International Journal of Agricultural Policy and Research

History of the Journal

The International Journal of Agricultural Policy and Research was established in 2013 to address the growing need for evidence-based agricultural policy research. Since its inception, the journal has become a respected source of scholarly information in agricultural development.

Milestones

• 2013: Journal launched with inaugural issue focusing on sustainable agriculture
• 2015: Achieved indexing in AGRICOLA database
• 2017: Implemented online submission and review system
• 2020: Reached 400+ article publications
• 2022: Expanded editorial board with international agricultural experts
• 2025: Celebrated 12 years of advancing agricultural knowledge

Growth and Impact

The journal has grown steadily, attracting submissions from agricultural research institutions, universities, and policy organizations worldwide. Our readership includes researchers, policymakers, extension workers, and students across all continents.

Aims and Scope

The International Journal of Agricultural Policy and Research aims to publish high-quality research that contributes to sustainable agricultural development, effective policy formulation, and improved rural livelihoods worldwide.

Scope

The journal covers a broad range of topics within agricultural sciences and policy, including but not limited to:

• Crop Science: Plant physiology, genetics, breeding, and crop management
• Soil Science: Soil fertility, conservation, and sustainable management
• Agricultural Policy: Policy analysis, implementation, and evaluation
• Rural Development: Livelihood strategies, rural economics, and community development
• Sustainable Agriculture: Organic farming, conservation agriculture, and agroecology
• Climate-Smart Agriculture: Adaptation and mitigation strategies for climate change
• Agricultural Economics: Farm management, marketing, and trade policies
• Food Security: Production systems, distribution, and access to food
• Agricultural Technology: Precision agriculture, drones, and IoT applications
• Natural Resource Management: Water management, biodiversity conservation, and land use

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief

Associate Editors

• Professor D.K.N.G. Pushpakumara
  Department of Crop Science,
  Faculty of Agriculture,
  University of Peradeniya,
  Peradeniya 20400,
  Sri Lanka.
• Professor Dr. Md. Golam Rabbani
  Department of Horticulture,
  Bangladesh Agricultural University,
  Mymensingh-2202,
  Bangladesh.

Editorial Board Members

• Professor J.D.A.N. Jayakody (Emeritus Professor)
  Department of Soil Science,
  Faculty of Agriculture,
  University of Peradeniya,
  Peradeniya,
  Sri Lanka.
• Professor.Dr. Md. Abdul Mojid
  Department of Irrigation and Water Management
  Bangladesh Agricultural University
  Mymensingh – 2202,
  Bangladesh.
• Assoc.Prof. Teodora Popova
  Department of Ecology and Quality of Animal Production
  Institute of Animal Science, Kostinbrod
  2232 Kostinbrod,
  Bulgaria.
• Professor E O Ogunwolu
  Department of /Crop & Environmental Protection
  University of Agriculture
  P. M. B. 2373,
  Makurdi, Benue State.
  Nigeria.
• Professor L.D.Singla
  Department of Veterinary Parasitology
  College of Veterinary Science
  Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University,
  Ludhiana-141004, India
• Professor Yuh-Shan Ho
  Director of the Trend Research Centre,
  Asia University,
  Taiwan
• Professor Shehdeh Jodeh
  Department of Chemistry
  Najah National University
  Nablus,Palestine.

Editorial Policy

This policy describes guidelines in the publication process of our journals. Specifically, Journal Issues adopts and strive to adhere to the following standards and requirements:

Authorship

An author is an individual who has significantly contributed to the development of a manuscript. The ICMJE recommends that authorship be based on the following four criteria:

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; and
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and
3. Final approval of the version to be published; and
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Acknowledgement

Individuals who participated in the development of a manuscript but do not qualify as an author should be acknowledged. Organizations that provided support in terms of funding and/or other resources should also be acknowledged.

Changes in authorship

Whenever there is a need to make changes in the authorship of a manuscript or a published article, the changes will be implemented according to COPE specification.

Only corresponding authors can make request for a change in authorship. Request should be made to the editor using the Changes in Authorship Form or via e-mail from the corresponding authors email address.

Conflict of interest

"Conflict of interest (COI) exists when there is a divergence between an individual's private interests (competing interests) and his or her responsibilities to scientific and publishing activities such that a reasonable observer might wonder if the individual's behavior or judgment was motivated by considerations of his or her competing interests" WAME.

Authors should disclose all financial/relevant interest that may have influenced the development of the manuscript.

Reviewers should disclose any conflict of interest and if necessary, decline the review of any manuscript they perceive to have a conflict of interest. Editors should also decline from considering any manuscript that may have conflict of interest. Such manuscripts will be re-assigned to other editors.

