Journal Policies

1. Publication Ethics and Editorial Policies

Current Horticulture follows the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and adheres to internationally recognized ethical publishing standards. The journal also follows ICMJE recommendations where applicable and aligns with DOAJ Best Practice Principles for scholarly publishing.

Competing interests for editors

• Editors of Current Horticulture are required to declare any financial or non-financial competing interests that may influence, or appear to influence, their editorial decisions. Examples include employment, consultancies, editorial roles, advisory positions, patent ownership, or other professional affiliations.
• Editors must not be involved in the editorial processing of any manuscript in which they are authors, co-authors, collaborators, or have a personal or financial interest. Editors must not use confidential information obtained through their editorial role for personal benefit. The following statement must be published with the manuscript: Given their role as [insert journal role title], [insert your name] had no involvement in the peer-review of this article and has no access to information regarding its peer-review.  Full responsibility for the editorial process for this article was delegated to another journal editor.

Editorial Responsibilities

• Editors are solely responsible for deciding which manuscripts are suitable for publication, guided by the scientific merit, relevance, originality, and importance of the work. They may consult reviewers, editorial board members, or society officers, and will ensure all decisions comply with ethical guidelines.
• Editors must ensure a fair, timely, and unbiased peer review process. Each manuscript will typically be reviewed by at least two independent experts in the relevant field. Editors must avoid the use of fraudulent reviewers and review any potential conflicts of interest among reviewers.
• Manuscripts are evaluated purely on scholarly merit, without discrimination based on authors’ personal characteristics or beliefs. Editors are expected to maintain transparency, uphold honesty in reporting, and use the journal’s designated submission system for all communications.
• The editor must not attempt to influence the journal’s ranking by artificially increasing any journal metric. In particular, the editor shall not require that references to that (or any other) journal’s articles be included except for genuine scholarly reasons and authors should not be required to include references to the editor’s own articles or products and services in which the editor has an interest.
• All manuscript submissions and reviewer communications are treated confidentially. Editors must protect reviewers' identities unless an open peer-review policy applies. Unpublished content must not be used by editors for personal research without written permission from the authors.
• Editors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest to the publisher and refrain from handling submissions where such conflicts exist (e.g., manuscripts authored by themselves, family members, or close collaborators). These submissions must undergo independent editorial handling, and any involvement must be clearly disclosed in the published article.
• Editors are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the published record. They must act promptly on allegations of misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication, unethical research) and coordinate with the publisher as needed. Appropriate actions may include issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.

Reviewer Responsibility

• Reviewer responsibilities are defined in detail under Section “Peer Review & Editorial Workflow”. Reviewers are expected to adhere to the journal’s ethical standards and confidentiality requirements.

Author Responsibilities

• Authors must present accurate, original, and objective accounts of their research, supported by appropriate detail and references to allow replication. Misrepresentation or fabrication of data is unethical and unacceptable.
• Authors should retain original data for a reasonable period and must provide it upon request for editorial review or compliance with open data policies.
• Manuscripts must be the authors' original work. Proper citation and permission are required when using the work of others. All forms of plagiarism are strictly prohibited.
• Authors must ensure originality and must not submit the same work to multiple journals simultaneously.
• All claims must be supported with accurate, relevant, and verifiable citations. Excessive self-citation or citation manipulation is unethical. Suggested citations from editors or reviewers must be scientifically justified.
• Only individuals who have made significant contributions to the study should be listed as authors. All authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission. Others who contributed should be acknowledged appropriately.
• Information obtained through confidential channels (e.g., peer review or grant review) must not be used without explicit permission from the source.
• Authors must disclose any use of AI tools in writing or preparing the manuscript, figures, or images. Such tools must not replace critical analysis or authorship.
• Research must follow ethical standards, including informed consent and institutional approval as per national guidelines.
• Images must not be manipulated to mislead. Only minimal adjustments for clarity are acceptable. Authors may be required to provide original image data upon request.
• All financial or personal relationships that could influence the work must be disclosed. Funding sources and their roles must also be declared.
• Authors are obliged to promptly notify the journal editor of any significant errors discovered post-publication and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions.
• Detailed authorship criteria and contribution requirements are described in “Authorship Criteria and Contribution Policy”.

