Open access policy

Current Topics in Agronomic Science (CTASci), together with the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, recognizes that the dissemination of scientific knowledge must be accessible to any user without legal or economic barriers. Thus, CTASci follows an open-access policy for its publications.

In this context, authors who publish in the CTASci journal accept the following terms and conditions:

Based on copyright legislation, the CTASci journal recognizes and respects the moral rights of the authors, as well as the ownership of the property rights of their work, which will be ceded to the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo through the signing of a copyright transfer letter, in which they explicitly recognize that their work will be disseminated under the open access principles established by the journal.
Authors may make other independent and additional contractual agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the final version of the published article (such as including it in an institutional or thematic repository, hosting it on academic social networks, or disseminating it on electronic or printed platforms). This is provided that the document clearly and explicitly states that it was first published in the CTASci journal, that the reference is placed as proposed on the first page of the article, and that the corresponding digital object identifier (DOI) is included.

All content published in the CTASci journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. This means that readers/users may freely access all content published in the journal, as well as cite, share (in print and electronic format), print, and distribute the documents, as long as it is clearly and explicitly mentioned that the document was first published in the CTASci journal and the respective DOI is included. Likewise, the material cannot be used for commercial purposes.

Licencia
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license

Anti-plagiarism policy

Current Topics in Agronomic Science is a journal committed to publishing original manuscripts. Therefore, all manuscripts will be reviewed using the iThenticate® software to assess textual similarity. The Editorial Committee will evaluate the results of the analysis, considering matches derived from properly referenced citations, the authors' previous publications, potential duplication, partial or total plagiarism, and text manipulation or excessive self-plagiarism.

In the similarity analysis results, CTASci will accept an overall similarity percentage of 15% across the Introduction, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions sections. Furthermore, the similarity with specific sources should not exceed 3%. When similarity values exceed these limits, the journal may request clarification from the authors, require corrections, temporarily suspend the editorial process, reject the manuscript, or notify the relevant institutions in serious cases.

Self-archiving policy

Based on the open access policy and the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), Current Topics in Agronomic Science authorizes the self-archiving of published articles in institutional, national, or international repositories, whether thematic or personal, as well as on personal websites. This policy ensures that authors retain their copyright. It also promotes the distribution of the final published version of articles, consistent with the commitment to expanding the visibility, preservation, and dissemination of scientific knowledge. In such cases, it is strongly requested that deposited versions include a complete reference to Current Topics in Agronomic Science, including authorship, publication year, article title, volume, page numbers, and DOI, to ensure proper citation and academic traceability.

Ethics policy

Identifying bad editorial practices

The journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science adheres to the international standards published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure transparency in both the publication of contributions and the procedures for resolving any disputes that may arise.

Plagiarism and originality of manuscripts

Originality. Authors must ensure that they have written an original work entirely. If they have used the work or phrases of other authors, these must be cited appropriately. Plagiarism can take several forms: self-plagiarism (citing one's own work without proper attribution), presenting someone else's work as one's own, copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another work (without attribution), and even claiming as one's own the results of research conducted by others. Plagiarism (in all its forms) and fraudulent claims constitute unethical and unacceptable conduct in the scientific community and in the publishing process.

Plagiarism. The journal uses the iThenticate® program to detect potential plagiarism.

Multiple publication. Authors should not submit the same manuscripts, or those that describe essentially the same research, to more than one journal.

Acknowledgment of sources. Proper credit should always be given to the work of other authors.

Authorship of the contribution. Authorship should be limited to those who contributed significantly to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research conducted.

Self-citations and mock citations. Authors should avoid self-citations and citations not associated with the main objective of the work.

Authors must declare their compliance with the above criteria by signing the Letter of Application. Furthermore, they accept responsibility for any failure to comply with these requirements.

Possible irregularities related to editorial ethics, such as plagiarism, duplicate publication, manipulation of information or data, or authorship conflicts, may be reported in writing to the Coordinación de Revistas Institucionales (CORI; Coordination of Institutional Journals) of the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo and to the Editor-in-Chief of the journal, with a detailed explanation of the facts, as well as the documentation and evidence that support the complaint.

The complaint will be reviewed by the Coordinación de Revistas Institucionales (CORI; Institutional Journals Coordination) and the journal's Editor-in-Chief via email (cori@chapingo.mx, rev.ctasci@gmail.com), who may request additional information from the authors involved. If the situation warrants it, support from other university departments may be sought to resolve it.

