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Summary

1. General information

1.1 Language and grammar
1.2 Types of manuscripts
1.3 Authorship criteria
1.4 CRediT author statement
1.5 Changes in authorship
1.6 Retraction policy

2. Manuscript Submission

2.1 Editorial process
2.2 Permissions

3. Title page

4. Manuscript

5. Text

5.1 Text formatting
5.2 Headings
5.3 Abbreviations
5.4 Introduction and background
5.5 Methods including statistics
5.6 Results
5.7 Discussions
5.8 Acknowledgments

6. References

6.1 Citation
6.2 References list

7. Tables

8. Figures

8.1 Figure captions
8.2 Figure placement and size
8.3 Permissions

9. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

10. Research involving human participants and/or animals

10.1 Statement of human rights
10.2 Statement on the welfare of animals

11. Informed consent

12. After acceptance

13. English language support

14. Ethical consideration

14.1 Protection of patients’ right to privacy
14.2 Publication ethics
14.3 Duplicate submission
14.4 Citation manipulation
14.5 Data fabrication and falsification
14.6 Improper author contribution or attribution
14.7 Redundant publications
14.8 Sanctions
14.9 About plagiarism

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1. General Information

The North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research (NAJFNR), ISSN: 2588-1582, is a reputable international peer-reviewed, open-access online journal with no publication charges or fees. The journal is dedicated to the prompt publication of the most recent research and studies across all domains of human nutrition and food sciences. NAJFNR prioritizes the dissemination of innovative, high-quality papers that contribute to the advancement of the field, including original research, reviews, short communications, correspondence, case reports, hypothesis development, expert opinions, and commentaries. NAJFNR accepts submissions that address topics related to human, animal, cellular, and molecular nutrition and food science.

The North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research (NAJFNR) serves as a platform for the dissemination of professional knowledge valuable to researchers and practitioners across various research and practice areas, including:

Nutritional Science (NS): The exploration of food, nutrients, and other dietary substances, encompassing their intake, biochemical processing, and impact on health and disease. This field also involves the application of this knowledge to policies and programs.
Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT): An evidence-based medical approach that utilizes personalized nutrition plans to manage specific chronic conditions. These tailored plans are designed to enhance the patient's health and decrease health care expenses.
Public Health Nutrition (PHN): The application of nutritional science and physical activity for the promotion of good health and the prevention of diet-related illnesses among groups, communities, and populations. This includes health service provision, program development, and policy advocacy.
Food Science and Biotechnology (FSB): The study of the physical, biological, and chemical properties of food, along with the causes of food spoilage and the principles underlying food processing. This field encompasses disciplines such as chemistry, engineering, microbiology, and nutrition to enhance food safety, nutrition, quality, and availability.

The journal strives to enhance consumer understanding of the intricate relationship between nutrition, physical activity, and lifestyle choices to promote health throughout the lifespan. It also aims to explore how health policies can be refined through a stronger emphasis on nutritional considerations.

We invite submissions that present observational and interventional studies, along with foundational scientific reports, on topics encompassing food sciences, diets, metabolism, nutrients, clinical nutrition, social sciences, and health economics as they relate to nutrition, eating behaviors and disorders, and nutrition policies. Manuscripts addressing the interplay between physical activity and nutrition education, as well as strategies to mitigate food insecurity, are also highly regarded.

Specific topics covered in the journal include:

1.1 Language and grammar

Uniformly American English.

1.2 Types of Manuscripts

Original articles

The journal welcomes submissions in the form of randomized controlled trials, intervention studies, studies of screening and diagnostic tests, outcome studies, cost-effectiveness analyses, case-control series, and surveys with high response rates.

Abstracts should not exceed 300 words in length. Manuscripts should adhere to a word limit of 5,000 words, excluding the abstract, references, and tables. Authors are permitted up to 45 references and a maximum of 6 figures or tables. The manuscript should be organized into sections with the following headings: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, References, Tables, and Figure Legends.

Brief / Short Communication

The journal accepts submissions in the form of randomized controlled trials, intervention studies, studies of screening and diagnostic tests, outcome studies, cost-effectiveness analyses, case-control series, and surveys with high response rates.

