Ekin Journal of Crop Breeding and Genetics (Ekin Journal) - Author Guidelines

Quick Overview

Language: The manuscript language is English. Submissions prepared in any language other than English will be rejected by the subject editors without line up the peer-review process.

Peer Review: The journal employs a double-blind peer-review procedure in accordance with its editorial policy. The main manuscript must be fully anonymized; author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, and funding information must be provided only on the cover letter.

Citation/References: APA 7^th edition must be followed. DOIs must be provided in full URL format.

Files: A separate title page; an anonymized main manuscript (Word or LaTeX) without author information; tables placed within the text; figures/graphics submitted separately in high resolution; and supplementary material limited only to datasets, code, and additional tables.

Audio/Video/Animation: Not accepted.

Generative Artificial Intelligence: Large Language Models (LLMs) cannot be credited as authors. Any use of AI for image generation or textual support must be transparently declared. AI-generated data or analytical figures are not permitted.

Scope and Article Types

The journal publishes original research articles, critical reviews, and variety release/registration notes within the fields of plant breeding and related disciplines (genetics, genomics, seed science, biotechnology, and field/laboratory experiments supporting breeding research).

Variety release/registration manuscripts must provide comprehensive information on newly registered cultivars or those registered within the last five years, including origin/pedigree, experimental design and statistical analyses, multi-location performance, and responses to biotic/abiotic stresses.

Scope

Ekin Journal aims to facilitate the effective dissemination of knowledge among researchers regarding plant breeding and genetics, emphasizing recent advances and genetic diversity in plant species. The journal accepts contributions covering all aspects of plant breeding, including original research and critical reviews, as well as genetic and applied genetics studies, and variety registration/notification manuscripts.

Contributions involving the following types of material and resources also fall within the journal's scope: modern cultivars, landraces, introduction material, genetic resources (germplasm), biotic and abiotic stress resistance sources, parental lines, genetic stocks and breeding material, and mapping populations.

Page Layout and Formatting

The manuscript must be prepared on A4 paper, with 2.5 cm margins on all sides. The text should be written in 12-point Arial, 1.5-line spacing, and fully justified.

The first line of each paragraph must be indented 1.25 cm, and no extra spacing should be added between paragraphs.

The article's main title and subheadings must be organized hierarchically with a maximum of three levels (1; 1.1; 1.1.1) in Arial 12-point and bold font, all centered and written in Title Case (first letter of main words capitalized).

Page numbers should be placed at the center bottom of each page.

SI units must be used. The decimal separator should be a period (.), and no thousands separator should be used.

Scientific names and book/journal titles must be written in italics; equations must be written using MathType or Equation Editor, and variables should be italicized.

Continuous line numbering must be added to the text, excluding the cover letter.

Submission Package and File Structure

A separate cover letter must include: manuscript title and short title; authors; affiliations; ORCID identifiers; corresponding author information; funding and conflict of interest statements; ethical approval numbers (if applicable); and data availability statements. Contribution roles and percentage shares (totaling 100%) must be declared for each author; equal contributions should be indicated. The Corresponding Author must confirm the accuracy of the declaration and that all authors have approved the final manuscript.

The main manuscript must be fully anonymized for double-blind review. No author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, funding details, or identifying metadata should appear.

All tables, figures, and visuals must be placed within the text at their first citation. Figures/visuals must also be submitted separately at appropriate quality:

• Photos/grayscale images: minimum 300 dpi
• Line art/vector graphics: 600-1200 dpi
• Accepted formats: TIFF/EPS/PNG
• Fonts embedded; layers flattened

Supplementary material may include only datasets, code/scripts, and additional tables or figure files. Audio, video, and animation files are not accepted.

Formatting, Style, and Article Limits

Manuscripts may be prepared in Word (.docx) or LaTeX.

Abbreviations must be spelled out at first mention, with the abbreviation provided in parentheses; if necessary, a list of abbreviations may be included at the beginning of the manuscript.

Recommended length limits:

• Research articles: ~6000 words; up to 10 tables/figures; abstract 300-400 words
• Reviews: up to 8000 words; must be comprehensive and authored by experts
• Variety descriptions/registration notes: up to 2500 words, including distinctness and registration information.

