

3. Avoid plagiarism and redundant publication. Properly attribute ideas, text, data, figures, and other materials obtained from other sources. Manuscripts must not be submitted simultaneously to multiple journals.

4. Ensure appropriate authorship. Include as authors only individuals who have made qualifying scholarly contributions and who approve the final manuscript. All authors must agree on authorship, author order, and the final version submitted for publication.

5. Disclose competing interests and funding. Declare relevant financial and non-financial competing interests and identify sources of research funding and material support.

6. Comply with research ethics requirements. Obtain appropriate ethical approval, informed consent, and other necessary permissions when required by the study design, applicable regulations, and relevant ethical standards.

7. Maintain research records. Preserve appropriate research data, documentation, and supporting materials and provide relevant information when reasonably requested by the editorial team, subject to confidentiality, privacy, and legal requirements.

8. Address errors responsibly. Promptly inform the journal if a significant error or inaccuracy is identified in a submitted or published article and cooperate in correcting the scholarly record where necessary.

9. Disclose relevant prior dissemination. Identify preprints, related publications, and substantially overlapping manuscripts in accordance with the journal's submission and self-archiving policies.

10. Use AI responsibly. Disclose and use generative artificial intelligence or AI-assisted technologies in accordance with the journal's applicable policies. AI tools must not be misrepresented as authors, and authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and attribution of all submitted content.

Authors must comply with the journal's specific policies on authorship, copyright and licensing, plagiarism screening, competing interests, and other applicable publication requirements.

2. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are assessed fairly, objectively, confidentially, and in accordance with the journal's editorial policies.

Editors must:

1. Make editorial decisions based on scientific merit, originality, relevance, methodological quality, research integrity, and the journal's scope.

2. Ensure that manuscripts receive an appropriate and independent peer review.

3. Select reviewers with relevant expertise and without competing interests that could compromise their judgment.

4. Treat authors fairly and evaluate manuscripts without discrimination based on personal characteristics, institutional affiliation, nationality, or other irrelevant considerations.

5. Maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial correspondence, and unpublished research information.

6. Disclose relevant competing interests and withdraw from handling manuscripts when their independence could reasonably be questioned.

7. Address suspected research and publication misconduct fairly and promptly, providing appropriate opportunities for clarification and response.

8. Protect the integrity of the published scholarly record through appropriate corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, or other editorial actions when justified.

9. Avoid using unpublished information obtained through editorial duties for personal, academic, professional, or financial advantage.

10. Ensure that editorial decisions remain independent of commercial considerations, advertising, sponsorship, publication charges, or other financial interests.

The Editor-in-Chief retains final authority over editorial decisions, subject to the journal's governance and procedures. When the Editor-in-Chief or another editor has a relevant competing interest, the manuscript or complaint must be handled by an appropriately authorized independent editor or representative.

3. Ethical Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers contribute to the quality and reliability of scholarly publishing by providing independent, constructive, and evidence-based assessments.

Reviewers must:

1. Accept assignments only when they have appropriate expertise and can complete the review within the agreed timeframe.

2. Disclose relevant competing interests before accepting an assignment and notify the editor if a conflict becomes apparent later.

3. Maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and all information obtained during peer review.

4. Provide objective, scientifically justified, and professional comments that help editors make informed decisions and help authors improve their work.

5. Identify relevant published work that has not been appropriately cited and notify the editor of potential plagiarism, data manipulation, or other concerns.

6. Avoid using unpublished findings or information obtained through peer review for personal, academic, professional, or financial advantage.

7. Avoid coercive or irrelevant citation requests and other practices that could improperly influence the manuscript's citation record.

8. Comply with the journal's requirements concerning the use of generative AI and other tools during peer review.

Reviewers must not conduct independent investigations into suspected misconduct. Concerns should be communicated confidentially to the responsible editor for appropriate assessment.

4. Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher is responsible for supporting the journal's editorial independence, maintaining appropriate publishing infrastructure, and promoting responsible publication practices.

The publisher must support:

• Editorial decisions based on scholarly merit rather than commercial interests.

• Transparent publication policies and consistent editorial procedures.

• Appropriate handling of complaints, appeals, and suspected misconduct.

• Cooperation with editors, authors, institutions, funders, and other publishers when necessary to protect research integrity.

• Preservation of the scholarly record and the availability of published content.

• Appropriate action when errors, ethical breaches, or other concerns affecting published research are identified.

Financial arrangements, sponsorships, advertising, publication fees, and other commercial relationships must not improperly influence editorial assessment, peer review, or publication decisions.

5. Research Ethics and Ethical Oversight

Research submitted to the journal must comply with applicable ethical standards, regulations, and institutional requirements.

For research involving human participants, identifiable personal information, health-related data, animals, or other ethically sensitive materials, authors must provide relevant information about ethical approval, informed consent, participant protection, and safeguards, as applicable to the study.

Authors must identify the approving ethics committee or institutional review body and provide approval details when required. Where ethical approval or consent is not applicable, authors should provide an appropriate explanation if requested.