Confidentiality

A submitted manuscript is a confidential material. Journal Issues will not disclose submitted manuscript to anyone except individuals who partake in the processing and preparation of the manuscript for publication (if accepted). These individuals include editorial staff, corresponding authors, potential reviewers, actual reviewers, and editors. However, in suspected cases of misconduct, a manuscript may be revealed to members of Journal Issues' ethics committee and institutions/organizations that may require it for the resolution of the misconduct.

Peer review

The review process is an important aspect of the publication process of an article. It helps an editor in making decision on an article and also enables the author to improve the manuscript.

Journal Issues operates a blind peer review system.

Author(s) identity is removed from the manuscript and shielded from the reviewers during the review process. The reviewer is left with only manuscript without any information that might enable him/her uncovers the identity of the author(s). Information removed includes the author(s) name, address/affiliation, country, phone/fax and email. Any information in the Acknowledgement and Declaration of Conflict of Interest that may lead to the uncovering of the identity of the author is also removed from the manuscript prior to sending it to reviewers.

Manuscripts are assigned to members of the editorial board of the journal or other qualified reviewers. The Manuscript Review Form is used to report the reviewers' evaluation of the manuscript.

A Review Certificate is issued to reviewers after the review of the manuscript (Optional).

Editors and Editorial Boards

Editors are responsible for making final decisions on a manuscript. Journal Issues require all editors and editorial board members to adhere to COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Editorial Freedom

Interference with the editorial freedom of editors construes misconduct. Journal Issues strictly forbids the interference with the editorial freedom of any of its editors. Suspect cases of interference will be reported to the ethics committee.

Joining Editorial Boards

To join an editorial board of a journal published by Journal Issues, a prospective board member should have completed a doctorial programme. The area of expertise of the prospective board member should fit with the aims and scope of the journal. The applicant should also have research experience and publications in his/her area of expertise.

Editorial board member should be prepared to create adequate time to evaluate assigned manuscript in a timely manner.

Applicants for editorial board should complete the editorial board membership form and submit current resume. The application will be evaluated by an editor or an existing editorial board member.

Editorial board is reviewed periodically. Members may be asked to submit updated version of their profile/resume. Inactive members may be removed from the board.

Misconduct

Misconduct constitutes violation of this editorial policy, journal policies, publication ethics, or any applicable guidelines/policies specified by COPE, WAME, ICMJE, and STM. Any other activities that threaten/compromise the integrity of the research/publication process are potential misconducts. Suspected cases of misconduct will be investigated according to COPE guidelines.

Correction and Retraction of Articles

Corrections may be made to a published article with the authorization of the editor of the journal. Editors will decide the magnitude of the corrections. Minor corrections are made directly to the original article. However, in cases of major corrections, the original article will remain unchanged, while the corrected version will also be published. Both the original and corrected version will be linked to each other. A statement indicating the reason for the major change to the article will also be published.

When necessary, retraction of articles will be done according to COPE retraction guidelines.

Journal Issues will review and update this editorial policy periodically.

Instructions for Authors

The International Journal of Agricultural Policy and Research (IJAPR) (ISSN: 2350-1561) is a double blind peer review open access journal published monthly online by Journal Issues. It publishes scholarly, educative and prompt articles that satisfies the growing demand for scientifically based essential information that can be utilised by professionals in the academia, government, industry, engineering, management, strategic planning, and public health.

Procedure for the submission of manuscripts

Manuscript should be submitted online via IJAPR SUBMISSION PORTAL . Upon receipt of manuscript submission, the Editor-in-chief sends an e-mail of confirmation to the corresponding author within 1-2 working days. In absence of a confirmation email, you are advice to contact the help Assistant via this email address: info@journalissues.org.

Organisation and style of manuscripts

The cover letter should include:

• The name of author(s) including first name(s).
• Name of the department(s) institution(s) in which the work was done including full contact address telephone/fax numbers of authors and that of the corresponding authors.
• It should be in an e-mail message sent to the Editor-in-chief along with the article.
• The authors may also suggest two or more reviewers for the manuscript along with their Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for proper identification of the reviewer(s).
• The author should take the undertaking that the manuscript has not been published elsewhere except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis. Also, in the case of more than one author, the corresponding author should do same.

Peer Review

All manuscripts are subject to double-blind system for peer-review; the reviewer(s) identities remain anonymous to authors. The paper will be peer-reviewed by three experts; one is an editorial board member and the other two are external reviewers. The review process may take 12 days. Decisions will be made as fast as possible, and reviewer(s) comments sent to the author immediately.