Cover Letter

The manuscript title must be concise and informative, preferably not exceeding 15 words. Each major word in the title must begin with a capital letter. The optional short title (running title) must be no more than 50 characters. Scientific names must follow taxonomic conventions.

Author Name-SURNAME must be listed with superscripted affiliation numbers. Full institutional addresses including the country must be provided. The corresponding author’s email and ORCID (hyperlinked to https://orcid.org/) must be included.

Example:

Seydi Ahmet BAĞCI ^1,4, Selami YAZAR ², Vehbi ESER <sup>3,4

1</sup> Selçuk University, Sarayönü Vocational School, Department of Crop and Animal Production, Seed Technology Program, Sarayönü, Konya, Türkiye; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6513-8890

² Field Crops Central Research Institute, Şehit Cem Ersever Cad. No: 11, Yenimahalle, Ankara, Türkiye; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0775-5214

³ Plant Breeders Sub-Association (BİSAB), Fidanlık Mahallesi, Adakale Sokak No: 22/12, Kızılay, Ankara, Türkiye; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4006-0721

⁴ International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Carretera México-Veracruz Km. 45, El Batán 56237 Texcoco, Estado de México, Mexico

Abstract and Keywords

The abstract must be 300-400 words, briefly summarizing the study’s objective, methodology, principal findings, and conclusions.

Keywords must consist of 4-6 terms, must not repeat title words, must be listed in alphabetical order, and each must begin with a capital letter, separated by commas.

Manuscript Structure (IMRAD)

Introduction

The Introduction should present the problem framework and relevant literature, clearly stating the objective(s) and hypothesis(es) of the study.

Material and Methods

The experimental design must be described in full detail, including the experimental layout (e.g., randomized complete block design, split-plot, alpha-lattice), principles of randomization and blocking, experimental unit and plot size, list of genotypes/lines/cultivars, trial locations (coordinates and major agro-ecological characteristics), growing season(s), and agronomic practices.

Number of replication and within-trial sampling schemes must be stated; definitions of scored traits, measurement times, and measurement protocols must be clearly described.

Data-processing steps (screening rules, handling of outliers), assumption checks (normality, homogeneity of variance), and any transformations used must be reported.

All statistical methods and decision criteria should be described, along with model structure and factor definitions—for example, single/multifactor ANOVA, mixed models, G×E analysis, and multiple comparison procedures (Tukey, Bonferroni, FDR, etc.).

Software and version information must be provided (e.g., R 4.x.x and relevant packages; SAS 9.4; ASReml 4.x), as well as the significance level (α), effect sizes, and confidence intervals.

Results and Discussion

The Results and Discussion sections may be presented as separate headings or integrated under a single "Results and Discussion" heading, depending on the nature of the study.

If presented separately:

• The Discussion must thoroughly interpret the findings in relation to the literature, addressing theoretical and methodological implications as well as limitations.
• The Conclusion must succinctly summarize the core findings, highlight their scientific and practical relevance, and offer future research directions without repetition.

If presented jointly, interpretation of the findings and relevant inferences must be integrated into a coherent narrative without redundancy.

Conclusion

The Conclusion section should present concise and actionable recommendations.

Plant Breeding Content and Special Article Types

Within the Material and Methods section, the following must be clearly reported:

genotypic material, pedigree and population structure, breeding scheme (pedigree/SSD/DH/hybrid), experimental design (RCBD/ALPHA), number of replication, plot size, locations and years, quality parameters, and measurement protocols.

Statistical/computational approaches—such as mixed models (BLUP/BUE), software packages and versions, bias corrections, multiple comparison/FDR procedures, heritability estimation, G×E analyses, and stability assessments—must be detailed.

For genomic/marker-based studies, the following must be reported:

SNP/GBS/DArT workflows, filtering thresholds, reference genome, QTL/GWAS and genomic selection models, and validation strategies (cross-validation/independent test sets).

For variety description/registration articles, the manuscript must include:

breeding history, pedigree, distinctive morphological and agronomic characteristics, multi-environment performance data, registration status, UPOV/DUS summaries, comparisons with reference cultivars, and representative photographs.