For research involving nutrition interventions, food products, clinical measurements, dietary assessments, biological samples, or other potentially sensitive research activities, authors must adequately describe the relevant ethical safeguards and research procedures.

The journal may request supporting documentation, clarification, or additional evidence of ethical compliance. Manuscripts that fail to meet essential ethical requirements may be rejected or subjected to further assessment.

6. Research Data, Transparency, and Reproducibility

Authors are expected to report research methods and findings with sufficient detail to support critical assessment and, where appropriate, reproducibility.

The journal may request relevant data, analytical procedures, study protocols, or supporting documentation when necessary to evaluate the reliability of a manuscript or investigate a research-integrity concern.

Authors should make data and supporting materials available where appropriate and feasible, subject to informed consent, participant privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property rights, legal restrictions, and applicable ethical requirements.

Where data cannot be publicly shared, authors should explain the relevant restrictions and provide information about controlled or restricted access when appropriate.

Authors must not fabricate, falsify, selectively misrepresent, or inappropriately manipulate data, images, tables, or research documentation.

7. Conflicts of Interest and Competing Interests

Authors, reviewers, editors, Editorial Board members, and other relevant individuals must disclose actual, potential, or perceived competing interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived as influencing, their research, assessment, or editorial decisions.

The journal will assess disclosed interests and implement appropriate measures, including additional disclosure, reassignment, independent review, or withdrawal from decision-making where necessary.

The existence of a competing interest does not automatically constitute misconduct or require rejection. However, failure to disclose a relevant interest may require further assessment and appropriate corrective or editorial action.

The detailed requirements are set out in the journal's Conflict of Interest (Competing Interests) Policy.

8. Plagiarism, Duplicate Submission, and Publication Misconduct

The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, inappropriate text recycling, duplicate or redundant publication, concurrent submission, fabrication, falsification, authorship misconduct, manipulation of peer review, or other practices that undermine research and publication integrity.

Submitted manuscripts may undergo similarity screening and additional editorial assessment. Similarity reports are evaluated in context, and numerical similarity scores alone do not establish plagiarism.

Authors must not submit the same manuscript to another journal while it remains under editorial consideration at this journal. Relevant preprints and substantially related publications must be disclosed in accordance with the journal's policies.

Suspected research or publication misconduct will be assessed fairly and confidentially. The journal may request explanations, consult independent experts, preserve relevant evidence, or refer the matter to an appropriate institution or authority when warranted.

The detailed procedures are described in the journal's Plagiarism Screening Policy and Allegations of Research and Publication Misconduct Policy.

9. Complaints, Appeals, and Post-Publication Concerns

The journal provides a mechanism for authors, reviewers, readers, and other relevant parties to raise concerns regarding editorial procedures, peer review, publication ethics, or the reliability of published content.

Complaints and appeals will be assessed impartially by individuals without relevant competing interests. The parties concerned will normally be given a reasonable opportunity to respond.

Readers are encouraged to raise evidence-based questions or critiques of published research. Such discussions may be considered for publication as Letters to the Editor or other appropriate scholarly communications.

When a concern affects the accuracy or reliability of a published article, the journal will assess whether further investigation or formal editorial action is necessary.

Detailed procedures are provided in the journal's Complaints and Appeals Policy, Post-Publication Discussion Policy, and Allegations of Research and Publication Misconduct Policy.

10. Corrections, Retractions, Withdrawals, and Other Editorial Actions

The journal is committed to maintaining an accurate, transparent, and reliable scholarly record.

Depending on the nature and seriousness of an identified problem, the journal may issue a Correction, publish an Expression of Concern, retract an article, withdraw accepted content before publication, or take another appropriate action under its applicable policies.

Retraction may be considered when an article's findings are unreliable or a serious ethical breach undermines the integrity of the publication. Removal of published content is reserved for exceptional circumstances and must be handled transparently.

Editorial actions will be based on available evidence and relevant ethical considerations. Notices will be linked to the affected article where technically possible, and the publication history will be preserved as appropriate.

The journal's detailed procedures are described in its applicable article withdrawal and post-publication correction policies.

11. Copyright, Licensing, and Responsible Use of Published Content

The journal respects authors' copyright and the rights of third parties. Authors are responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary permissions to use third-party materials in their manuscripts.

Copyright ownership, publication rights, self-archiving permissions, and the terms governing reuse of published articles are set out in the journal's Copyright, Licensing, Author Self-Archiving, and Exclusive Submission Policy.

Authors and readers must comply with the applicable license when sharing, reproducing, or adapting published content. Proper attribution and any additional permissions required for third-party materials must be observed.

12. Confidentiality and Protection of Information

All parties involved in the publication process must protect confidential manuscript information, peer-review reports, editorial correspondence, unpublished data, and personal information obtained through their involvement with the journal.

Such information must not be disclosed or used for unauthorized purposes. Disclosure may be permitted where necessary for