Abstracts should not exceed 200 words. Manuscripts should adhere to a word limit of 2,500 words and include up to 20 references, with no more than 2 figures or tables.

Review articles and meta-analysis

For review articles and meta-analyses, systemic and critical assessments of literature and data sources are expected. Abstracts may be up to 300 words in length. Manuscripts should be limited to 10,000 words, include up to 150 references, and contain no more than 5 figures and tables. Additional figures may be published as supplementary files.

Correspondence

The Correspondence section offers a platform for readers to engage with the journal's previously published papers (within the last 6 months) by providing comments or by addressing emerging issues relevant to the research community.

Submissions do not require an abstract and should adhere to a maximum length of 1,000 words, including tables, figures, and references. The inclusion of up to 2 tables or figures and a maximum of 7 references is permitted.

Case reports

Submissions may include new, interesting, or exceptionally rare cases. Priority will be given to cases with notable clinical significance or implications, while reports of rare cases without broader significance may not be considered.

Submissions should be limited to 1,000 words (excluding references and abstract) and may include up to 10 references.

Letter to the Editor

Letters to the Editor should present concise, definitive observations and should not contain preliminary findings that require further validation in subsequent publications.

Submissions may be up to 400 words in length and include up to 4 references.

Viewpoint

The journal welcomes personal perspectives on relevant topics, with submissions limited to approximately 1,500 words (excluding tables, figures, and references). Authors are required to use their real names, as anonymous submissions are not accepted.

Announcement of conferences

Submissions should provide information on upcoming conferences, including the name and contact information of the individual who can offer further details.

Announcements should be no more than 100 words in length.

1.3 Authorship Criteria

Authorship credit should be based only on substantial contributions. NAJFNR recommends that authors utilize the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) in their submissions.

The 14 contributor roles as defined by CRediT are:

We encourage the authors to explore the CRediT website (https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles-defined/) for comprehensive descriptions of each role.

General supervision of the research group is not sufficient for authorship. Each contributor should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content.

The order of naming the contributors should be based on the relative contribution of the contributor towards the study and writing the manuscript.

Once submitted the order cannot be changed without written consent of all the contributors.

For Original articles:

There is no restriction on the number of co-authors in a paper; however, it is crucial to ensure that all contributors have made significant contributions and are eligible for co-authorship.

For Review Articles:

The number of contributors should be limited to six (6). If the number exceeds this limit, a justification is required. Review articles should be written by individuals who have made substantial contributions in the specific field. A brief summary of the contributor(s)' work in the review field should accompany the manuscript.

This is an example of a CRediT statement to follow:

Author 01: Conceptualization, methodology, data curation, formal analysis, software. Authors 02 and 03: investigation, visualization, writing - original draft, writing - review & editing. Authors 04 and 05: Conceptualization, data curation, investigation, methodology. Author 06: Conceptualization, methodology, project administration, resources, supervision, validation."

1.4 CRediT author statement

CRediT is a standardized framework that identifies 14 distinct roles a researcher can play in a research project, ranging from conceptualization and formal analysis to data curation and software development. By aligning individual contributions with the appropriate CRediT roles, authors gain several key benefits:

Providing recognition and visibility for team contributions that are key to research output being published,
Fostering open communication and transparency, promoting consensus, and reducing the risk of disputes,
Allowing evaluators to accurately assess researcher impact and expertise within projects,
Facilitating seamless tracking of an individual's diverse contributions across various research endeavors,

The submitting author bears the responsibility of ensuring CRediT roles accurately reflect the contributions of all individuals involved. We expect all co-authors to review and agree upon their CRediT roles as shared by the submitting author.

1.5 Changes in authorship

Authors should establish the sequence of authorship collaboratively and resolve any disagreements prior to submitting their manuscript. Any alterations in authorship, including changes in order, additions, or deletions, must be mutually agreed upon by all authors. Requests for such changes after the initial manuscript submission and prior to publication must be submitted in writing to the editor, either by letter or email, and must be accompanied by the original signed consent of all authors.

