Ethical Code of the JAMD

The JAMD is a peer-reviewed, open access, online journal that adheres to the highest standards concerning its editorial policies on publication ethics and scientific misconduct. The journal follows guidance produced by bodies that include the Committee on Publication Ethics COPE, Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Editors responsibilities

  • The Editor in Chief and the Editorial Board of the JAMD are solely responsible for deciding whether to publish the articles submitted to the Journal. Their decisions should respect the policy of the Journal.
  • The articles accepted will be submitted for evaluation of one or more reviewers and their acceptance is subject to possible modifications required and to the final opinion of the Editorial Board.
  • The Editor in Chief and the Editorial Board are responsible for evaluating the manuscripts on the basis of their scientific content, without discrimination of race, sex, gender identity, creed, ethnic origin, citizenship, or scientific, academic, and political position of the Authors.
  • If the Editorial Board detects or receives notifications of errors or inaccuracies, conflicts of interest or plagiarism in a published article, it will promptly notify the Author and the Publisher and will undertake the necessary actions to clarify the matter, or if necessary, it will withdraw the article or will publish a retraction.

Reviewers responsibilities

  • Through a peer-review process, the reviewers will assist the Editorial Board in making decisions on the articles submitted. They can provide the Authors with corrections and suggestions aimed at improving their contribution.
  • If the reviewers do not feel adequate for the proposed task or are unable to review the works in a timely manner, they are required to promptly notify the Editorial Board.
  • Each work to be reviewed has to be considered confidential; therefore, the works must not be discussed with third parties without the explicit authorization of the Editor in Chief.
  • The editing must be carried out from an objective point of view. The reviewers are obliged to state grounds for their evaluation.
  • The reviewers should report any similarity or overlapping of the work received with other works known to them.
  • Any confidential information or insights obtained during the peer-review process must be regarded as confidential and cannot be used for other purposes. The reviewers are obliged not to accept articles for which there is a conflict of interest due to previous contributions or competition with the Author and/or with his/her institution.

Authors responsibilities

  • The Authors – when submitting an article to the Journal – are obliged to follow the Guidelines for Authors.
  • The Authors are obliged to declare that their work is original (no plagiarism) in all its parts and that all the works consulted have been cited correctly. If the works and/or the words of other Authors are used, they have to be correctly paraphrased or duly cited, reporting the appropriate bibliographic references.
  • The authorship of the work has to be correctly attributed; all those who have made a meaningful contribution to the conception, organization, accomplishment, and revision of the research that the article is based on, have to be indicated as Co-Authors.
  • All the Authors are obliged to declare there is no conflict of interest which could have influenced the results obtained or the proposed interpretations. The Authors must indicate any source of financial support of the research or the project the article derives from.
  • The manuscripts under evaluation must not be submitted to other journals for publication.
  • When an Author identifies a significant error or an inaccuracy in his/her article, he/she must promptly notify the Editors, providing all the information required to make the due adjustments.
  • The protocols of the original works must be authorized in advance by the Authors’ ethical committee; the research must be carried out according to ethical rules, with express reference to the Helsinki Declaration.

Publisher responsibilities

  • The Publisher must provide the Journal with adequate resources and the guidance of experts (for example, as far as legal and graphic advice are concerned); this in order to carry out his/her role in a professional manner and to improve the quality of the Journal.
  • The Publisher should be in possession of a written agreement that defines his relationship with the owner of the Journal and/or with the Editor.
  • The terms of this agreement should follow the code of behaviour for Publishers of Scientific Journals, developed by COPE.
  • The relationship between the Editor in Chief, the Editorial Board and the Publisher should be firmly based on the principle of publishing independence.