Ethical Guidelines
Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science (BJAS) is a peer-reviewed, open access, online and print journal, issued bimonthly.
Publishing articles
The Journal publishes original scientific articles, reviews and short scientific reports with original experimental data or new interpretations of existing results who are responsible by thematic of journal.
After receipt, the manuscript is subjected to doble blind peer-review. The author shall be notified if the manuscript is accepted or rejected.
The editor staff does not have a responsibility for incorrect citation, website content and infringement of copyright.
In its editorial policy the journal follow international standards for publications ethics, just like the principles, standards, and the best practices for ethical conduct in publishing by COPE.
The standards of ethics shall apply for all participants in publishing: authors, editors, reviews.
Authorship and Contribution
Authorship is limited to individuals who have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the work, including the study design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation. Authors should appoint a single corresponding author to communicate with the journal during the editorial process. This individual submits the manuscript and all required documentation to the journal, and serves as the primary contact between the journal and the co-authors.
All listed authors must:
- Approve the final version of the manuscript;
- Agree to be accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the work;
- Ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research;
- Ensure that all contributors who meet authorship criteria are listed.
Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately. Changes to authorship (addition, removal, or rearrangement of authors) after submission require written consent from all authors and approval by the Editor-in-Chief.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science recognizes the growing role of Large Language Models (LLMs) in scholarly research and publishing. The Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and responsibility in relation to the use of AI technologies.
Use of AI by Authors
Authors may use AI-assisted tools to improve the human-generated texts (e.g., for language editing, grammar checking, or improving clarity and readability) provided that such use does not replace the authors’ own intellectual contribution. These tools must not be used to generate original scientific content, research hypotheses, data, results, interpretations, or conclusions without direct human oversight and responsibility.
Authors are fully accountable for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their manuscripts, including any content assisted by AI. Any use of AI tools that goes beyond basic language or stylistic support must be transparently disclosed in the manuscript, typically in the acknowledgments or methods section.
AI tools cannot be listed as authors, as they do not meet the criteria for authorship, including responsibility, accountability, and the ability to respond to ethical or scientific concerns.
Data Protection and Confidentiality
Authors must not use AI tools in ways that compromise confidential, sensitive, or personal data, particularly unpublished research data or information related to human participants, farms, or local communities. Compliance with applicable data protection regulations remains the responsibility of the authors.
Generative AI Images, Figures, and Videos
The journal permit the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create, alter, or enhance images, figures, maps, or videos submitted for publication in specific circumstances.
Exceptions may be considered only with editorial approval in the following cases:
- Authors may use AI tools to support the creation of certain types of explanatory images for publication, such as flow charts, decision trees, timelines, schematic conceptual illustrations, or experimental workflow diagrams.
- Research and data images present research data or results.
- Graphical abstracts and cover art are created to visually summarize or represent the article rather than form part of the scientific content of the manuscript.
Authors are fully responsible for the integrity and transparency of all visual content. Undisclosed or non-compliant use of Generative AI may be treated as a breach of publication ethics.
AI Use Disclosure
The author(s) must disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in scientific writing in a specific section at the end of the manuscript—the AI Use Disclosure. They must specify in which part of the study which tools were used and for what purpose.
Use of AI by Reviewers
Peer reviewers must conduct reviews based on their own expert judgment. Reviewers must not upload manuscripts, review reports, or any confidential journal content into AI tools or platforms, as this may compromise confidentiality, intellectual property, and data protection.
AI tools may be used only for limited support functions (such as improving the language of the reviewer’s own report), provided that no confidential manuscript content is shared. Reviewers remain fully responsible for the accuracy, fairness, and integrity of their reviews.
Use of AI by Editors
Editors of the journal are responsible for ensuring that editorial decisions are made transparently, fairly, and based on scholarly merit. Editorial judgment and decision-making must not be delegated to AI systems.
Editors may use AI-based tools for limited administrative or quality-control purposes (such as plagiarism detection, language checks, or workflow support), if confidentiality is maintained and ethical standards are upheld. Editors remain fully accountable for all editorial decisions and for addressing any ethical concerns related to the use of AI.
Plagiarism
Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science evaluates the originality of the materials submitted by the author(s). Sources cited in the manuscript should be identified appropriately. Reusing text, data, figures, or images without proper acknowledgment or permission is considered plagiarism, as is paraphrasing text, concepts, and ideas. All allegations of plagiarism are investigated thoroughly and in accordance with COPE guidelines. The journal reviews submitted articles using plagiarism detection software to identify possible cases.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest
Authors
Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science requires all authors to disclose any potential conflict of interest. It is the authors' responsibility to ensure that any conflict of interest is clearly declared and identified at the time of article submission.
The presence or absence of a conflict of interest is declared in the Author's Declaration, which is submitted together with the manuscript, as well as in the text of the manuscript in the place indicated for the purpose in the Instructions for Authors.
Conflicts of interest may arise when authors have financial, commercial, legal, or professional relationships with other organizations or with people working with them that could influence their research. When authors submit their articles to the journal, full disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is required.