1.6 Retraction policy

NAJFNR should consider retracting a publication if:

Editors possess definitive evidence indicating that the findings are unreliable, whether due to misconduct (e.g., data fabrication) or honest error (e.g., miscalculation or experimental error);
The findings have been previously published elsewhere without ap-propriate cross-referencing, permission, or justification (i.e., cases of redundant publication);
The work contains instances of plagiarism;
The study reports unethical research practices.

The North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research (NAJFNR) adheres to the Retraction Guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), available at (https://publicationethics.org/files/cope-retraction-guidelines-v2.pdf).

2. Manuscript Submission

2.1 Editorial process

A manuscript will be considered for potential publication with the understanding that it is being submitted exclusively to the North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research (NAJFNR) and has not been published, simultaneously submitted, or previously accepted for publication elsewhere. The journal expects authors to designate one of them to serve as the primary correspondent for all matters concerning the manuscript.

Upon submission, editors initially assess all manuscripts for suitability for formal review. Manuscripts lacking originality, exhibiting serious scientific or technical flaws, or lacking a substantial message are rejected prior to formal peer review. Manuscripts unlikely to interest NAJFNR readers are also subject to rejection at this preliminary stage.

Manuscripts deemed suitable for publication in NAJFNR are forwarded to two or more expert reviewers. The journal employs a double-blind review process, where both the reviewers and authors remain anonymous to one another. Additionally, each manuscript is assigned to a member of the editorial team who, based on the reviewers' feedback, makes a final decision regarding the manuscript. The reviewers' comments and suggestions (acceptance, rejection, or amendments to the manuscript) are communicated to the corresponding author, who is expected to provide a point-by-point response to the reviewers' comments and submit a revised version of the manuscript. This process continues until the reviewers and editors are satisfied with the manuscript.

Accepted manuscripts undergo copy-editing for grammar, punctuation, print style, and formatting. Proofs are sent to the corresponding author, who is expected to return corrections within two days. Corrections received after this timeframe may not be incorporated. The entire process, from manuscript submission to the final decision, as well as the sending and receiving of proofs, is conducted online. To facilitate faster and broader dissemination of knowledge and information, the journal publishes articles online shortly after acceptance.

All manuscripts must be submitted online through the NAJFNR website: https://najfnr.com/home/about/submissions. First-time users must register on the site, which is free but mandatory. Registered authors can track their articles after logging in using their username and password. Authors do not have to pay any fees for submission of articles. If any issues arise, please contact the editorial office via email: contact@najfnr.com

Submitted manuscripts not adhering to the "Instructions for Authors" will be returned for technical corrections before undergoing editorial/peer review. Generally, manuscripts should be submitted as several separate files (the website has an 80 MB limit per uploaded file).

Submission of a manuscript implies that the work described has not been previously published, is not under consideration elsewhere, and has been approved by all co-authors (if any) and responsible authorities, either tacitly or explicitly, at the institute where the work was conducted. The publisher will not be held legally responsible in the event of any compensation claims.

2.2 Permissions

Authors who intend to incorporate previously published figures, tables, or text excerpts in their work must secure permission from the original copyright holder(s) and provide proof of such authorization upon manuscript submission. Submissions lacking this documentation will be presumed to be the authors' own original content.

The complete submission guidelines for manuscripts can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoPCy88Gyvs

3. Title Page

The title page should contain the following elements:

The type of manuscript (e.g., original article, review article, meta-analysis, correspondence, etc.), the title of the manuscript, the names of all authors and contributors, and the name(s) of the department(s) and/or institution(s) to which the work is attributed. Any information that may disclose the authors' identity should be included here. Manuscripts should be submitted in .doc format, and files should not be compressed.

Please visit https://najfnr.com/home/about/submissions

You can download the Title page from this URL address:

http://najfnr.com/journal_docs/Title_page.docx

4. Manuscript

The main text of the article, starting from “Abstract” till “References” should be in this file.

