Advertising, Sponsorship & Editorial Independence
Advertising, Sponsorship & Editorial Independence
No advertiser, sponsor or conference partner has any influence over what is reviewed, accepted or published here. This page states the separation between commercial arrangements and editorial decisions, and how it is maintained.
Last reviewed August 2026 · Applies to all submissions to JMVRA (ISSN 2984-8911)
A journal that lets money reach editorial decisions is not a journal. JMVRA carries limited advertising and enters conference partnerships, and both are kept structurally separate from the process that decides what gets published. This page exists so that separation is written down and can be held to.
What Is Never Permitted
We Do Not
- Sell editorial space or guarantee publication for a fee
- Let an advertiser see a manuscript before publication
- Link advertising placement to any article’s content
- Allow a sponsor to review, alter or veto an article
- Accept payment to expedite or influence a review outcome
- Sell editorial board positions
- Publish advertising that is disguised as editorial content
We Do
- Label every advertisement clearly as advertising
- Keep advertising visually distinct from article content
- Decide acceptance solely on peer review
- Publish all fees openly on the charges page
- Require funders and sponsors to be declared in every paper
- Refuse advertising that conflicts with the journal’s purpose
Advertising We Decline
- Predatory publishing services — paper mills, authorship-for-sale operations, fake impact factor providers and citation-selling services.
- Misleading or unsubstantiated claims, including health claims that cannot be evidenced.
- Anything illegal, discriminatory or deceptive, or which targets readers unfairly.
- Advertising positioned to imply endorsement of a specific article or research finding.
- Pop-ups, interstitials and auto-playing media that obstruct access to research.
- Advertising that tracks readers across other sites. Reader privacy is covered by the Privacy Policy.
Conference Partnerships
JMVRA publishes special issues arising from partner conferences. A partnership is an arrangement to consider a set of papers — it is not an agreement to publish them.
Who Decides What
| Decision | Made By |
|---|---|
| Accept or reject a manuscript | Editors, on peer review. Not the publisher, not a sponsor, not an advertiser. |
| Scope of the journal | The editorial board. |
| Retraction and correction | Editors, following COPE guidance. |
| Advertising acceptance | The publisher, within the limits above — with the editors able to refuse anything that compromises the journal. |
| Publication charges | The publisher, published openly in advance. |
If you believe an advertisement or sponsorship has influenced published content, say so. Email [email protected] or use the Complaints & Appeals Policy. Concerns of this kind are investigated as seriously as any allegation about the research itself.
Where the Advertising & Editorial Independence Policy Applies
The stages of a paper’s journey this policy governs are highlighted.
Applies at: Review · Accept · Publish
Advertising & Editorial Independence Policy in Brief
Commercial income keeps an open-access journal running, but it must never reach the editorial desk. At JMVRA, the people who decide what is reviewed, accepted or published have no role in advertising, sponsorship or partnership arrangements, and no commercial partner is told about a manuscript under review.
Where a conference, sponsor or partner is connected to a paper or an issue, that connection is declared publicly so readers can judge it for themselves. Papers from partner conferences go through the same screening and peer review as any other submission — a partnership never guarantees acceptance.