The decision will be made in accordance with the editorial policies and institutional regulations applicable to the institutional journals of the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo. If necessary, measures such as manuscript rejection, requests for modifications, publication of corrections, issuance of warning notes, or formal retraction of the published article may be implemented.

Throughout the process, the confidentiality of the information and the recording of actions and resolutions from each procedure will be guaranteed.

Ethics in research

All contributions involving topics related to genetic manipulation, environmental impact, the use of radiation, biosafety, animal welfare, public health, discrimination, or any other socially sensitive matter must comply with the regulations, authorizations, and permits applicable in the country where the research was conducted, provided that such provisions exist and are legally enforceable.

The Universidad Autónoma Chapingo and the journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science disclaim any responsibility arising from the authors' failure to comply with these obligations, and the authors will fully assume the corresponding legal, ethical and administrative consequences.

Furthermore, the journal reserves the right to reject, suspend or withdraw any contribution when the editorial team considers that the work violates ethical, regulatory or scientific integrity principles.

Privacy and Confidentiality Policy

Based on the provisions of the Ley General de Protección de Datos Personales en Posesión de Sujetos Obligados (LGPDPPSO; General Law on the Protection of Personal Data Held by Obligated Entities) and the Lineamientos Generales de Protección de Datos Personales para el Sector Público (General Guidelines for the Protection of Personal Data for the Public Sector), our privacy policy was derived, which is detailed in the document Simplified Privacy Notice: Submission of Scientific Articles for Publication in Institutional Journals, which can be consulted at the following link:

https://revistas.chapingo.mx/public/site/pdf/cori-aviso-es.pdf

Complaints and appeals

The Corresponding Author can appeal the resolutions derived from the editorial process, including those related to peer review in the journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science.

The Corresponding Author will have a maximum of 15 working days, counted from the date of reception of the resolution that caused their disagreement, to present the appeal. After this period, the right of the Corresponding Author to initiate the appeal procedure will expire.

The Corresponding Author will send to the Editor-in-Chief, by email, an appeal document containing the following. (1) Name of the Corresponding Author. (2) Title and ID of the manuscript that was proposed for eventual publication in the journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science and that constitutes the subject of the appeal. (3) The email address and telephone number. (4) A detailed explanation of each of the points of disagreement, together with the evidence that supports the request. (5) Signature of every page of the appeal.

Within a maximum period of 30 working days, the Editor-in-Chief will respond to the appeal by email, resolving it, based on the manuscript, the opinions of the Editor-in-Chief, the Associate Editor, and the Reviewers.

For the offering, admission and disclosure of the evidence referred to, both the Corresponding Author and the Editor-in-Chief will observe, as far as applicable and as far as it does not contradict this Code of Ethics, the provisions of the Federal Code of Civil Procedure of the State of Mexico.

Post-publication corrections and retractions

The journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science is willing to publish corrections (errata) or retractions, if it is demonstrated that the published article contains substantial errors or misconduct related to unethical practices. To request a correction, authors must submit a request via email to the Editor-in-Chief of Current Topics in Agronomic Science, who will issue a decision within 30 working days of receiving the request. In making this decision, the Editor-in-Chief will consult with experts and may use any tools deemed appropriate.

Conflict of interest

Authors must declare any financial or personal relationships with other individuals or organizations that could unduly influence or bias the outcome of the work. To this end, authors must indicate whether any conflicts of interest existed and, if so, describe the agreements reached.

Reviewers must refrain from participating in the evaluation of manuscripts when any conflict of interest exists that could affect their objectivity, impartiality, or academic independence. This includes personal, professional, institutional, academic, or recent collaborative relationships with any of the authors or with the institutions involved in the research. In the event of a conflict of interest, they must decline the requested review. Furthermore, the information contained in the evaluated manuscripts must be treated with strict confidentiality, in accordance with the journal's Privacy and Confidentiality Policy.

Manuscripts authored by any collaborator of the journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science (editors, members of the editorial committee, reviewers) will not receive preferential treatment in the selection of reviewers, and their evaluation will be carried out under the same criteria applicable to any other contribution.

Authorship criteria

The journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science adheres to ethical principles for defining authorship of scientific manuscripts. Authorship will be granted to any individual who has made substantial contributions to the work, such as the conception or design of the research, data collection, analysis, or interpretation, manuscript drafting, or critical revision with relevant intellectual input. Furthermore, authors must have approved both the submitted version and, if accepted, the final version. They will also assume responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the submitted content.