The main text of the article, spanning from the "Abstract" section to the "References" section, should be included in this file. The file must not contain any references to the authors’ names or initials, the institution where the study was conducted, or acknowledgments. Page headers/running titles may include the manuscript title but not the authors' names. Manuscripts that do not adhere to the journal’s blinding policy will be returned to the corresponding author. Files should be submitted in .doc or .docx format, uncompressed, and without embedded images. Pages must be numbered consecutively.

Abstract

Abstracts should be structured into sections (e.g., Background, Aims, Materials/Subjects and Methods, Results, Conclusion, and Keywords) and should avoid the use of undefined abbreviations or unspecified references.

Keywords

 Authors should provide 4 to 6 keywords for indexing purposes.

Keywords should be carefully chosen and representative of the content of the manuscript, specific to the field or sub-field, and should not duplicate terminology used in the paper’s title. Shared key terms in the manuscript title and abstract can enhance the visibility of the study in article searches. For more information, visit:

https://www.aje.com/arc/editing-tip-choosing-effective-keywords/

The use of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) from the US National Library of Medicine is highly recommended and can be accessed through the MeSH browser:

https://meshb.nlm.nih.gov/search

5. Text

5.1 Text Formatting

Manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word format.

Utilize a standard, plain font such as 12-point Times New Roman for the text.
Employ italics for emphasis where necessary.
Utilize the automatic page numbering function to number the pages consecutively.
Refrain from using field functions.
Use tab stops or other commands for indentation; avoid using the space bar.
Utilize the table function to create tables, rather than spreadsheets.
Use the equation editor or MathType for equations.
Save the file in .docx format (compatible with MS Word 2007 or later).

5.2 Headings

Please use no more than three levels of displayed headings.

5.3 Abbreviations

Abbreviations should be defined at first mention and used consistently thereafter.

5.4 Introduction and background

The introduction should succinctly contextualize the study within a broader scope and emphasize its significance. It should establish connections to prior research in the field without providing an exhaustive literature review. Given the assumption that the reader possesses familiarity with the subject matter, the introduction should be clear and concise. Citations should be included only as necessary to elucidate the rationale behind the research question. Conclude the introduction by articulating a clear aim or question, ideally framed as a testable hypothesis. The introduction should remain accessible to researchers outside the immediate area of the study.

5.5 Methods including statistics

The Methods section should focus solely on the information available at the time the study's plan or protocol was developed, with all data acquired during the study's execution being reserved for the Results section. When describing the selection and characterization of participants (including patients, laboratory animals, and controls), authors should clearly specify eligibility and exclusion criteria and provide a comprehensive account of the source population. Given the potential relevance of variables such as age and sex, their inclusion should be justified, especially if the study features specific age groups or gender categories.

Clarity in the study's rationale and methodology is essential, particularly when incorporating variables such as race or ethnicity, which should be carefully defined and justified. Technical information should include detailed descriptions of methods, apparatus (with manufacturer information in parentheses), and procedures to enable reproducibility by other researchers. References to established methods, including statistical methods, should be provided, as well as brief explanations for methods not widely recognized. New or significantly altered methods should be explained with justifications for their use and assessments of their limitations. Precise information on all drugs and chemicals used, including their generic names, doses, and routes of administration, should be provided.

For authors submitting review articles, a section outlining the methods for data location, selection, extraction, and synthesis should be included and summarized in the abstract. Reports of randomized clinical trials should adhere to the CONSORT Statement guidelines, presenting information on major study components such as the protocol, methods of randomization, allocation concealment, and masking (blinding). For further reference, see Moher D, Schulz KF, and Altman DG's The CONSORT Statement: Revised Recommendations for Improving the Quality of Reports of Parallel-Group Randomized Trials (Ann Intern Med., 2001; 134: 657-662), also available at http://www.consort-statement.org.Top of Form

Regarding the use of statistics, a general description of the methods should be provided in the Methods section. When presenting data in the Results section, specify the statistical methods applied for analysis. Avoid using statistical terms in non-technical contexts, such as 'random' (which implies the use of a randomization mechanism), 'normal', 'significant', 'correlations', and 'sample.' Define all statistical terms, abbreviations, and symbols.