Inclusive Language Policy

• Current Horticulture encourages all authors to use inclusive language in their manuscripts. Inclusive language respects diversity, promotes equality, and avoids bias, stereotyping, or discrimination based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability, or health condition. Authors should avoid unnecessary references to personal characteristics unless they are directly relevant to the research. Gender-neutral language is preferred—for example, using plural nouns such as “researchers” or “farmers” instead of gender-specific pronouns like “he” or “she.” Descriptors that may imply one group is superior to another should be avoided. Language should be free from slang, cultural assumptions, or stereotypes and should not make presumptions about the beliefs or backgrounds of readers. These guidelines are intended to help authors communicate respectfully and effectively with a global and diverse audience and are aligned with international standards in scholarly publishing.

Jurisdictional Claims Policy

• Current Horticulture maintains a neutral stance on territorial disputes or jurisdictional claims, including those related to maps and institutional affiliations. We respect the choices made by authors in designating territories or identifying their affiliations in submitted and published content. However, to ensure clarity and global accessibility, authors must ensure that any maps included in their submissions are accurate and relevant to the study area. Maps should only display the geographic region directly involved in the research and must not extend beyond the actual study boundaries. A clear note should be added stating: “Map lines delineate study areas and do not necessarily represent official national boundaries.” This helps to avoid misinterpretation and ensures compliance with international publishing standards. During the peer review or editorial process, authors may be asked to revise maps that do not adhere to these guidelines.

 

2. Peer Review & Editorial Workflow

Current Horticulture upholds a rigorous, transparent, and fair peer review and editorial process to ensure the publication of high-quality, original, and ethically sound research in horticultural science. The journal follows international best practices in scholarly publishing as recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics.

(1) Manuscript Submission

Authors submit manuscripts through the journal’s online submission system (OJS). Submissions must comply with the journal’s formatting guidelines and ethical policies. An automated acknowledgment is generated upon successful submission.

(2) Initial Editorial Screening

All submitted manuscripts undergo preliminary screening by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated Associate Editor to assess:

• Completeness of submission (figures, references, author details)
• Compliance with journal guidelines and ethical standards
• Plagiarism screening using similarity detection software
• Relevance to the journal’s scope and scientific quality

Manuscripts that do not meet the required standards may be desk rejected with appropriate feedback.

(3) Assignment to Handling Editor

Manuscripts that pass initial screening are assigned to an Associate Editor or Section Editor with relevant subject expertise. The handling editor oversees the peer review process and serves as the primary point of contact.

(4) Peer Review Model: “Single-Blind Review with at-least 2 Reviewers”

The journal follow single-blind peer review system in which the identities of reviewers remain confidential, while reviewers are aware of the authors’ identities.

• Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent experts in the relevant field.
• Reviewers are selected based on subject expertise, experience, impartiality, and absence of conflicts of interest.
• Authors are not informed of the reviewers’ identities.
• Reviewers evaluate submissions based on originality, scientific rigor, methodological soundness, clarity of presentation, relevance to the journal’s scope, and compliance with ethical standards.
• All review reports are treated as confidential documents and are used solely for editorial decision-making.

(5) Reviewer Responsibilities

Peer reviewers play a vital role in maintaining the scientific quality, integrity, and credibility of Current Horticulture. Reviewers are expected to adhere to high standards of professionalism and ethical conduct throughout the review process.

Reviewers are expected to:

• Provide objective, constructive, and respectful feedback to assist editors in decision-making and to help authors improve the clarity and quality of their work.
• Evaluate the manuscript’s scientific merit, originality, methodological rigor, accuracy of analysis, clarity of presentation, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
• Accept review assignments only if they possess the appropriate expertise and can complete the review within the requested timeframe. If unable to do so, they must promptly inform the editor and decline the invitation.
• Identify and report any ethical concerns, including plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, image manipulation, duplicate publication, or substantial overlap with previously published work.
• Ensure that recommendations for citing their own work or others’ work are scientifically justified and not made for personal gain.
• Maintain strict confidentiality. Manuscripts under review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be shared, discussed with unauthorized individuals, or used for personal advantage. Reviewers must not contact authors directly.
• Disclose any potential conflicts of interest (financial, institutional, collaborative, or personal) and recuse themselves if an unbiased review cannot be provided.
• Submit their review within the designated timeline (normally within 30 days).
• Refrain from using unpublished data, ideas, or interpretations obtained through peer review in their own research without the author’s explicit written permission.
• Disclose any co-reviewing activities or use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and obtain prior approval from the editor to ensure confidentiality and integrity of the review process.

