Authorship and Contributorship Policy

Terra Alimentaria strictly adheres to the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding authorship and contributorship. Accurate attribution of credit is fundamental to research integrity and accountability.

Criteria for Authorship

To qualify as an author, an individual must have made a significant intellectual contribution to the research. Terra Alimentaria bases its criteria on the widely accepted academic standards (e.g., ICMJE guidelines). An author must meet all four of the following criteria:

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Note on Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, such as Large Language Models (LLMs) or generative AI, do not meet the requirements for authorship and cannot be listed as authors under any circumstances.

Role of the Corresponding Author

The Corresponding Author takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal during the manuscript submission, peer review, and publication process. They are responsible for ensuring that all listed co-authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript and the Author Declaration form prior to submission.

Acknowledgments (Non-Author Contributors)

Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet all four criteria for authorship should not be listed as authors. Instead, they should be listed in the Acknowledgments section. Examples include:

• Providing general administrative support or securing funding.
• General supervision of a research group.
• Language editing, proofreading, or formatting assistance.
• Routine technical support or laboratory assistance.

Changes to Authorship

In accordance with COPE protocols, any requests to add, remove, or rearrange author names after submission must be sent to the Editor-in-Chief by the Corresponding Author. The request must include:

• A clear, justifiable reason why the author's name should be added, removed, or reordered.
• Written confirmation (via email or signed letter) from all authors (including the author being added or removed) agreeing to the proposed change.