Editorial Policies

Editorial Policies

Applied AI & Data Science for Health, Agriculture & Environment (AIDSAE) is an open access, peer-reviewed journal published by EcoScribe Publishers Company Limited. These Editorial Policies describe how we handle submissions, peer review, research integrity, and publication decisions to protect the quality and credibility of the scholarly record.

Effective date: 21/02/2026

 1) Editorial Independence

AIDSAE editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit, relevance, methodological quality, and integrity. Editorial decisions are not influenced by authors’ institutional affiliations, nationality, seniority, or ability to pay. The APC is payable only after acceptance and does not affect peer review outcomes.

 2) Scope and Editorial Screening (Desk Review)

All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening to ensure they meet AIDSAE minimum standards before being sent to external reviewers. At this stage we assess:

  • fit to AIDSAE scope (health, agriculture, environment + AI/data science)
  • completeness of required files and statements
  • compliance with double-blind submission requirements
  • clarity of reporting and internal consistency
  • research integrity signals (ethics approvals/consent where relevant, data permissions, conflicts/funding disclosures)
  • methodological minimums (see Section 4)

AIDSAE may desk reject manuscripts that are out of scope, inadequately reported, lack meaningful evaluation, or raise integrity concerns.

 3) Peer Review Policy (Double-Blind)

AIDSAE uses double-blind peer review, meaning authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other.

  • Most research articles are reviewed by at least two independent reviewers.
  • For certain article types (e.g., short technical notes), AIDSAE may use one external reviewer plus an editorial technical check.
  • Editors select reviewers based on subject expertise, methodological fit, and absence of conflicts.

Reviewers are expected to provide respectful, evidence-based feedback and to maintain strict confidentiality.

 4) AIDSAE Technical and Reporting Minimums (Applied AI/Data Science)

Because AIDSAE publishes applied AI and data science, manuscripts must meet minimum reporting standards to be considered for review. Submissions should clearly describe:

Data & provenance

  • data source, time period, inclusion/exclusion criteria
  • access permissions/ethics/privacy safeguards (where applicable)

Methods

  • preprocessing pipeline and feature engineering
  • model development choices, software/tools used
  • validation strategy (train/validation/test split or cross-validation)
  • hyperparameter tuning approach
  • steps taken to prevent data leakage

Evaluation

  • meaningful baseline comparator(s)
  • metrics appropriate to the task
  • error analysis/failure modes and limitations
  • generalisability concerns (domain shift, bias/fairness where relevant)

Submissions missing these elements may be returned for correction or desk rejected.

 5) Data, Code, and Reproducibility

AIDSAE supports open and reproducible research. Every manuscript must include a Data, Code & Reproducibility Statement describing:

  • whether data are open or restricted and why
  • where code/models can be accessed, or how the work is reproducible in principle
  • any access conditions for restricted data

When sensitive or proprietary data cannot be shared, authors must provide sufficient methodological detail to permit audit and replication in principle.

 6) Ethics, Consent, and Sensitive Data

Where human participants, patient data, minors, geolocation data, or animals are involved, authors must provide:

  • the name of the approving ethics committee/IRB (or equivalent), and approval reference/ID where available
  • consent procedures (or justification for waiver where applicable)
  • privacy safeguards (de-identification, aggregation, secure handling)

AIDSAE may request documentation where necessary to verify ethical compliance.

 7) Conflicts of Interest and Funding Disclosure

All authors must declare:

  • conflicts of interest (or state “none”)
  • funding sources and the role of funders (if any)

Editors and reviewers must also declare conflicts and recuse themselves when appropriate.

 8) Authorship and Contributorship

AIDSAE expects authorship to reflect substantial scholarly contribution. Authors must:

  • ensure that all listed authors meet authorship criteria and approve the final manuscript
  • acknowledge contributors who do not meet authorship criteria
  • avoid gift/guest authorship and undisclosed ghostwriting

Where appropriate, AIDSAE may request a contributorship statement.

 9) Plagiarism, Duplicate Submission, and Misconduct

AIDSAE takes research misconduct seriously. This includes:

  • plagiarism or excessive unattributed paraphrasing
  • duplicate submission or redundant publication
  • fabricated/falsified data or results
  • manipulated figures/images
  • invented citations or unverifiable claims

AIDSAE may use similarity checking and other integrity checks. If concerns arise, we may request raw data, analysis outputs, ethics approvals, or clarifications. Confirmed misconduct may lead to rejection, retraction, and notification of institutions where appropriate.

 10) Use of AI Tools (Disclosure and Accountability)

AIDSAE recognizes that authors may use AI tools for language editing or minor assistance. However:

  • authors remain fully responsible for accuracy, originality, and integrity
  • AI tools must not be used to fabricate data, results, or references
  • any meaningful AI assistance should be disclosed in the manuscript (e.g., in acknowledgements or a disclosure statement) as required by journal policy

Manuscripts showing extensive AI-generated content without verifiable scientific substance may be desk rejected.

 11) Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

AIDSAE maintains the integrity of the scholarly record. Where necessary, we may publish:

  • Corrections (for honest errors)
  • Expressions of Concern (when serious concerns are under investigation)
  • Retractions (for unreliable findings or misconduct)

These notices remain linked to the affected article.

12) Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal decisions by submitting a clear, evidence-based rationale to the editorial office. Appeals are reviewed by senior editorial leadership and may involve additional consultation or review where justified. Abusive or non-scientific appeals may be declined.

Complaints about process or ethics can be submitted to the editorial office and will be handled fairly and confidentially.

 13) Confidentiality

All manuscripts, review reports, and editorial communications are confidential. Reviewers and editors must not share or use manuscript content for personal advantage prior to publication.

 14) Advertising and Sponsorship

If AIDSAE carries advertising or sponsorship in the future, it will not influence editorial decisions. Any sponsored content will be clearly labelled.

 15) Contact

For editorial policy questions, contact: editorialoffice@ecoscribepublishers.com
Publisher: EcoScribe Publishers Company Limited