Types of Articles

Author(s) are advised to carefully consider the preparation of papers to ensure that they communicate efficiently. Papers are much more likely to be accepted, if they are carefully designed and laid out, containing fewer or no errors. Papers should be conventional to the approach and instructions. However, author(s) are advised not to do self citation of previous study within their paper in order to uphold the credibility of their paper. Articles with self citations may not stand the chance of being accepted except absolutely necessary.

Original Research Articles Format

All portions of the manuscript must be typed double-spaced and all pages numbered starting from the title page.

• The Title should be a brief phrase describing the contents of the paper. The Title Page should include the authors' full names and affiliations, the name of the corresponding author along with phone, fax and E-mail information. An asterisk (*) must be placed after the corresponding authors name as superscript whose email id, fax, telephone number can be given at the bottom left corner of the title. Corresponding author has the responsibility to ensure that all co authors are aware and approve the contents of the submitted manuscript.
• An abstract of not more than 200 words should contain the objective, concise description of study design of plan, result and conclusion. Authors may list a maximum of ten keywords for subject classification.
• Abbreviations are to be used sparingly and given at first mention of word. Each abbreviation should be spelled out and introduced in parentheses the first time it is used in the text. Only recommended SI units should be used. Please separate the items by ";".
  E.g. HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; SIV: simian immunodeficiency virus;
• The Introduction should provide a clear statement of the problem, the relevant literature on the subject, and the proposed approach or solution. It should be understandable to colleagues from a broad range of scientific disciplines.
• Materials and methods This should be sufficiently detailed (with reference where possible) to permit other work to duplicate the study. Sources of materials used must be given and statistical method must be specified by reference unless non standard ones are used.
• The Results must be clearly and concisely with the help of appropriate illustrative material tables and/or figures.
• The Discussion should interpret the findings in view of the results obtained in this and in past studies on this topic. Unjustified speculation should be avoided.
• Acknowledgments (if any) should be included at the very end of the paper before the references and may include supporting grants, presentations, and so forth.
• Tables should be kept to a minimum and be designed to be as simple as possible. Tables are to be typed double-spaced throughout. Including headings. Each table should be on a separate page, numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals and supplied with a heading and a legend. Each table should include a title and be comprehensible without reference to the text. Tables adapted or reproduced verbatim from another source must acknowledge that source in footnote.
• Figure legends should be typed in numerical order on a separate sheet. Graphics should be prepared using applications capable of generating high resolution GIF, TIFF, JPEG or PowerPoint before pasting in the Microsoft Word manuscript file. Tables should be prepared in Microsoft Word. Use Arabic numerals to designate figures and upper case letters for their parts (Figure 1). Begin each legend with a title and include sufficient description so that the figure is understandable without reading the text of the manuscript. Information given in legends should not be repeated in the text. Please present the Tables and Figures at the end of the paper.

References

In the text, a reference identified by means of an author's name should be followed by the date of the reference in parentheses. Authors are responsible for ensuring that the information in each reference is complete and accurate. All references should be cited within the text; otherwise, these references will be automatically removed. References should be arranged first alphabetically and then further sorted chronologically if necessary. More than one reference from the same author(s) in the same year must be identified by the letters "a", "b", "c", etc., placed after the year of publication. Journal names are abbreviated according to the ISSN List of Title Word Abbreviations . Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy of the references.

Proofs and Reprints

Electronic Gallery proofs will be sent via (e-mail attachment) to the corresponding author as a PDF file. Gallery proofs are considered to be the final version of the manuscript. With the exception of typographical or minor clerical errors, no changes will be made in the manuscript at the proof stage. It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to ensure that the galley proofs are to be returned 3-4 days of receipt with correction if (any). The authors are responsible for the contents appeared in their published manuscripts.

Fees and Charges

Author(s) will be charged a handling fees upon acceptance of paper for publication. The author's ability to pay the charges is not certain that the paper will be accepted for publication. However, we routinely offer partial waiver for students and authors from low-income countries. Please contact the help Assistant via this email address: info@journalissues.org.

Copyright

Submission of a manuscript implies: that the work described has not been published before (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, or thesis) that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that if and when the manuscript is accepted for publication, the authors agree to automatic transfer of the copyright to the publisher. Open Access authors retain the copyrights of their papers, and all open access articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.

IJAPR Indexing

The International Journal of Agricultural Policy and Research (IJAPR) has been indexed by several world-class databases, ensuring high visibility and accessibility of published research to the global scientific community.