For all p-values, include the exact value rather than using thresholds such as less than 0.05 or 0.001.Top of Form

5.6 Results

Present your results in a logical order in the text, tables, and figures, starting with the main or most significant findings. Avoid repeating all data from tables or figures in the text; instead, emphasize or summarize only the key observations. Additional or supplementary materials and technical details can be included in an appendix or published solely in the electronic version of the journal to avoid disrupting the flow of the text. In the Results section, when summarizing data, provide both absolute numbers and their derivatives (e.g., percentages), and specify the statistical methods used for analysis.

Limit tables and figures to those necessary to support the paper's argument and to evaluate its evidence. Use graphs instead of tables with numerous entries and avoid duplicating data in graphs and tables. Be cautious when using statistical terms such as "random," "normal," "significant," "correlations," and "sample" in non-technical contexts. Where appropriate, include analyses of data according to variables such as age and sex.

5.7 Discussions

A summary of key findings should include the primary and secondary outcome measures and the results in relation to any prior hypothesis. It should address the strengths and limitations of the study, including aspects such as the study question, design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. The interpretation and implications of the study should be presented in the context of existing evidence, including references to any systematic reviews if available, and discussing what the study contributes to the current body of knowledge. This section should also cover the effects on patient care and health policy, as well as possible mechanisms involved.

Controversies raised by the study should be discussed, as well as future research directions, including potential paths for further research in this collaboration or underlying mechanisms and clinical research areas. Contributors should avoid restating data or material already mentioned in the Introduction or Results sections, and should refrain from making statements regarding economic benefits and costs unless such data and analyses are included in the manuscript. Additionally, they should avoid asserting priority and referencing incomplete work. If new hypotheses are proposed, they should be clearly identified as such.

5.8 Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments for individuals, grants, funds, and other support should be included in the title page file. Funding organizations should be named in their entirety.

6. References

6.1 Citation

In-text citations should be indicated by numbers enclosed in square brackets. Endnote by Clarivate Analytics (https://www.myendnoteweb.com/EndNoteWeb.html) or Mendeley (https://www.mendeley.com/) can be used for citation management.

Some examples:

a. As recommended by the ADA [12].

b. These results agree with those of Amos et al. [7].

c. Several studies have reported that dietary fiber intake increases during fasting periods [42-45, 47].

6.2 References list

The reference list should contain only works cited within the text that have been published or accepted for publication. Personal communications and unpublished works should be mentioned solely within the text. Entries in the reference list should be numbered consecutively.

Authors should refer to this tutorial on how to cite PubMed articles in APA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c1_BOQN0g0

Or use APA Citation Generator 7, to generate all types of references at:

https://www.citefast.com/?s=APA7#_Journal

https://app.bibguru.com/

https://www.scribbr.com/apa-citation-generator/

Examples:

Journal article (with DOI) using APA 7^th edition referencing system

Vineis, P., & Wild, C. P. (2014). Global cancer patterns: Causes and prevention. The Lancet, 383(9916), 549-557. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(13)62224-2

Book

Barnett A. Type 2 Diabetes. 2^nd ed. Oxford Diabetes Library: 2012: pp. 179. ISBN: 9780199596171

Book chapter

Solensky R. Drug allergy: desensitization and treatment of reactions to antibiotics and aspirin. In: Lockey P, ed. Allergens and Allergen Immunotherapy. 3^rd ed. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker; 2004:585-606.

Website (Online document)

Diet and cancer. (2019, July 1). World Cancer Research Fund. Available from: https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer. [Last accessed on 2020 August 12].

6.3 The NAJFNR policy against predatory publishers/journals

The NAJFNR discourages citations from predatory and dubious journals or publishers, as these can negatively impact the journal's reputation in indexing databases. We strive to maintain a rigorous publication process to uphold recognized international standards and ensure the quality and credibility of the articles we publish.

