Policies

Code of Conduct

JMSACL is committed to maintaining a respectful, inclusive, and ethical scholarly environment. All publishers, editors, reviewers and authors associated with the journal are expected to adhere to the following principles:

Principles of Conduct

  • Respect and Professionalism: Treat all individuals with courtesy and fairness. Discrimination, harassment, or abusive behavior will not be tolerated.
  • Integrity and Transparency: Uphold the highest standards of academic honesty. This includes proper citation, avoidance of plagiarism, and full disclosure of conflicts of interest.
  • Inclusivity: JMSACL values diverse perspectives and encourages contributions from underrepresented communities. We do not tolerate bias based on race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, or religion.
  • Confidentiality: Manuscripts under review and editorial communications are confidential. Participants must not share or misuse privileged information.
  • Accountability: Violations of this Code may result in removal from editorial roles, rejection of submissions, or notification to institutional authorities.

Reporting Misconduct

Concerns about behavior or ethical violations should be reported confidentially to the Managing Editor at chris.herold@msacl.org. All reports will be reviewed promptly and fairly, in accordance with Stanford University Press’s ethical oversight procedures.

Technical Check Policy

Following submission, your manuscript will initially undergo a Technical Check to ensure that its format and content follows the required journal submission guidelines. If it fails the Technical Check it will either be desk rejected or returned to the primary author for revision.   

Peer Review Policy

JMSACL uses a single-anonymized peer review process. Reviewer identities are concealed throughout the review process.

Reviewer Responsibilities

  • Provide timely, constructive, and unbiased feedback
  • Evaluate manuscripts based on scholarly merit, clarity, and relevance
  • Disclose any competing interests before accepting a review
  • Maintain confidentiality and avoid sharing or citing unpublished content

Editorial Oversight

Editors select reviewers based on subject expertise and prior performance. Reviews are assessed for quality and tone before decisions are made. Editors may override reviewer recommendations at their discretion.

Competing Interests

Reviewers must decline assignments if they have:

  • Recent collaborations with the author(s)
  • Personal or institutional relationships
  • Financial or ideological conflicts that may impair objectivity

Appeals and Reconsideration

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a written request with justification. Appeals are reviewed by a senior editor or advisory board member not involved in the original decision. Submit appeals to the Managing Editor at chris.herold@msacl.org.

Ethical Standards

JMSACL adheres to the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the ethical publishing standards of Stanford University Press. Suspected misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication) will be investigated and may result in retraction or notification to relevant institutions.