Review articles must provide a comprehensive scope and methodology (systematic reviews must follow PRISMA guidelines), highlight knowledge gaps, and discuss future research directions.

Tables and Figures

Tables

• Tables must be numbered sequentially using Arabic numerals (Table 1, Table 2, …) according to their first appearance in the text.
• Titles should be placed above the table; the word “Table” and the table number should appear in bold (e.g., Table 1 Relationship between grain yield and thousand-kernel weight).
  - No period should follow the table number, and no period should be used at the end of the title.
• Tables must be editable (Word/LaTeX table format; image files or screenshots are not accepted).
• Only the top and bottom horizontal lines should be used; inner or vertical lines must be avoided.
• Units, abbreviations, and statistical notations must be clear and consistent; SI units must be used, the decimal separator must be a period (.), and no thousands separator should be used.
• If previously published content is used, the original source must be cited at the end of the table title in reference format.
• Table footnotes should appear below the table, using superscript lowercase letters (a, b, c, …). Significance notes may use *, **, ***.
• Tables should be placed near their first citation, designed not to exceed page width, and arranged for maximum readability.
• The same data must not be repeated across multiple tables; unnecessary duplication must be avoided.
• Abbreviations must be spelled out at first mention; when needed, they may be collectively explained in table footnotes.
• Statistical reporting (e.g., n, mean ± SD/SE, confidence intervals, statistical tests, and multiple comparison methods) must be provided when necessary.

Figures, Images, and Graphics

• Figures must be numbered sequentially using Arabic numerals (Figure 1, Figure 2, …) according to their first appearance in the text.
• Each visual must have a clear, accurate caption describing what it shows. Captions must be provided in the manuscript file, not embedded in the image.
• Captions appear below the figure, with “Figure” and the figure number in bold (e.g., Figure 1 Relationship between grain yield and thousand-kernel weight).
  - No punctuation mark should be placed after the number, and no period should appear at the end of the caption.
• All elements in the figure (symbols, lines, panels, abbreviations) must be briefly defined in the caption.
• If previously published elements are used, the original source must be cited at the end of the caption in reference format.
• Minimum resolution requirements:
• Photos/grayscale images: ≥300 dpi
• Line art/vector graphics: 600-1200 dpi
• Axis labels, legends, and unit expressions must be clear, readable, and consistent.
• Scale bars are mandatory for microscopic images.
• Multi-panel figures must clearly label panels (a, b, c, …) both in the figure and in the caption; abbreviations must be explained at first use.

Permissions

Prior written permission must be obtained from the copyright holder (publisher, author/artist, archive, etc.) before using any previously published figure, table, extensive quotation, or third-party material. Authors are responsible for securing permissions and covering any associated copyright fees.

Many rights holders may require additional license fees for electronic/online use, open access distribution, translation rights, or worldwide dissemination. Ekin Journal (and/or the publisher) does not reimburse permission fees. If permission cannot be obtained under acceptable conditions, the material must be replaced—either with an original redrawing/reproduction, an equivalent openly licensed item, or it must be removed from the text.

Permission documents (license letters/emails) must be included in the submission file, and any attribution or credit line required by the rights holder must be reproduced exactly in the figure or table caption and/or in the Acknowledgments section.

Use of the material must fully comply with the scope of the obtained license (print/digital, open access, language rights, geographic rights, print run, adaptation/redrawing rights, etc.). Authors are reminded that secondary third-party elements within an image may also require separate permissions.

Where possible, authors are encouraged to use material under appropriate Creative Commons licenses (e.g., CC BY) or public-domain resources, citing them according to license requirements. “Fair use” exceptions may have limited international applicability, and all legal responsibility lies with the authors.

If inadequate permissions or copyright violations are detected, the journal reserves the right to pause the review process, request removal or correction of the material, or retract the article after publication. Legal responsibility rests solely with the author(s).

Accessibility (Figures)

Descriptive captions

Every figure must contain a clear, descriptive caption that accurately conveys what the figure represents. This ensures accessibility for visually impaired users who rely on screen readers or Braille converters. When needed, alternative text (alt text) should be provided.

