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Ethics & Policies

Contents

Ethics Statement

All authors must ensure that all sources, whether published or unpublished, are properly referenced and cited in accordance with all applicable copyright laws. These sources include, but are not limited to, books, articles, websites, video, audio, radio, television, Internet content, and other media. The Journal of Applied Marketing Theory (JAMT) assumes no responsibility for any copyright violations; such liability rests solely with the authors. Authors agree to hold the Journal harmless for any violations involving cited or uncited sources.

Policy on Open Access

The Journal of Applied Marketing Theory (JAMT) is an open-access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or their institution. Users can read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of all articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.

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Policy on Peer Review

The Journal of Applied Marketing Theory (JAMT) uses a double-blind peer review process to ensure fairness, impartiality, and academic rigor. The identities of authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the process.

All submissions are first screened by the Editor(s)-in-Chief for relevance and suitability. Appropriate manuscripts are assigned to three independent experts who assess content quality, argumentation, research methodology, and theoretical or managerial implications, providing both specific and narrative feedback.

If reviewer opinions differ substantially, the Editor(s)-in-Chief may request one or two additional evaluations before making a final decision to accept, request revisions, or decline the manuscript. Provisionally accepted manuscripts may be revised and resubmitted for final review.

The typical review period is 6–8 weeks from submission. Questions regarding the process may be directed to the Editor(s)-in-Chief.

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Policy on Ensuring Academic Integrity

The Journal of Applied Marketing Theory (JAMT) is committed to fostering a culture of academic integrity and ethical scholarship. This policy outlines our approach to preventing, identifying, and addressing violations such as plagiarism, citation manipulation, and data falsification or fabrication. Our editorial practices follow the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other respected bodies dedicated to preserving the credibility of the scholarly record.

Academic misconduct includes:

  • Plagiarism: Copying or closely paraphrasing another's work without proper attribution, including self-plagiarism, where substantial portions of one's own previously published work are reused without acknowledgment.
  • Citation manipulation: Excessive or inappropriate self-citation or adding irrelevant references to inflate citation metrics. Citation manipulation also occurs when editors or journal affiliates pressure authors to add citations from their own journal, with the intent of artificially inflating citation counts and impact factors.
  • Falsification: Manipulating research methods, data, or findings to misrepresent results.
  • Fabrication: Inventing data or outcomes entirely.

Authors must submit original work, appropriately cite all sources, and ensure transparency in methods and findings. Manuscripts must not be under review elsewhere or previously published in any form. JAMT screens all submissions with tools such as iThenticate and reviews references for relevance.

Peer reviewers are expected to maintain confidentiality, disclose conflicts of interest, and report suspected plagiarism or misconduct to the editorial team.

Concerns may come from reviewers, editors, or readers. The Editor(s)-in-Chief assess their credibility and relevance, then may notify the corresponding author for a response. Serious or complex cases may involve external experts or the author's institution.

Confirmed misconduct may result in manuscript rejection, article retraction (with explanation), or corrections for minor issues. Severe cases may also involve notifying co-authors, institutions, funding bodies, or imposing temporary bans on future submissions. JAMT may publish an editorial note to maintain transparency.

Authors may appeal decisions by submitting a written appeal, along with supporting evidence, via email to the Editor(s)-in-Chief at tug1@psu.edu. Appeals are reviewed by an independent committee. All investigations are handled confidentially, with information shared only with those directly involved, or as required by law or ethics.

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Policy on Copyright & Reuse Licensing

All papers published in Journal of Applied Marketing Theory (JAMT) are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Authors retain all copyrights without restrictions and agree to the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license for their work as a condition of publication. End users' rights under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license are outlined here. For all other purposes, permission must be obtained from the author. Copyright and licensing terms for JAMT are registered with Sherpa Romeo.

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Policy on Data Sharing and Reproducability

JAMT supports transparency in data and methods to ensure research credibility, reproducibility, and long-term value. Authors are encouraged to share data, code, and methodologies to allow others to validate, replicate, and extend their work.