The journal follows COPE's undeclared conflict of interest guidelines for each submitted manuscript.
Editors and Editorial Board
If the journal's editor-in-chief, editor, or editorial board member is an author and submits a manuscript to the journal, another editor with no conflict of interest will manage the review and publication process. If the manuscript is accepted for publication, the process of processing, editing and reviewing it will be indicated in the article.
Reviewers
Reviewers who have a conflict of interest with respect to a submitted manuscript will not be assigned to review, process, or review the manuscript.
If, during the review, an editor, reviewer, or author becomes aware of a conflict of interest that was not previously known or disclosed, they must immediately inform the editor-in-chief.
Corrections, Retractions, and Withdrawals
Withdrawal by Authors (Before Publication)
Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript only prior to publication. A formal written request stating the reasons for withdrawal must be submitted. The Editor-in-Chief may request a signed withdrawal or retraction statement from all authors.
Corrections
If minor errors that do not compromise the integrity of the work are identified after publication, the journal may publish a correction notice.
Retraction by Editors (After Publication)
The Editor-in-Chief may retract a published article in cases of:
- Ethical violations;
- Plagiarism or duplicate publication;
- Data fabrication or falsification;
- Major errors invalidating the results;
- Other forms of publishing malpractice.
Retractions will be clearly identified and announced in a subsequent issue of the journal, in accordance with COPE guidelines.
Care and use of animals
Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science only publishes research that has followed established international and national laws and regulations for the humane care and use of animals, for example:
- Directive 2010/63/EUof the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.
- Ordinance No. 20 of 01. November 2012 on the minimum requirements for the protection and humane treatment of experimental animals and the requirements for the objects for the use, breeding and/or their delivery issued by the Minister of Agriculture and Food. The practices for complying with these measures are indicated on the Bulgarian Food and Safety Agency (BFSA)website, section "Health and animal welfare".
Authors should expressly state that all necessary approvals have been obtained prior to initiation of research. They should ensure that experiments were conducted in a manner that avoided unnecessary pain or discomfort to the animals. All methods of euthanasia of experimental animals or surgical procedures giving information on anesthetics, analgesics, tranquilizers during preoperative, operative and postoperative procedures should be described in the text.
Protection of Research Involving Human Subjects
Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science requires that any research that involves humans (eg, surveys, sensory panels, or other participation) complies with all national and international laws, regulations, and policies. Manuscripts describing procedures involving humans should include an explicit and easily identifiable statement indicating that the procedures followed comply with the ethical standards of the responsible human experimentation committee (institutional and national) and with the Declaration of Helsinki.
Responsibilities of Authors, Editors, and Reviewers
Responsibilities of the authors
The author must submit an original manuscript that has not been published and has not been submitted for consideration elsewhere.
The author must acknowledge his or her responsibilities for the manuscript by completing and submitting the Author Declaration form.
The author declares all conflicts of interest in the Author's Declaration, which is submitted together with the submission of the manuscript to the editorial office of the journal, as well as in the text of the manuscript in the place specified for the purpose in the Instructions for Authors.
The author must submit the manuscript in accordance with all requirements stated on the journal's website.
The author has no right to request and, accordingly, receive the name of the reviewers of the submitted manuscript.
Responsibilities of editors
The editor must ensure anonymity when submitting manuscripts for review.
The editor must not disclose the content of the received manuscripts to anyone other than the relevant reviewer.
The editor must observe ethical norms in his relations with all participants in the publishing process and not show any form of discrimination regarding the information he has about the authors, manuscripts and reviewers.
The editor-in-chief of the journal makes the final decision whether to accept or reject a manuscript, taking into account its significance, originality and contribution to the development of the journal.
Publishing Malpractice
The Editors of the Journal of Mountain Agriculture on the Balkans take all allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously. Misconduct includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, unethical research practices, inappropriate authorship, and undisclosed conflicts of interest.
All allegations will be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines. Where necessary, the journal may contact authors’ institutions or funding bodies. Appropriate actions may include corrections, retractions, or other editorial notices.
Responsibilities of reviewers
The reviewer should contribute to improving the quality of the manuscript through objective analysis, providing an unbiased, constructive and detailed assessment of its scientific content.
The reviewer evaluates the manuscript confidentially. The manuscripts of are disclosed or discussed with third parties.
The reviewer should be aware of any potential conflicts of interest (financial, institutional, professional, or other relationships between the reviewer and the author), alert the editor about it, and if necessary decline to review the manuscript.
The reviewer declares the presence or absence of a conflict of interest in a declaration that is attached to the review form, which the reviewer must complete to evaluate the manuscript submitted to him.
A reviewer should refuse to review a manuscript if it is determined that it is outside their competence. The same applies if this is identified in the manuscript review process.
The reviewer objectively evaluates the scientific value and qualities of the manuscript without allowing personal comments about the author or the manuscript.
Revised on August 10, 2026