Do not rely solely on color

Information must not be conveyed by color alone. Color-blind-safe palettes should be used, and categories should be differentiated using textures, patterns, or symbols when appropriate.

Contrast

All text and markings within the figure must maintain a minimum text-to-background contrast ratio of 4.5:1.

Readability

Axis labels, legends, and unit expressions must be clear, consistent, and of sufficient font size; excessive compression must be avoided.

Microscopic images

Scale bars are mandatory. If present, panel labels (a, b, c, …) must be briefly defined in the caption.

Recommended file formats

• TIFF/PNG for figures
• PDF/SVG for vector drawings

Scientific Naming and Technical Notation

Scientific names of species must be written in italics (e.g., Triticum aestivum L.); subsequent occurrences may be abbreviated (e.g., T. aestivum). Scientific terms should also be italicized (e.g., in vitro, in situ, etc.).

Gene/allele nomenclature must follow discipline-specific conventions; gene names are typically italicized (e.g., Ppd-D1).

Virus nomenclature must comply with the current classification and style rules of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Species and higher taxon names must follow ICTV style; established abbreviations for common virus/disease names must be maintained and used consistently. Detailed guidelines are available at: ICTV Taxonomy (https://ictv.global/)

Citation Style (APA 7)

In-text citations:

• Single-author studies: (Eser, 2020)
• Two-author studies: (Bağcı & Yazar, 2019)
• Three or more authors: (Bağcı et al., 2021)

Multiple sources within the same parentheses must be listed chronologically (e.g., Eser, 2018; Bağcı & Yazar, 2019; Bağcı et al., 2023).

Direct quotations must include page numbers (e.g., Eser, 2020, p. 25).

In the reference list, journal and book titles, as well as volume numbers, must be italicized. Issue numbers appear in parentheses in regular font. DOIs must be presented in full URL format.

Reference List (Sample APA 7 - Fictional Examples)

Journal Articles (Fictional)

Bağcı, S. A. (2026). Genetic diversity patterns in durum wheat landraces from central Anatolia. Ekin Journal of Crop Breeding and Genetics, 12(2), 112–124. https://doi.org/10.58290/ejcbg.2026.002

Yazar, S., & Bağcı, S. A. (2026). Advances in phenotyping technologies for abiotic stress screening. Ekin Journal of Crop Breeding and Genetics, 12(3), 201–215. https://doi.org/10.58290/ejcbg.2026.003

Bağcı, S. A., Yazar, S., & Eser, V. (2026). Evaluation of drought tolerance indices in wheat breeding lines under multi-environment trials. Ekin Journal of Crop Breeding and Genetics, 12(1), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.58290/ejcbg.2026.001

Bağcı, S. A., Yazar, S., Eser, V., & Demir, K. (2026). Multi-trait selection indices for improving grain zinc concentration in bread wheat. Ekin Journal of Crop Breeding and Genetics, 12(4), 310–325. https://doi.org/10.58290/ejcbg.2026.004

Digital / Web Resources (Fictional)

Journal website

Ekin Journal of Crop Breeding and Genetics. (2026). About the journal. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ekinjournal, https://doi.org/10.58290/ejcbg.web.2026

Digital research note

Eser, V. (2026). Plant breeding methodologies and genomic selection tools. CIMMYT Research Notes. https://www.cimmyt.org/resources/research-notes

https://doi.org/10.58290/cimmyt.notes.2026

Books and Book Chapters (Fictional)

Book chapter

Yazar, S., & Eser, V. (2026). Molecular breeding tools in cereal improvement. In K. Demir (Ed.), Advances in cereal genomics (pp. 55–78). Ankara University Press. https://doi.org/10.58290/acg.chapter.2026

Book

Bağcı, S. A. (2026). Principles of crop breeding and genetic improvement. Selçuk University Publishing. https://doi.org/10.58290/sup.book.2026

Institutional Source (Real Format - Fictional DOI)

FAO Statistical Data Set

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2026). FAOSTAT statistical database: Crop production and yield statistics [Data set]. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/

https://doi.org/10.58290/fao.faostat.2026

Report (Digital - Fictional)

Ekin Research Group. (2026). Genetic resources and climate resilience in wheat production: A technical assessment report.