Continuous Indexing Efforts

Our editorial team continuously works to expand IJAPR's indexing in additional prestigious databases. We regularly apply for inclusion in emerging and specialized agricultural research indexes to ensure maximum visibility and impact for our authors' work.

Peer Review Process

All submitted manuscripts follow a structured editorial and double blind peer review workflow designed to ensure originality academic integrity and publication quality.

Review Process Steps

1. Author Submission: The author submits the manuscript to the journal through the official submission system.
2. Plagiarism and Quality Check: The editorial office screens the paper for plagiarism originality scope relevance formatting and basic academic quality.
3. Initial Decision: If the paper fails plagiarism or quality standards it is rejected and returned to the author. If it passes it proceeds to peer review.
4. Paper Sent to Reviewers: The editorial office assigns qualified reviewers and sends the manuscript for blind peer review.
5. Reviewers Evaluation: Reviewers assess the paper for originality methodology clarity contribution to knowledge and ethical compliance.
6. Review Reports Returned: Reviewers submit their evaluations and recommendations to the editorial office.
7. Feedback Sent to Author: The editorial office sends the reviewers comments and the original paper back to the author for revision.
8. Revised Paper Submission: The author revises the manuscript according to reviewers feedback and resubmits it to the editorial office.
9. Revised Paper Sent to Editor: The revised manuscript is forwarded to the editor for a final decision.
10. Editor Decision: The editor either accepts or rejects the revised paper. If rejected the paper is returned to the author. If accepted it moves to production.
11. Proof Sent to Author: The publisher sends the final proof to the author for final checks and minor corrections.
12. Publication: After proof approval the paper is officially published in the journal.

Average Review Time: 4 to 6 weeks
Acceptance Rate: Approximately 25 percent
Rejection Rate: Approximately 75 percent
Revision Success Rate: Over 80 percent of manuscripts invited for revision are eventually published

Open Access Policy

The International Journal of Agricultural Policy and Research is a fully open access journal. All articles are immediately available online upon publication without subscription or registration barriers.

Benefits of Open Access for Agricultural Research

• Global Access: Free access for all readers worldwide, including practitioners in developing countries
• Increased Impact: Higher visibility and citation potential for authors' work
• Practical Application: Easier access for farmers and extension workers to apply research findings
• Policy Influence: Greater potential to inform agricultural policy and development programs
• Teaching Resource: Available as teaching material for agricultural universities worldwide
• Compliance: Meets requirements of many research funders and institutions

Creative Commons License

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This license allows:

• Commercial use of the research
• Adaptation and building upon the work
• Sharing in any format or medium
• Attribution to the original authors

Licensing and Copyright

Authors retain copyright of their work while granting the journal the right of first publication under a Creative Commons license that allows for wide dissemination and reuse.

Copyright Policy

• Author Copyright: Authors retain copyright of their published work
• Publication License: Authors grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish the article
• CC BY License: Articles are published under CC BY 4.0 license for maximum reuse
• Self-Archiving: Authors may deposit published version in institutional repositories immediately
• Reuse Rights: Authors may reuse their work in teaching, conferences, and future publications
• Commercial Use: Others may use the work commercially with proper attribution

Plagiarism Policy

The International Journal of Agricultural Policy and Research maintains a strict policy against plagiarism in any form. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and originality.

Screening Process

All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software (iThenticate). Manuscripts undergo systematic checks:

1. Initial Screening: All manuscripts checked upon submission
2. Similarity Report: Detailed similarity report generated
3. Editorial Review: Editors review similarity reports for context
4. Revision Check: Revised manuscripts re-checked before acceptance
5. Final Verification: Final version checked before publication

Acceptable Similarity Thresholds

• Overall Similarity: Less than 20% (excluding references)
• Single Source: Less than 5% from any single source
• Methods Section: Standard methods may have higher similarity if properly cited
• Self-Citation: Properly cited self-plagiarism within reasonable limits

Ethical Guidelines for Authors

Authors are expected to adhere to the highest standards of research and publication ethics in agricultural research.

Authorship Criteria

All listed authors must meet the following criteria:

• Substantial Contribution: Made significant contributions to conception, design, execution, or interpretation
• Drafting/Revision: Participated in drafting or critically revising the manuscript
• Approval: Approved the final version for publication
• Accountability: Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work

Research Ethics in Agriculture

• Field Research: Research involving farmers or communities must have appropriate approvals and informed consent
• Data Integrity: No data fabrication, falsification, or manipulation
• Conflict of Interest: Disclose all financial and non-financial conflicts
• Funding Disclosure: Disclose all funding sources and their role
• Plant/Animal Research: Follow ethical guidelines for studies involving plants or animals

Data and Methodology

• Data Availability: Share data whenever possible, considering confidentiality
• Methodological Transparency: Describe methods in sufficient detail for replication
• Statistical Integrity: Use appropriate statistical methods and report fully
• Reproducibility: Provide necessary information for study replication

Permanency of Articles

The International Journal of Agricultural Policy and Research is committed to preserving all published content for permanent access, ensuring that agricultural research remains available for future generations.