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Expectations for Data Sharing

Authors should make underlying datasets, processed data, metadata, and analytical code publicly accessible, unless restricted by legal, ethical, or privacy constraints, in which case the limitations must be clearly stated.

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Data Availability Statement

Each submission must include a Data Availability Statement indicating data availability, location (e.g., DOI or repository link), and any restrictions. Methodology should be described in detail, including study design, instruments, and analytical tools. Authors are encouraged to deposit well-documented data with established disciplinary or institutional repositories that support long-term preservation and access.

All datasets, software, and code must be properly cited, including creator of the dataset or tool, year of release, repository name, and DOI, to credit the original source and aid discovery.

Handling Exceptions and Special Cases

Sensitive, proprietary, or restricted-access data should be clearly identified and justified in the Data Availability Statement, with documentation if requested.

Post-Publication Transparency

After publication, authors are encouraged to respond to reasonable data or method clarification requests. When restrictions apply, authors should make every effort to provide as much context or partial access as possible to facilitate replication efforts.

Compliance and Enforcement

Failure to meet these guidelines without valid justification may delay acceptance or lead to post-publication actions, including retraction for deliberate misrepresentation.
By promoting integrity, transparency, and reproducibility, JAMT upholds the rigor and credibility of scholarly research.

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Policy on the Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

The Journal of Applied Marketing Theory (JAMT) recognizes the growing use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools in scholarly writing. This policy outlines acceptable, responsible, and transparent use of AI in manuscripts submitted for publication.

This policy applies specifically to AI use in writing and manuscript preparation, not to data analysis or research methodology. When AI is used for analysis or interpretation within the research itself, authors must document and justify it in the methods section.

AI tools may only be used to improve readability, clarity, or vocabulary and must always be applied under human oversight. Authors are responsible for reviewing and editing all AI-generated text, as such tools can produce content that is inaccurate, incomplete, or biased. The final responsibility for all manuscript content rests entirely with the human authors.

To ensure transparency, authors must disclose any AI use in the writing process. A brief acknowledgment will appear in the published article. AI may not be credited as an author, as authorship requires responsibilities—such as approving the final version, answering questions about the work, and ensuring originality—that only humans can fulfill.

Use of AI in Figures, Images, and Artwork

JAMT does not permit AI-generated or AI-altered visual content, including adding, removing, or modifying image features. Acceptable adjustments, such as brightness or contrast changes, must not distort original content.

If AI-assisted tools are integral to the research methodology, their use must be fully documented in the methods section, including software details (name, version, manufacturer) and proper attribution. Authors may be required to submit unaltered originals or raw materials for verification

This policy reflects JAMT's commitment to research integrity while acknowledging the role of emerging technologies. Responsible, transparent AI use ensures that trust, accuracy, and authorship remain grounded in human accountability.

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Conflict of Interest

JAMT is committed to upholding the highest standards of transparency, integrity, and ethical publishing practices. All authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could influence, or be perceived to influence, the objectivity, integrity, or impartiality of their work.

A conflict of interest may include, but is not limited to:

  • Financial relationships such as funding, grants, employment, stock ownership, honoraria, or paid expert testimony
  • Personal or professional relationships with individuals or organizations that may benefit from or be harmed by the publication
  • Academic or intellectual commitments that could bias judgment
  • Institutional affiliations that may influence the research or its presentation

Authors must provide a clear disclosure statement within their manuscript submission. Reviewers and editors must recuse themselves from handling any manuscript for which they have a conflict of interest.

JAMT follows guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to identify, manage, and resolve conflicts of interest, ensuring that all published work meets the criteria for scholarly independence and credibility.

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Policy on Charges & Fees

JAMT levies no submission charges, or charges or fees for publication of accepted articles.

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Policy on Digital Archiving

JAMT is preserved using CLOCKSS, a leading preservation archive that guarantees persistent access to journal content for the very long term. Articles also receive Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) through Crossref to ensure they can always be found.

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