https://www.ekinresearch.org/reports/wheat2026

https://doi.org/10.58290/ekr.report.2026

Thesis / Dissertation Examples (Fictional)

Bağcı, A. (2025). Monitoring the dynamics of yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) in winter durum wheat under different iron and zinc nutrition conditions using multiband remote sensing (Master’s thesis, XYZ University & Research). XYZ University Institutional Repository. https://doi.org/10.58290/xyz.thesis.2021.046

Bağcı, A. (2026). Assessment of drought tolerance indices in bread wheat breeding lines under Central Anatolia conditions (Yüksek lisans tezi, Selçuk University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences). Selçuk University Institutional Repository. https://doi.org/10.58290/su.thesis.2024.012

Acknowledgements, Author Contributions, Funding, Competing Interests, and Data/Code Availability

The Acknowledgements section should list individuals and institutions that contributed support to the study.

Author contributions must be detailed according to the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) system.

Funding statements must provide complete institutional names and grant numbers.

All financial and non-financial competing interests must be explicitly declared.

A data and code availability statement is mandatory; whenever possible, authors should provide open repository links/DOIs. When access is limited to “upon request,” a justified explanation must be provided.

Sample Acknowledgement Text

This study was conducted as part of the master’s thesis titled “Monitoring the Dynamics of Yellow Rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) in Winter Durum Wheat under Different Iron and Zinc Nutrition Conditions Using Multiband Remote Sensing” (Thesis ID: 671046; 25.05.2025), carried out in the Plant Breeding Laboratory within the Experimental Plant Sciences Master’s Program at XYZ University & Research. We thank the Plant Pathology and Microbiology Department of Rothamsted Research (United Kingdom) for their valuable contributions to the preparation and execution of the thesis. We also express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Priya Menon, Prof. Dr. Miguel Hernández from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Buenos Aires, and Dr. Anna Kowalska from the Department of Soil Science and Soil Conservation, Czech University of Life Sciences, for their meaningful contributions as thesis committee members.

Ethics and Journal Policies

Originality is essential in Ekin Journal. The total similarity index must not exceed 20%, excluding references, and the similarity from any single source must not exceed 5%. If these thresholds are surpassed, the manuscript will be returned to the authors during editorial screening without entering peer review. Duplicate submission, redundant publication (including self-plagiarism and text recycling), plagiarism, fabrication/falsification of data or images, and inappropriate image manipulation are strictly prohibited. Suspicious cases are evaluated under COPE guidelines, and sanctions may include rejection, correction/retraction, or notification of institutions.

Ekin Journal applies the CRediT author contribution taxonomy. Contribution roles and percentage shares (%) must be declared for each author; the total must equal 100%, and author order is independent of contribution share. The Corresponding Author must verify the accuracy of this declaration; all authors must approve the final manuscript and share collective responsibility for research integrity. Equal contributions must be explicitly noted. Institutional/funder roles, funding statements, and conflict of interest declarations must be provided in the designated sections.

Accepted CRediT roles include:

Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Data curation, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition.

Example declaration format:

• Author A (40%): Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing - original draft.
• Author B (35%): Investigation, Data curation, Writing - review & editing.
• Author C (25%): Formal analysis, Visualization, Supervision.
• Author C: Supervision (%…), Funding acquisition (%…), Software (%…).
  Total: 100%.

All funding and competing interests must be disclosed. Authors must obtain permissions for previously published material and include proof as part of the submission. Under the section “Compliance with Ethical Standards,” authors must clearly state ethics committee approval (committee name and approval number, compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki), retrospective exemptions, informed consent, and consent for publication when applicable.

A manuscript submitted to this journal cannot be simultaneously submitted or under consideration elsewhere. Submitting the same work to another journal before the editorial decision is formally communicated constitutes an ethical violation. In such cases, the journal will notify the authors’ affiliated institutions, and the authors bear full responsibility for the consequences.

When applicable, authors must declare their study’s compliance with relevant regulations, including:

• Compliance with the Nagoya Protocol and national regulations regarding biodiversity, genetic resources, and material transfer;
• Collection and access permits for plant material;
• Institutional or national approvals for research involving GMOs or GMO-derived material;
• Local government/institutional permissions for field, greenhouse, or open-area experiments.