People who have contributed to the development of the work, but who do not meet the authorship criteria, should be acknowledged in the acknowledgments or contributions section.

Changes to Authorship. Before submitting a contribution, authors should review their names and the order assigned to them based on their individual contributions to the research. Any changes (additions, deletions, or reordering) to the author list must be made before the manuscript is accepted and submitted to the journal's Editor-in-Chief in a separate document, signed by all authors, stating the reasons for the changes. The email address for submitting any such requests is rev.ctasci@gmail.com.

Use of artificial intelligence (AI)

The journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science allows the use of artificial intelligence (AI) only to improve the readability and language of the contribution. If AI is used, the contribution must include a description of the technologies employed and the resulting output.

Authors are responsible for monitoring, reviewing, and editing information generated by AI, as such technologies can produce inaccuracies.

Under no circumstances may the authors include AI as a co-author in the contribution, as this implies performing activities that can only be attributed to humans.

The journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science does not permit reviewers and editors to use generative AI or AI-assisted technologies (such as ChatGPT) during the peer-review process. This is to protect authors' rights and the confidentiality of their research.

Journal funding

The journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science is funded by the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, through the Dirección General de Investigación, Posgrado y Servicio (DGIPS; General Directorate of Research, Postgraduate Studies and Service), which oversees the Coordinación de Revistas Institucionales (CORI; Coordination of Institutional Journals), responsible for providing the editorial tools and processes for the publication of accepted contributions.

The journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science is non-profit and, therefore, does not advertise commercial brands or scientific or institutional events of any kind.

Author rights

The journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science adheres to an open access policy. This means that, together with the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, it recognizes that, to improve the dissemination of scientific knowledge, it must be accessible to any user, without legal or economic barriers. Therefore, authors who publish in the journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science accept the following terms and conditions:

Based on copyright legislation, the journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science recognizes and respects the moral rights of the authors, as well as the ownership of the economic rights of their work, which will be assigned to the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo through the signing of a letter of assignment of rights, in which they explicitly recognize that their work will be disseminated under the open access principles established by the journal.
Authors may enter separate, additional contractual agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the final version of the published article (such as including it in an institutional or thematic repository, hosting it on academic social networks, or disseminating it on electronic or print platforms). This is provided that they clearly and explicitly indicate that the document was first published in the journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science, include the reference as proposed on the first page of the article, and include the corresponding Digital Object Identifier (DOI).

Licensing

All content published in the journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science is licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 Atribución-No Comercial-Sin Derivados 4.0 Internacional (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This means that readers/users may freely access all content published in the journal, as well as cite, share (in print and electronic format), print, and distribute the documents, provided that it is clearly and explicitly stated that the document was first published in Current Topics in Agronomic Science and the corresponding DOI is included. Furthermore, the material may not be used for commercial purposes.

Licencia Creative Commons Atribución-No Comercial-Sin Derivados 4.0 Internacional (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Digital preservation policy

The journal Current Topics in Agronomics Science preserves the long-term integrity of its digital content and guarantees its accessibility through institutional support mechanisms and interoperability.

The content published in digital formats (PDF, HTML, and XML JATS) is hosted on external servers linked to the institutional domain of the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, which ensures operational stability, continuous availability, and open access to scientific content.

The digital preservation strategy includes weekly backups of websites, editorial archives, and associated databases to prevent data loss and ensure content can be recovered in the event of technical contingencies.

Furthermore, the journal maintains active DOI identifiers and interoperability mechanisms via OAI-PMH and XML-JATS (SciELO SPS), facilitating traceability, harvesting, and integration of articles into indexing systems and national and international academic platforms.

Interoperability and metadata policy

The journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science offers interoperability services through the OAI-PMH protocol (Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting), accessible via the following URL:

https://revistas.chapingo.mx/ctasci

The platform implements an advanced interoperability scheme that allows the exposure of structured metadata in Dublin Core and XML JATS (SciELO SPS) formats, facilitating integration with indexing systems, institutional repositories, and national and international scientific dissemination platforms.

In addition, it incorporates enriched metadata, interoperability with DOI, links to PDF, and compatibility with academic retrieval systems and external query services.

