Appeals and Complaints
Appeals
Authors have the right to appeal a decision on their submission if they believe the decision was unfair. To appeal, submit a letter detailing the nature of the appeal and the reasons why the decision is considered unfair. This letter should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief within 15 days of the decision. The Editor-in-Chief will review all relevant documentation, may consult the relevant Reviewers, and may appoint a new Reviewer to evaluate the submission before making a decision. The decision of the Editor-in-Chief is final.
Complaints
For complaints about ACMJ's policies, and procedures, please email the Managing Editor or Editor-in-Chief. All complaints submitted via the appropriate channels will be acknowledged, and the outcome will be communicated to the complainant as swiftly as possible.
Article Retraction
Published articles should remain intact, but in rare cases involving plagiarism, redundant publication, or data errors, articles may be retracted, removed, or replaced to protect the integrity of the literature. Retractions are determined by the Editor-in-Chief but may be initiated by authors if the data or conclusions are flawed. The retraction notice will:
- Include the article’s title, authors, retraction reason, and retraction authority.
- Be published online and linked to the original article.
- Appear in the next print issue, noted in the table of contents.
Confidentiality
Authors, reviewers, and editorial staff must treat all manuscripts and correspondence with the Editorial Office as confidential.
Copyright
All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution License, with copyright retained by the authors. Readers may reproduce, share, and adapt the content without permission if the source is properly attributed.
Corrections
Published articles will not be altered or removed, but corrections will be issued if significant errors affect, for example, accuracy. Minor typographical errors are generally not corrected. Corrections are made at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief, both online and in print in the forthcoming issue.
Digital Archiving, Preservation, and Preprints
ACMJ safeguards its digital content to ensure accessibility and long-term preservation. Manuscripts should not be posted on recognised preprint servers before submission.
Media Embargoes
All manuscripts are under a media embargo from submission until online publication or rejection. Authors may discuss their findings with the media pre-publication but must adhere to the embargo. Key findings should not be released until publication. Media reports should link to the article online, and authors will be notified of any media releases or marketing efforts related to their work.
Peer Review
Generally, the following peer review process applies to ACMJ:
- Manuscripts are submitted to the Editorial Office and initially assessed for guideline compliance.
- Suitable manuscripts are assigned by the Managing Editors as needed. Manuscripts outside the journal's remit may be rejected or sent back for editing.
- Manuscripts passing initial screening go to peer review by at least two independent reviewers under a double-blind process. Reviewers have 15 days to submit their reports.
- The Editor-in-Chief, consulting with Managing Editors, if necessary, will decide on the manuscript’s publishability based on reviewers’ recommendations. Diverging recommendations may prompt a third review.
- Authors may appeal a decision to the Editor-in-Chief, whose decision is final.
Plagiarism
ACMJ considers all cases of suspected plagiarism individually. Manuscripts may be screened for plagiarism through Turn-it-In or other tools, with similarity assessed as follows:
- No plagiarism: <15% similarity
- Minor plagiarism: 16–24%
- Extensive plagiarism: >25%
Any suspected plagiarism reported to the Editorial Office is investigated by the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor. Authors will be informed if plagiarism is found; minor cases may not require further action if deemed unintentional. Extensive cases may result in institutional notifications, author bans, or retractions.
Self-Archiving
Authors are encouraged to deposit the final published version in institutional repositories, with appropriate acknowledgment and DOI inclusion.
Artificial Intelligence
ACMJ adheres to UNESCO’s principles on AI ethics and promotes responsible AI use in research. While AI may aid in non-data image editing, editing, and literature summarization, any AI use must be declared upon submission, including tool details and prompts. Undeclared or hidden AI use is treated as an ethical breach.
- Prohibited Uses: Writing or generating manuscript content, creating data images.
- Permitted Uses (with disclosure): Study design, editing, and summarizing content, modifying non-data images.
- Fully Permitted Uses (no disclosure needed): Grammar checks, similarity checks, and reference management.
Reviewers and editors are equally responsible for ethical AI use, with all tools subject to confidentiality and disclosure requirements as appropriate.
PUBLISHING AGREEMENT
Each author must complete and upload the Publishing Agreement during online submission or submit it to the Editorial Office. Manuscripts are not reviewed until all completed contracts are received. After article acceptance, the Editor-in-Chief will countersign and return a PDF copy for authors’ records.
Privacy Statement
ACMJ is committed to protecting the privacy of its users. Names and email addresses entered on this journal site are used exclusively for journal-related purposes and will not be shared with any third parties for any other use.