Please note that due to the proliferation of fee-charging open access (OA) journals, authors may find it challenging to distinguish between legitimate peer-reviewed journals and those utilizing deceptive peer review practices. The North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research has adopted a policy against referencing such "fake" journals. Therefore, references from these sources should be avoided and either replaced or entirely removed. For further guidance on the eligibility of your journal, please refer to the provided links.Top of Form

https://predatoryreports.org/the-list

https://predatoryjournals.com/journals/

https://beallslist.net/changelog/

https://beallslist.net/

https://scholarlyoa.com/publishers/

https://www.professeur-alexandre-georges.info%2Fdolos-list

https://guides.library.yale.edu/c.php?g=296124&p=1973764

7. Tables

The number of tables and figures should be appropriate for the type of manuscript; please consult section 1.2, "Types of Manuscripts," for specific guidelines.
Number all tables using Arabic numerals.
Cite each table in the text in consecutive numerical order.
Provide a descriptive caption (title) for each table to clarify its contents.
If the table contains previously published material, acknowledge the original source with a reference at the end of the table caption.

8. Figures

Please submit high-quality color images with a maximum size of 1600 × 1200 pixels (approximately 5–6 inches). Images should be provided as JPEG files and maintained at an effective resolution of 300 pixels per inch (PPI). Avoid compressing the files using ZIP.

The number of figures should align with the type of manuscript; refer to section 1.2, "Types of Manuscripts," for specific guidance.
Submit all figures electronically in common formats such as TIFF, JPEG, EPS, or PDF, with a preference for these formats.
Specify the graphics program used to create the artwork.
Number all figures using Arabic numerals.
Cite figures in the text in consecutive numerical order.
Indicate figure parts with lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.).
If your article includes an appendix with figures, continue the numbering sequence from the main text (do not use designations such as "A1, A2, A3"). Figures in online appendices (Supplementary Data) should be numbered separately.
Figure legends should be concise and specific, and they should appear on a separate page in the manuscript following the “References” section.

8.1 Figure Captions

Provide a concise caption for each figure that accurately describes the content of the figure. Include the captions in the text file of the manuscript rather than within the figure file.
Figure captions should start with the term "Fig." in bold type, followed by the figure number, also in bold type.
Do not include punctuation after the figure number or at the end of the caption.

8.2 Figure Placement and Size

When preparing figures, size them to fit the column width. Figures should have widths of 39 mm, 84 mm, 129 mm, or 174 mm, and should not exceed a height of 234 mm.

8.3 Permissions

If figures previously published elsewhere are included, obtain permission from the copyright owner(s) for both print and online formats. Please note that some publishers may not grant electronic rights for free, and NAJFNR cannot reimburse any expenses incurred in obtaining these permissions. In such cases, alternative sources should be considered.

9. Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

Authors are required to disclose all relationships or interests that could potentially influence or bias their work. This transparency ensures an objective assessment and an accurate representation of the research. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest, whether real or perceived, is essential for the reader's understanding and does not necessarily imply that a financial relationship with the research sponsor or consultancy work is inappropriate. Potential conflicts of interest related to the research may include, but are not limited to:

Research grants from funding agencies (include the funder and grant number);
Honoraria for speaking at conferences;
Financial support for attending conferences;
Financial support for educational initiatives;
Employment or consulting engagements;
Sponsorship support;
Positions on advisory boards, boards of directors, or other management relationships;
Multiple affiliations;
Financial relationships such as equity ownership or investment interest;
Intellectual property rights (e.g., patents, copyrights, royalties);
Holdings of immediate family members that could present a financial interest in the work.

Additionally, non-financial interests that may be relevant to readers should be disclosed. These can include personal relationships or competing interests connected directly or indirectly to the research, professional interests, or personal beliefs that could affect the research. The corresponding author is responsible for collecting conflict-of-interest disclosure forms from all authors. Each author should complete a disclosure form.

Please Search funders connected to published works with funding data here: https://search.crossref.org/funding

10. Research Involving Human and/or Animals

10.1 Statement of human rights

When reporting studies involving human participants, authors must include a statement indicating that the studies received approval from an appropriate institutional and/or national research ethics committee and were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards set forth in the 2013 Declaration of Helsinki (7th revision) and its subsequent amendments or comparable ethical standards.