All permissions must be obtained during submission and explicitly documented in the manuscript.

Integrity of the Scientific Record and Publication Ethics Policy

Ekin Journal is committed to upholding the integrity of the scientific record. The journal follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE (https://publicationethics.org/)) for handling potential misconduct. Authors must review the journal’s Scientific Record Integrity and Publication Ethics Policy.

Reviewer Recommendation / Exclusion Policy

Authors may recommend subject-matter experts as potential reviewers during submission and may request the exclusion of individuals with whom they have a perceived conflict of interest. Such recommendations are optional but may enhance the efficiency of the review process; however, the journal retains full discretion regarding whether to use any suggested reviewers.

Independence and conflict of interest:

Recommended reviewers must have no connection to the submitted work and must be free from the following conflicts of interest. The Corresponding Author is responsible for confirming the independence of each suggested reviewer with respect to the criteria listed below:

• Co-authorship, joint projects/grants, thesis supervision/advising, or membership in the same research group/laboratory within the last 3-5 years;
• Current employment at the same institution (or its affiliated sub-units);
• Financial relationships (consultancy, fees, equity/patent interests, etc.) or personal relationships;
• Ongoing collaborations or competitive relationships.

Diversity and inclusiveness:

Authors are strongly encouraged to propose 3-6 reviewers from different countries and institutions, ensuring methodological and topical diversity within the field. Recommending multiple reviewers from the same institution or research network should be avoided.

Contact information and identity verification:

A professional/institutional email address should be provided for each suggested reviewer. If an institutional email is unavailable, at least one of the following verification sources must be included in the cover letter: a personal academic webpage link, publication profile (e.g., Google Scholar), researcher identifier (ORCID/ResearcherID/Scopus Author ID), or an institutional profile link. Personal email addresses (e.g., Gmail) are accepted only when accompanied by verifiable evidence.

Exclusion requests:

Authors may request the exclusion of reviewers by providing a brief, specific justification (e.g., direct competition, documented prior conflict, overlapping interests). The journal evaluates such requests confidentially but retains full autonomy in the final selection of reviewers.

Improper recommendations:

The use of fabricated identities, falsified contact information, reviewers with undisclosed ties to the author(s), or attempts to manipulate the review system constitute serious ethical misconduct. The journal reserves the right to reject the submission, notify the authors’ institution(s), and apply additional ethical sanctions when necessary.

Confidentiality:

All reviewer recommendations, exclusion lists, and related correspondence are strictly confidential and used solely for editorial purposes.

Appeals and Complaints Policy

The journal is committed to ensuring that editorial decisions are evaluated in a transparent and fair manner. Authors may submit an appeal or complaint under the following framework:

• Appeals to editorial decisions must be submitted in writing within 30 days of the decision notification.
• An appeal letter must include clear, evidence-based scientific arguments and explicitly indicate whether new data/presentations are being provided.
• All appeal and complaint procedures are conducted in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.
• Final evaluation is carried out by a senior editor not involved in the original decision or by a designated member of the Editorial Board.
• The final decision is communicated to the authors in writing and is not subject to further appeal.

Note: Ekin Journal adopts COPE’s peer-review and publication ethics principles; therefore, the journal retains full authority over the selection of reviewers and does not guarantee the use of suggested names.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Large language models (LLMs) cannot be listed as authors; authorship (see Authorship Guidelines) requires human accountability and responsibility. Limited AI use for language editing does not require explicit disclosure; however, when AI tools are used for content generation, data processing, or analytical tasks, this must be transparently reported in the Methods section.

AI-generated visuals may only be used for schematic or illustrative purposes and must be accompanied by explicit disclosure. AI-generated visuals representing data or analytical results are not accepted.

Supplementary Information (Appendices)

Acceptable supplementary material includes data sets (.csv/.xlsx), source code files, supplementary tables/figures, and extended text appendices (PDF). Supplementary files must be labeled as “Online Resource 1, 2, …”, each accompanied by a concise descriptive caption. Audio, video, and animation files are not accepted by this journal.

