The Journal of Acupuncture and Herbs (JAH) is committed to publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed research in Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and integrative health sciences. Our publishing policy is designed to uphold the highest standards of scholarly integrity, transparency, and accessibility. Below are the key aspects of our publishing policy.
1. Peer Review Process
• Double-Blind Review: JAH employs a rigorous double-blind peer review process, in which both authors and reviewers remain anonymous. This ensures an unbiased evaluation based solely on the quality and merit of the work.
• Review Timeline: Manuscripts are typically reviewed within 4-6 weeks, depending on the availability of expert reviewers. Authors may be required to revise their manuscript based on reviewer feedback.
• Decision Outcomes: Possible outcomes following peer review include acceptance, acceptance with minor revisions, major revisions, or rejection. Decisions are made at the discretion of the editorial board.
2. Open Access Policy
• Open Access Model: JAH is an open-access journal, allowing all published articles to be freely available to readers worldwide. This model promotes the widest possible dissemination of research findings and supports the global exchange of knowledge.
• Creative Commons Licensing: All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which allows readers to share and adapt the work, provided the original authors and source are credited.
3. Article Processing Charges (APC)
• APC Requirement: To cover publication costs, an Article Processing Charge (APC) is required upon acceptance. The APC supports the journal’s open-access model, editorial and peer review processes, and long-term archiving.
• Waivers and Discounts: JAH offers APC waivers or discounts for authors from low-income countries. Authors facing financial constraints may also apply for consideration.
4. Ethics and Integrity
• Research Ethics: All submitted manuscripts must adhere to ethical standards for research involving human and animal subjects. Authors are required to include ethical statements and approval from relevant review boards as needed.
• Plagiarism Policy: JAH strictly prohibits plagiarism. Manuscripts are checked for originality, and any work found to contain significant unoriginal content will be rejected.
• Conflict of Interest: Authors, reviewers, and editors must declare any conflicts of interest that could influence the impartiality of the manuscript’s review or publication.
5. Copyright and Author Rights
• Copyright Retention: Authors retain copyright to their work. JAH requests a license to publish the work and distribute it under the Creative Commons license selected.
• Author Rights: Authors have the right to archive preprints, post peer-reviewed versions in repositories, and share their published work under the terms of the CC BY license.
6. Corrections and Retractions
• Corrections: If errors are identified in published articles, JAH will publish corrections to ensure the accuracy of the scholarly record.
• Retractions: JAH reserves the right to retract articles that are found to contain serious ethical violations, data falsification, or other issues compromising the integrity of the research.
7. Archiving and Long-Term Access
• Digital Archiving: JAH partners with reputable archiving services to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of all published articles.
• Permanent Access: Once published, articles are permanently available on the JAH website and accessible through indexing databases.
8. Contact Information
For questions regarding our publishing policy, or specific inquiries about manuscript submission, please contact the editorial office at jaheditorialboard@gmail.com.
Through this publishing policy, Journal of Acupuncture and Herbs aims to support ethical, transparent, and accessible dissemination of research. We are committed to advancing scholarship in the fields of acupuncture, herbs, and integrative medicine, fostering collaboration across disciplines and borders.