• Further resources: Ethical guidelines for peer reviewers | COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics

(6) Editorial Decision

Based on reviewer recommendations and independent assessment, the handling editor may issue one of the following decisions:

• Accept
• Minor Revision
• Major Revision
• Reject

Authors receive anonymized reviewer comments along with the editorial decision. The editorial team retains the right to make the final decision, even when reviewer opinions differ.

(7) Revision Process

Authors submitting revised manuscripts must provide:

• A revised version of the manuscript
• A detailed point-by-point response addressing all reviewer comments
• Clear indication of changes made (e.g., highlighted text or tracked changes)

Revised manuscripts may be re-evaluated by the handling editor and, when necessary, returned to reviewers for further assessment.

(8) Final Decision

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection. Authors are formally notified via email.

(9) Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions if they believe the review process was unfair or biased. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief with detailed justification. All appeals are evaluated objectively and confidentially. Appeals and complaints are handled in accordance with the journal’s Appeals and Complaints Procedure (see Section 12).

(10) Copyediting and Production

Accepted manuscripts undergo:

• Language editing
• Formatting according to journal style
• Reference standardization

Page proofs are sent to authors for final approval before publication.

(11) Publication and DOI Assignment

The final version of the article is published online under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is assigned, and complete metadata is registered to ensure indexing and discoverability.

(12) Archiving and Indexing

Published articles are preserved through recognized digital archiving systems and submitted to relevant indexing and abstracting databases to ensure long-term accessibility and visibility.

(13) Recognition of Reviewers

The journal acknowledges the valuable contribution of peer reviewers. Reviewers may be recognized annually or through platforms such as ORCID or Web of Science, while maintaining confidentiality where applicable.

 

3. Research Integrity and Misconduct Policy

Plagiarism and Publication Misconduct

Current Horticulture is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and research integrity. All submitted manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere. Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited.

All submissions are routinely screened using plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts demonstrating significant similarity (excluding references, quotations, and commonly used phrases) may be rejected or returned to the authors for clarification or revision.

In addition to plagiarism, the following practices are considered serious misconduct:

• Data fabrication or falsification
• Duplicate submission or redundant publication
• Authorship manipulation or undisclosed ghost writing
• Peer review manipulation or interference
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest

Authors must disclose all funding sources, potential conflicts of interest, and ensure proper acknowledgment of contributions.

If misconduct is suspected, the editorial team will investigate the matter in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All allegations will be handled fairly, confidentially, and in an evidence-based manner, and the authors will be given an opportunity to respond.

If misconduct is confirmed, the journal may take appropriate corrective actions depending on the severity and nature of the case. These actions may include rejection of the manuscript, publication of a correction or retraction, issuance of an expression of concern, or notification to the authors’ affiliated institutions or funding bodies where necessary. In cases of serious or repeated ethical violations, the journal reserves the right to impose restrictions on future submissions in accordance with its policies and applicable regulations.

By submitting a manuscript to Current Horticulture, authors agree to comply with this policy. Any concerns regarding ethical violations may be reported to the Editor-in-Chief.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

Current Horticulture is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

• Corrections (Erratum or Corrigendum): Issued when errors are identified that affect the clarity or accuracy of the article but do not invalidate the findings.
• Retractions: Issued when significant errors, ethical violations, or research misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication, or duplicate publication) invalidate the results or conclusions.
• Expressions of Concern: Published when an investigation is ongoing but conclusive evidence is not yet available.

All corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern will:

• Be clearly labeled
• Be freely accessible
• Be linked directly to the original article
• Clearly explain the reason for the action

This ensures transparency and protects the integrity of the academic record.

4. Authorship Criteria and Contribution Policy

Authorship Policy

Current Horticulture expects authors to carefully determine and finalize the list and order of authors at the time of original submission. All listed authors must meet the journal’s authorship criteria and be properly included in the submission system. All authors must approve both the submitted and final versions of the manuscript.

Changes to authorship—including the addition, removal, or rearrangement of authors—are generally not permitted after submission. Any request for authorship changes must:

• Be submitted by the corresponding author before acceptance of the manuscript
• Provide a valid and detailed reason for the change
• Include written confirmation from all authors involved (including those being added or removed) confirming their agreement
• Be submitted using the official authorship change form

Incomplete or improperly submitted requests will not be considered.

Changes to authorship after acceptance are allowed only in exceptional circumstances and may delay publication. If the article has already been published, approved authorship changes will be implemented through a corrigendum. Unauthorized or unethical authorship changes may result in manuscript rejection or retraction of the published article.

Author Responsibilities

Authors are expected to adhere to the highest standards of research and publication ethics:

• Authors must present accurate, original, and objective accounts of their research, supported by sufficient detail and appropriate references to enable replication. Fabrication or falsification of data is strictly prohibited.
• Authors should retain original data for a reasonable period and provide it upon request for editorial review or compliance with open data policies.
• Manuscripts must represent the authors’ original work. Proper citation and permission are required when using the work of others. All forms of plagiarism are strictly prohibited.
• Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously.
• All claims must be supported by accurate, relevant, and verifiable citations. Excessive self-citation or citation manipulation is unethical. Suggested citations from editors or reviewers must be scientifically justified.
• Only individuals who have made substantial contributions to the research should be listed as authors. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be appropriately acknowledged.
• Information obtained through confidential channels (e.g., peer review or grant review) must not be used without explicit permission.
• Authors must disclose any use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the preparation of the manuscript, figures, or images. AI tools must not replace human authorship, accountability, or critical analysis.
• Research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data must comply with applicable ethical standards, including informed consent and institutional approval as required by national regulations.
• Images must not be manipulated in a way that could mislead readers. Only minimal adjustments for clarity are permitted. Authors may be required to provide original image data upon request.
• All financial or personal relationships that could influence the work must be disclosed. Funding sources and their roles must be clearly stated.
• Authors must promptly notify the journal of any significant errors discovered after publication and cooperate fully in issuing corrections, retractions, or other appropriate notices.

 

5. Conflict of Interest Policy

*The Conflict of Interest Policy applies to all manuscripts submitted from January 2026 onwards, in accordance with the updated journal guidelines

All authors, reviewers, and editors involved in the publication process of Current Horticulture must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could influence, or be perceived to influence, their objectivity.

Conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:

• Financial relationships (e.g., employment, consultancies, grants, honoraria, stock ownership, patents)
• Personal or professional relationships
• Academic competition or rivalry
• Institutional affiliations
• Any other interests that could compromise impartial judgment

Authors must include a clear Conflict of Interest Statement within their manuscript, either declaring relevant conflicts or explicitly stating: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

Reviewers and editors must disclose any potential conflicts and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where such conflicts exist.

To ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the peer review and publication process, a conflict of interest declaration will be published with every article.

 

6. Data Sharing and Reproducibility

Current Horticulture supports transparency, research integrity, and the reproducibility of scientific findings. Authors are encouraged to deposit research data in recognized public repositories (e.g., institutional repositories, discipline-specific repositories, or general repositories such as Harvard Dataverse) and provide persistent identifiers (DOIs) within the manuscript.

Authors should ensure that sufficient details of materials, methods, and analyses are provided to enable other researchers to replicate and verify the findings. Where ethically and legally permissible, authors must be prepared to make raw data, analytical methods, and supporting materials available upon reasonable request.

If data cannot be shared due to ethical, legal, or confidentiality constraints, authors must clearly state the reason within the manuscript.

The journal reserves the right to request access to underlying data during the review process to assess the validity of the reported results.