Self-archiving policy

The authors retain their patrimonial rights over the contribution, so they may deposit, self-archive, disseminate or distribute the final published version in national or international repositories, as well as on personal websites, academic networks and other open access media, in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons 4.0 Atribución-No Comercial-Sin Derivados 4.0 Internacional (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).

Therefore, the journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science does not establish embargo periods or restrictions for the deposit or dissemination of published articles. Self-archiving can be done immediately after the manuscript is published in its final version or in an advanced publication format.

Every version of the deposited contribution must include the full reference to the original publication (authorship, year of publication, title of the article, name of the journal, volume, number, pages, and DOI), in order to guarantee the correct attribution, citation, and traceability of the work.

Artificial intelligence usage policy

The journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science allows the use of artificial intelligence (AI) only to improve the readability and language of the contribution. In any case, the use of AI must be declared by the authors, specifying the tool or technology used and its purpose.

Authors are responsible for monitoring, reviewing, and editing information generated by AI, as such technologies can produce inaccuracies.

Under no circumstances may the authors include AI as a co-author in the contribution, as this implies performing activities that can only be attributed to humans.

Conflict of interest policy

Authors must declare any financial or personal relationships with other individuals or organizations that could influence or bias the research results. Examples of potential conflicts of interest include financial conflicts (memberships, employment, consultancies, grants or other funding, patent licensing agreements, etc.) and non-financial conflicts (personal or professional relationships, affiliations, personal beliefs, etc.). In this case, authors should add the following statement (without quotation marks) and the conflict of interest they wish to declare:

“The authors declare the following financial interests (or personal relationships) that may be considered potential conflicts of interest: [LIST CONFLICTS OF INTEREST], which were resolved through [DESCRIBE THE AGREEMENTS REACHED]”.

In the absence of conflicts of interest, the authors must state the following (without quotation marks):

“The authors declare that we have no known financial conflicts of interest or personal relationships that could have influenced the research presented in this article.”

Reviewers must refrain from participating in the evaluation of manuscripts when any conflict of interest exists that could affect their objectivity, impartiality, or academic independence. This includes personal, professional, institutional, academic, or recent collaborative relationships with any of the authors or with the institutions involved in the research. In the event of a conflict of interest, reviewers must decline the requested review. Furthermore, the information contained in the evaluated manuscripts must be treated as strictly confidential, in accordance with the journal's Confidentiality Policy.

Manuscripts authored by any collaborator of the journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science (editors, members of the editorial committee, reviewers) do not receive preferential treatment in the selection of reviewers, and their evaluation is carried out under the same criteria applicable to any other contribution.

Digital preservation policy

The journal Current Topics in Agronomics Science preserves the long-term integrity of its digital content and guarantees its accessibility through institutional support mechanisms and interoperability.

The content published in digital formats (PDF) is hosted on external servers linked to the institutional domain of the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, which ensures operational stability, continuous availability, and open access to scientific content.

Furthermore, the journal maintains active DOI identifiers and interoperability mechanisms via OAI-PMH, facilitating traceability, harvesting, and integration of articles into indexing systems and national and international academic platforms.

Interoperability and metadata policy

The journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science offers interoperability services through the OAI-PMH protocol (Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting), accessible via the following URL:

https://revistas.chapingo.mx/ctasci/oai

The platform implements an advanced interoperability scheme that allows the exposure of structured metadata in Dublin Core, facilitating integration with indexing systems, institutional repositories, and national and international scientific dissemination platforms.

In addition, it incorporates enriched metadata, interoperability with DOI, links to PDF, and compatibility with academic retrieval systems and external query services.

Section policy

Manuscripts submitted for review and possible publication must be unpublished, written in Spanish or English, the result of original research, and relevant to the topics covered by the journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science (CTASci). The types of manuscripts accepted are:

Scientific articles
Scientific notes
Review articles

All manuscripts are processed with the following elements:

Double-blind review
Bilingual publication, in English and Spanish
Open access publication
No publication fees for authors

The specific requirements for manuscript formatting and content are outlined in the section "Author's Guide".

Post-publication actions policy

The journal Current Topics in Agronomic Science is willing to publish corrections (errata) or retractions, if it is demonstrated that the published article contains substantial errors or misconduct related to unethical practices. To request a correction, authors must submit a request via email to the Editor-in-Chief of the journal, who will issue a decision within 30 working days of receiving the request. In making this decision, the Editor-in-Chief will consult with experts and may use any tools deemed appropriate.

Complaints and appeals policy