In cases where there is uncertainty about whether the research was carried out in line with the Helsinki Declaration or comparable standards, authors must justify their methodology and provide evidence that the independent ethics committee or institutional review board explicitly approved any questionable aspects of the study.

Before the References section, the following statements should be included in the manuscript:

Ethical approval: "All procedures involving human participants adhered to the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and to the Declaration of Helsinki and its subsequent amendments or comparable ethical standards."

For retrospective studies, please include the following sentence: "For this type of study, formal consent is not required."

10.2 Statement on the welfare of animals

The welfare of animals used in research must be upheld. When reporting experiments involving animals, authors should confirm that international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were adhered to and that the studies received approval from a research ethics committee at the institution or practice where the studies were conducted (if such a committee exists). For studies involving animals, the following statement should be included in the text before the References section:

Ethical approval: "All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed."

If applicable (if such a committee exists):

"All procedures involving animals were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution or practice where the studies were conducted."

If the article does not contain studies involving human participants or animals by any of the authors, please use one of the following statements:

"This article does not contain any studies with human participants conducted by any of the authors."
"This article does not contain any studies with animals conducted by any of the authors."
"This article does not contain any studies involving human participants or animals conducted by any of the authors."

11. Informed Consent

All individuals possess personal rights that must be respected and protected. Study participants, for instance, have the right to determine the use of their identifiable personal data, statements made during studies or interviews, and any photographs taken. Therefore, obtaining written informed consent from all participants before their inclusion in a study is essential. Identifiable details such as names, dates of birth, identity numbers, and other information about the participants should not be published in written descriptions, photographs, or genetic profiles unless the data is vital for scientific purposes and the participant (or parent or guardian, in the case of an incapable participant) has provided explicit written consent for publication.

Maintaining complete anonymity can be challenging in certain instances, and informed consent should be sought if there is any uncertainty. For instance, masking the eye region in photographs of participants is insufficient for protecting anonymity. If any identifying characteristics are altered to safeguard anonymity, such as in genetic profiles, authors must ensure these alterations do not compromise the scientific accuracy or integrity of the work.

The following statement should be included: "Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study." If identifying information about participants is present in the article, the following statement should be included: "Additional informed consent was obtained from all individual participants for whom identifying information is included in this article."

12. After Acceptance

12.1 Proofreading

The purpose of the proof is to verify the typesetting or conversion errors and to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the text, tables, and figures. Substantial content changes, such as new results, corrected values, title modifications, and authorship changes, are not permitted without the Editor's approval. Any post-publication revisions can only be made in the form of an Erratum, which will be linked to the article.

The revised manuscript should be submitted online using the same procedure as the initial submission. Contributors submitting a revised manuscript are requested to include the referees' comments along with point-by-point clarifications at the beginning of the revised file. Additionally, changes in the article should be marked clearly, either with underlined or colored text.

13. English Language Support

To enable editors and reviewers to accurately assess your manuscript, the English language must be of a sufficient standard for clear understanding. If you require assistance with English writing, consider the following options:

Seek a review from a colleague who is a native English speaker for clarity.
Refer to an English language tutorial that addresses common mistakes in English writing.
Utilize a professional language editing service, where editors can enhance your manuscript's English to clarify meaning and flag areas requiring your attention.
Utilize the language editing services offered by the NAJFNR, available at the following link: https://najfnr.com/home/language-and-editing-services

Please note that using a language editing service is not a prerequisite for publication in our journal, nor does it guarantee selection for peer review or acceptance. If your manuscript is accepted, our copy editors will review it for spelling and formal style before publication.

14. Ethical Consideration

14.1 Protection of patients’ right to privacy

Identifying information about patients should not be disclosed in written descriptions or photographs. Authors are required to remove patients' names from figures unless they have secured written informed consent from the patients. NAJFNR adheres to the guidelines set by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE): (1) Authors, rather than journals or publishers, must secure patient consent forms prior to the publication of any content related to patient privacy and must keep these forms properly archived. (2) If the publication includes facial images that could lead to patient identification, a statement confirming the patient's consent must be included in the manuscript.