 

7. Copyright and Licensing

Current Horticulture is an open-access journal. All published articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

Under this license, users are free to:

• Share - copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
• Adapt - remix, transform, and build upon the material

for non-commercial purposes only, provided that:

• Appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the journal,
• A link to the license is provided, and
• Any changes made are clearly indicated.

Any derivative work must be distributed under the same license (ShareAlike condition).

The copyright of published articles remains with the author(s). By submitting and publishing in Current Horticulture, authors grant the journal and the Society for Horticultural Research and Development (SHRD) the right to publish, archive, and disseminate the work.

Commercial use of published material without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.

For licensing inquiries or reuse beyond the scope of this license, please contact the editorial office.

 

8. Open Access and Author Charges Policy

Current Horticulture is a Diamond Open Access journal. It does not charge any submission fees or article processing charges (APCs), and all published articles are freely accessible immediately upon publication. The journal is committed to the free and global dissemination of scientific knowledge in horticultural science.

Author Charges

• Current Horticulture does not charge any submission fees or article processing charges (APCs). There are no publication fees at any stage of the editorial or publication process.

Open Access Principles

• Immediate Access: All articles are freely and permanently available online immediately upon publication. There is no embargo period.
• No Registration Required: Readers may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to full-text articles without registration or subscription.
• No Paywalls: The journal does not charge subscription fees or impose access restrictions.
• Licensing: All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), permitting non-commercial reuse with proper attribution and under the same license terms.
• Author Rights: Authors retain copyright of their published work while granting the journal the right to publish, archive, and disseminate the article.

This policy aligns with internationally recognized open-access standards and supports maximum visibility, discoverability, and impact of published research.

 

9. Archiving and Preservation Policy

Current Horticulture is committed to ensuring the long-term preservation and permanent accessibility of all published content.

The journal supports digital preservation mechanisms through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform to ensure long-term accessibility

Digital Preservation

To safeguard scholarly content against loss or discontinuation, the journal utilizes recognized digital archiving systems:

• PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN): The journal participates in the PKP Preservation Network, which provides free and secure long-term archiving for open access journals operating on Open Journal Systems (OJS).

All published articles are assigned Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), ensuring persistent identification and permanent accessibility through the journal website and indexing platforms.

Author Self-Archiving Policy

Authors are permitted to deposit all versions of their manuscript, including:

• Preprint (submitted version)
• Accepted manuscript (postprint)
• Published version (Version of Record)

in institutional repositories, subject-specific repositories, or personal academic websites without embargo, provided that proper citation to the original published article is included.

For inquiries related to archiving and preservation, please contact: editor@currenthorticulture.com or editorcurrenthort@gmail.com

 

10. Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Policy

• All articles published in Current Horticulture are assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) through Crossref to ensure persistent identification, reliable citation tracking, and permanent accessibility.
• Each article receives a unique DOI at the time of publication. The DOI provides a stable and permanent link to the article’s online location, even if the website URL changes.
• DOI Prefix: 5958/XXXX-
• DOIs enable accurate citation, indexing, metadata registration, and long-term digital discoverability across academic databases and search platforms.

 

11. ORCID Policy

• Authors are strongly encouraged to provide their Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID iD) at submission.
• ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes researchers from one another and ensures accurate attribution of scholarly work. Authors who provide an ORCID iD will have it linked to their published article, enhancing transparency, author identification, and discoverability.
• Registration for an ORCID iD is free and can be obtained at: https://orcid.org/

 

12. Appeals and Complaints Procedure

• Current Horticulture provides authors with the opportunity to appeal editorial decisions and raise concerns about the editorial or peer review process. Authors who wish to appeal a rejection must submit a written request to the Editor-in-Chief, clearly stating the reasons for the appeal and providing a detailed justification, including evidence to support their case. Appeals will be reviewed objectively and may involve consultation with additional editors or external reviewers. Complaints regarding the peer review process, editorial handling, or ethical concerns should also be directed to the Editor-in-Chief (editorcurrenthort@gmail.com). All appeals and complaints will be handled promptly, fairly, and in accordance with the journal’s commitment to transparency, professionalism, and ethical publishing standards.