For accessibility, all supplementary material should include a clear title, and where needed, descriptive notes to facilitate comprehension (e.g., for screen-reader compatibility).

Competing Interests Policy (Authors and Editors)

Ekin Journal is committed to maintaining scientific transparency and credibility. Therefore, all potential direct or indirect competing interests related to the submitted work must be fully disclosed. Competing interests should be reported for the period covering the conduct of the study and manuscript preparation, extending at least three years into the past; however, older relationships must also be declared if a reasonable reader might consider them capable of influencing the work.

Financial support or consultancy fees from a supporting institution do not inherently constitute misconduct, but complete and transparent disclosure of such relationships is mandatory.

Who Must Declare Competing Interests and Scope

Authors:
All authors must submit a statement declaring whether competing interests exist.

Editors/Editorial Board Members:

Editors and Editorial Board members must disclose their own competing interests and recuse themselves from evaluating manuscripts for which a conflict exists.

If an editor/board member appears as an author on a submission, this must be stated in the “Competing Interests” section, and the manuscript must be handled by an independent editor. Submissions from editors are subject to the same evaluation process as any other manuscript, without priority or special treatment.

Types of Competing Interests to Be Declared

(including but not limited to)

1. Funding and Support

Research funding (supporting institution and project/grant number, if applicable), salary support, equipment, supplies, or sponsorship of travel/conference attendance.

2. Employment and Institutional Affiliations

Recent, current, or anticipated employment relationships overlapping with the research timeline; multiple institutional affiliations.

3. Financial Interests

Equity holdings, shares, or ownership (including those held by spouses/children); consultancy or other paid engagements; patents or patent applications; or situations where publication could influence the value of such assets.

Practical rule: Any financial relationship that, if publicly disclosed after publication, could place an author in a difficult or questionable position must be reported.

4. Non-Financial Interests

Professional or personal relationships or viewpoints that may introduce bias—e.g., editorial/ advisory board memberships, leadership roles, educational writing/consulting, expert witness roles, mentoring relationships, etc.

Requirements by Article Type

• Primary research articles and review papers: Competing interests declaration is mandatory.
• Other article types: Declaration requirements depend on content; if unclear, authors must contact the Editor-in-Chief.

Funding Information and System Declaration

Funding/ grant information must be reported explicitly during submission in the manuscript management system; these details are added to the article metadata.

Additionally, the manuscript must include a “Declarations” section where funding and competing interests are clearly stated.

Verification, Breaches, and Sanctions

Upon editorial request, authors must be prepared to share necessary material (raw data, records, samples, etc.) to verify the validity of findings; confidential or proprietary data are exempt.

In cases of suspected misconduct, the journal will conduct an investigation following relevant guidelines. Confirmed concerns may result in:

• Rejection/return of the manuscript during review,
• Correction, expression of concern, or retraction post-publication,
• Notification of authors’ institutions when necessary.

Incomplete, misleading, or false declarations constitute serious ethical misconduct and may result in the sanctions outlined above.

This policy forms an integral part of Ekin Journal's publication ethics standards and may be updated periodically to align with evolving best practices and international guidelines.

Sample Statements (Funding and Competing Interests)

The following statements are provided as examples for use in the “Declarations” section. Please replace bracketed fields with information relevant to your study.

1) When Funding Is Provided (Sample Statements)

• This work was partially supported by [name of institution/agency] (Grant No. [XXX]).
• The research leading to these results was funded by [funding institution] under [Contract/Grant No. XXX].
• The conduct and reporting of this research were financed by [funding source] (Grant Nos. [XXX] and [YYY]).
• The preparation of this manuscript was made possible with the support of [institution/agency] (Project No. [XXX]).

2) When No Funding Is Provided (Sample Statements)

• The authors received no financial support from any organization for this work.
• No funding was provided for the preparation of this manuscript.
• The research was conducted without external funding or grants.
• The authors declare that no financial, grant-based, or other material support was received.

3) Competing Interests Statements (Sample Statements)

Example 1

Financial interests: Author A has received research support from [Company A]. Author B has received speaker fees from [Company W] and holds shares in [Company X]. Author C serves as a consultant for [Company Y].

Non-financial interests: Author C is a volunteer member of [Committee Z].