Digital Preservation Systems

• CLOCKSS: Participating in the CLOCKSS (Controlled LOCKSS) preservation system
• Portico: Archived in Portico's digital preservation service
• Institutional Repositories: Encouraged deposition in authors' institutional repositories
• Multiple Backups: Regular backups in geographically dispersed locations
• Format Migration: Commitment to migrate content to new formats as needed

DOIs and Permanent Identifiers

• DOIs: All articles receive Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) for permanent linking
• Crossref Registration: DOIs registered with Crossref for global resolution
• Persistent URLs: Permanent URLs maintained regardless of platform changes
• ISBN/ISSN: Regular issues receive ISSN, special issues may receive ISBN

Correction to an Article

The journal follows transparent and systematic procedures for correcting errors in published articles while maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.

Types of Corrections

• Erratum: Correction of publisher-introduced errors (formatting, production errors)
• Corrigendum: Correction of author-introduced errors (data, analysis, interpretation)
• Addendum: Addition of important information that doesn't contradict the original
• Expression of Concern: Notice when serious doubts arise about article integrity

Correction Process

1. Identification: Error identified by authors, readers, or editorial staff
2. Verification: Editorial team verifies the error and its significance
3. Decision: Editor decides on appropriate correction type
4. Preparation: Correction notice drafted with clear explanation
5. Approval: Correction approved by authors and editor
6. Publication: Correction published as separate article
7. Linking: Correction linked to original article and vice versa

Retraction of an Article

Articles may be retracted in cases of serious ethical violations, irreproducible results, or significant errors that undermine the article's conclusions.

Grounds for Retraction

• Scientific Misconduct: Evidence of data fabrication, falsification, or manipulation
• Plagiarism: Significant plagiarism or copyright infringement
• Ethical Violations: Serious ethical breaches in research conduct
• Irreproducible Results: Major errors making results irreproducible
• Duplicate Publication: Previously published without proper attribution
• Legal Issues: Legal requirements or court orders

Retraction Process

1. Allegation: Concern raised by readers, reviewers, or editorial staff
2. Investigation: Thorough investigation following COPE guidelines
3. Author Response: Authors given opportunity to respond
4. Decision: Editorial board makes retraction decision
5. Notice Preparation: Retraction notice drafted with clear rationale
6. Publication: Retraction published as separate article
7. Article Marking: Original article marked as retracted

Article Processing Charges (APC)

To support open access publishing, the journal charges Article Processing Charges (APC) for accepted manuscripts. These charges cover peer review, editing, production, hosting, and long-term preservation.

Current APC Rates (2025)

• Low-income countries: $150 USD
• Middle-income countries: $250 USD
• High-income countries: $300 USD

Waivers and Discounts

APC waivers or discounts are available in the following cases:

• Full Waivers: Authors from low-income countries with no research funding
• Partial Waivers (50%): Authors facing financial hardship or from institutions with limited resources
• Institutional Memberships: Discounts for institutions with membership agreements
• Editorial Board: Discounts for editorial board members submitting their work
• Special Issues: Reduced rates for special issue articles

What APC Covers

• Professional copyediting and proofreading
• XML conversion and typesetting
• DOI assignment and registration
• Online hosting and distribution
• Long-term digital preservation
• Indexing in major agricultural databases
• Marketing and promotion

Contact Journal Editor

For inquiries related to submissions, reviews, editorial matters, or general questions about the journal, please contact our editorial team.

Journal Issues Guidelines

The Journal Issues platform provides comprehensive guidelines to ensure quality and consistency across all our publications. These guidelines are essential for authors, reviewers, and editors to maintain the high standards of our academic publications.

Guidelines Categories

• Author Guidelines: Manuscript preparation, formatting, and submission requirements
• Reviewer Guidelines: Best practices for peer review and evaluation criteria
• Editorial Guidelines: Editorial processes and decision-making frameworks
• Ethical Guidelines: Publication ethics and research integrity standards
• Style Guidelines: Formatting and citation style requirements
• Technical Guidelines: Technical requirements for figures, tables, and supplementary materials

Accessing the Guidelines

For detailed information, please visit our comprehensive guidelines portal. The portal is regularly updated to reflect current best practices in academic publishing.