ADADA Code of Ethics For Editors

Editorial Independence and Unbiased

ADADA Editorial Committee members must maintain their editorial independence and work to ensure that Authors have editorial freedom. ADADA Editorial Committee members evaluate submitted manuscripts exclusively based on their academic merit (importance, originality, study’s validity, clarity) and its relevance to the journal’s scope, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, citizenship, religious belief, political philosophy or institutional affiliation. Responsibility for acceptance or rejection of manuscripts rests with the Editors. Doing so typically entails advice from Reviewers; however, manuscripts that the Editors deem inappropriate may be rejected without such review. Decisions to edit and publish are not determined by the policies of governments or any other agencies outside of the journal itself. The ADADA Chief Editorial Committee has full authority over the entire editorial content of the journal and the timing of publication of that content.

Confidentiality

ADADA Editorial Committee Members and their editorial staff, including student workers, shall not disclose any information submitted manuscript to anyone other than Reviewers and Authors. Office procedures should be in place to maintain the confidentiality of the review process. ADADA Editorial Committee Members are expected to ensure the confidentiality of the double-blind review process and not divulge any information that might identify Authors to Reviewers or vice versa.

Conflict of Interest

ADADA Editorial Committee members shall not use unpublished information disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their research purposes without the authors’ explicit written consent. Privileged information or ideas obtained by editors as a result of handling the manuscript shall be kept confidential and not used for their advantage. Editors shall recuse themselves from considering manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships/connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers; instead, they shall ask another member of the editorial board to handle the manuscript.

Decision Quality

ADADA Editorial Committee members ensure that all submitted manuscripts being considered for publication to undergo peer-review by at least two reviewers who are experts in the field. The ADADA Chief Editorial Committee is responsible for deciding which of the manuscripts submitted to the journal will be published, based on the validation of the work in question, its importance to researchers and readers, the reviewers’ comments, and such legal requirements as are currently in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. The ADADA Chief Editorial Committee may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.

ADADA Editorial Committee members have a responsibility to provide the Author with an explanation of the editorial decision on a manuscript. ADADA Editorial Committee members should write high-quality editorial letters that integrate reviewer comments and offer additional suggestions to the Author. ADADA Editorial Committee members should not send a decision letter, without explanation, attached to a set of reviewer comments.

Review Quality

A decision should be left to the Editor’s discretion. The ADADA Editorial Committee member should routinely assess all reviews for quality. Ratings of review quality and other performance characteristics should be periodically assessed by the ADADA Chief Editorial Committee to assure optimal journal performance.

Accuracy

An ADADA Editorial Committee member presented with convincing evidence by a Reviewer that the substance or conclusion of an unpublished manuscript is erroneous should promptly inform the Author. If similar evidence is presented for a published manuscript, the ADADA Editorial Committee member should ensure prompt publication of a correction, retraction, expression of concern, or other note, as appropriate.