Example 2

Financial interests: The authors declare no financial competing interests.

Non-financial interests: Author A serves on the board of [Organization Y] without receiving compensation.

Example 3

Financial interests: Author A received speaker fees from [Organization Y] for activities related to [Topic Z]. Author B is the Executive Director of [Association X] and receives a salary from the association.

Non-financial interests: None declared.

Example 4

Financial interests: Authors A and B declare no financial competing interests. Author C has received speaker and consultancy fees from [Company M] and [Company N], and research funding from [Company M] and [Company O]. Author D has received travel support from [Company O].

Non-financial interests: Author D has served on the advisory boards of [Company M], [Company N], and [Company O].

4) When There Are No Competing Interests (Sample Statements)

• The authors declare no financial or non-financial competing interests related to the content of this article.
• The authors have no competing interests to disclose regarding this manuscript.
• All authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial relationships with any entity that could influence the subject matter of this work.
• The authors hold no financial or proprietary interests in material discussed in this article.

Notes:

• Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all declarations. For detailed principles and obligations, see the Authorship Guidelines.
• The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to reject submissions that do not comply with the guidelines described in this section.
• Funding information must be submitted separately in the submission system and clearly stated in the “Declarations” section of the manuscript.

Informed Consent and Data Privacy

Informed consent must be obtained voluntarily from all participants and/or their legal guardians, and this must be stated in the manuscript. Written publication consent is required for identifiable data or images.

Data protection and privacy requirements must be followed, including anonymization where appropriate. Compliance with biobank regulations and broader consent procedures is required when applicable.

Research Data Policy and Data Availability

The journal adopts a “Type 2” research data policy in the life sciences: data deposition in publicly accessible repositories is strongly encouraged and required where mandated (e.g., GenBank/ENA/SRA for DNA/RNA sequences; dbSNP/EVA for polymorphism data).

Data citation should include the repository DOI or another persistent identifier.

Relevant repositories for plant breeding research include:

• Genomic/sequence data: NCBI SRA, ENA
• Variant data: dbSNP, EVA
• Phenotypic datasets / tables: Dryad, Figshare, Zenodo, Dataverse
• Code: GitHub archived with Zenodo DOI

A Data Availability Statement is mandatory, and suitable example texts are provided in the journal’s supplementary guidelines.

Post-Acceptance Process

Transfer to Production and Email Notifications

Once your manuscript is accepted, it is transferred to production for typesetting and layout preparation. You will receive two emails shortly thereafter:

1. A request for confirmation regarding institutional affiliation verification, selection of the publishing model (subscription/open access), copyright/licensing arrangements, and—if applicable—the allocation of publication-related fees (e.g., APC).
2. A proof link, provided once the typesetting process is complete.

Publishing Model and Copyright/Licensing

In accordance with journal ownership and policy, authors are required to either grant an exclusive license to publish or transfer copyright to the publisher. The rights and reuse conditions associated with the selected publishing model are clearly specified in the agreement sent to authors.

Authors are responsible for obtaining permissions for any third-party material (figures, tables, images, datasets, etc.) included in the manuscript.

Proof Examination

The purpose of the proof is to check for typesetting/conversion errors and to ensure that the text, tables, and figures have been accurately and completely represented.

Corrections should be clear and limited in scope; substantial content changes (e.g., new results, major revisions of values, changes in title or authorship) cannot be made without Editorial approval.

After proof approval, any changes to the online published article can only be made through an associated Erratum/Correction notice.

Offprints

Offprints may be ordered by the Corresponding Author. Ordering conditions and available options are provided in the guidelines sent during the proof stage.

Color Figures

The publication of color figures is free of charge. Please ensure that all submitted figures meet resolution and accessibility requirements (e.g., minimum 300 dpi, adequate contrast).

Licensing, Open Access, and Fee Policy

Ekin Journal is a no-fee open access journal; authors are not charged any article processing charges (APCs) or submission fees at any stage.

All articles are published as open access under an appropriate Creative Commons license (e.g., CC BY 4.0).

Authors may deposit the Accepted Author Manuscript (AAM) in institutional repositories or personal websites (Green Open Access).