14.2 Publication ethics

Ethical standards for publication are in place to guarantee the production of high-quality scientific work, to maintain public confidence in scientific discoveries, and to ensure proper recognition of individuals for their intellectual contributions. NAJFNR is dedicated to publishing only original material, defined as content that has not been previously published and is not under consideration elsewhere. Manuscripts determined to have been plagiarized from the work of other authors, whether previously published or unpublished, will face plagiarism sanctions.

14.3 Duplicate Submission

Manuscripts found to have been previously published or under consideration elsewhere will be subject to sanctions for duplicate submission or publication. Authors who have used their own previously published work or work currently under review as the foundation for a submitted manuscript must cite the earlier work and specify the novel contributions of the submitted manuscript beyond those of the prior work.

14.4 Citation Manipulation

Manuscripts that contain citations primarily intended to increase the number of citations to a specific author’s work or to articles published in a particular journal will face sanctions for citation manipulation.

14.5 Data Fabrication and Falsification

Manuscripts that include fabricated or falsified experimental results, including the manipulation of images, will incur sanctions for data fabrication and falsification.

14.6 Improper Author Contribution or Attribution

All listed authors must have made a substantial scientific contribution to the research presented in the manuscript and must have approved all its claims. It is essential to include everyone who made a significant scientific contribution, including students and laboratory technicians.

14.7 Redundant Publications

Redundant publications refer to the inappropriate division of study outcomes into multiple articles.

14.8 Sanctions

In the event of documented violations of any of the aforementioned policies, regardless of whether they occurred in any article published by NAJFNR, the following sanctions will apply:

Immediate rejection of the infringing manuscript.
A prohibition on submissions from all authors of the infringing manuscript, individually or in collaboration with other authors, for a minimum of 36 months.
A prohibition on all authors of the infringing manuscript from serving on the NAJFNR Editorial Board.

In cases of particularly egregious violations of these policies, the publisher reserves the right to impose additional sanctions beyond those described above.

14.9 About Plagiarism

Plagiarism involves using or closely imitating the language and ideas of another author while presenting them as one’s original work. Duplicate publication, often referred to as self-plagiarism, occurs when an author reuses substantial portions of their own published work without proper citation. This can include publishing an identical paper in multiple journals or adding minor new data to a previous paper.

Clear instances of plagiarism involve significant copying and pasting of text, and such manuscripts will not be considered for publication. Minor plagiarism without dishonest intent can occur, such as reusing portions of an introduction from an earlier paper. The editors will assess any case brought to their attention (either through their own knowledge or via referees) on its individual merits.

If plagiarism is discovered after a paper is published in NAJFNR, the journal will conduct a preliminary investigation. Should plagiarism be confirmed, the journal will contact the author's institution and funding agencies. A finding of misconduct will prompt NAJFNR to issue a statement, bidirectionally linked online to and from the original paper, indicating the plagiarism and referencing the plagiarized material. The paper containing the plagiarism will be clearly marked on each page of the PDF. Depending on the severity of the plagiarism, the paper may also be formally retracted.

For further information or support, please visit our contact page at: https://najfnr.com/home/about/contact

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Additional resources

For more additional information please visit:

COPE: http://publicationethics.org/.
ICMJE: http://www.icmje.org.
Equator Network: Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research: http://www.equator-network.org/.

Contact Us

Contact the Editors-in-Chief:

khaledmb@najfnr.com

mustapha_diaf@najfnr.com

Editorial Office Assistants

Dr. Mostefa Naimi
Dr. Salah Eddine El Herrag
Dr. Imen Benchikh
Dr. Bouragba Imène
Dr. Amina Tires
Dr. Yacine Tahiri
Dr. Kawther Ali Abbou

Email: assistant-editor@najfnr.com

Laboratoire de Nutrition, Pathologie, Agro-Biotechnologie & Santé (Lab-NuPABS)

Djillali Liabes University, BO. 89, Sidi-Bel-Abbes, ALGERIA

https://www.najfnr.com

Editorial Office: contact@najfnr.com

Tel./WhatsApp: (+213) 551 152 261 / (+213) 696 495 465

Instructions for authors