Editorial Policies

Overview
This policy describes guidelines in the publication process of our journals. Specifically Annali di Stomatologia adopts and strive to adhere to the following standards and requirements:
 COPE - Committee on Publication Ethics
 ICMJE - International Committee of Medical Journal Editors
 STM - International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers
 WAME – World Association of Medical Editors  

Article publication
Authors who publish open access in Annali di Stomatologia are not required to pay an article processing charge (APC).

Authorship
An author is an individual who has significantly contributed to the development of a manuscript. ICMJE recommends that authorship be based on the following four criteria: Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work;
 AND Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content;
 AND Final approval of the version to be published;
 AND Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.  

Acknowledgement
Individuals who participated in the development of a manuscript but do not qualify as an author should be acknowledged. Organizations that provided support in terms of funding and/or other resources should also be acknowledged.  

Changes in authorship
Whenever there is a need to make changes in the authorship of a manuscript or a published article, the changes will be implemented according to COPE specification. Only corresponding authors can make request for a change in authorship. Request should be made to the editor using the Changes in Authorship Form.

Further reading
 ICMJE - Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors
 COPE – flowcharts on Changes in Authorship  

Submission of Manuscript
Authors should read the “Instruction for Authors” on the journal’s page before making a submission. Manuscript should be prepared according to the style and specifications of the journal’s policy.
Authors listed on the manuscript should have met the requirements for Authorship specified above. Where possible, specify the contribution of each of the authors. assumed that all authors have read and given their approval for the submission of the manuscript. Contact information of all authors should be stated on the manuscript. Surname/Other names, affiliation, emails, and phone/fax numbers.
Declaration of Conflicts of Interest should be stated in the manuscript.
Submission should be made online https://www.annalidistomatologia.eu/ads/submission/wizard

Conflict of interest
“Conflict of interest (COI) exists when there is a divergence between an individual’s private interests (competing interests) and his or her responsibilities to scientific and publishing activities such that a reasonable observer might wonder if the individual’s behavior or judgment was motivated by considerations of his or her competing interests” WAME.
Authors should disclose all financial/relevant interest that may have influenced the development of the manuscript. Reviewers should disclose any conflict of interest and if necessary, decline the review of any manuscript they perceive to have a conflict of interest. Editors should also decline from considering any manuscript that may have conflict of interest. Such manuscripts will be re-assigned to other editors.  

Further reading
COPE - flowcharts on Conflict of Interest
ICMJE - Conflicts of Interest
STM – International Ethical Principles for Scholarly Publication
WAME - Conflict of Interest in Peer-Reviewed Medical Journals  

Confidentiality
A submitted manuscript is a confidential material. Annali di Stomatologia will not disclose submitted manuscript to anyone except individuals who partake in the processing and preparation of the manuscript for publication (if accepted). These individuals include editorial staff, corresponding authors, potential reviewers, actual reviewers, and editors. Annali di Stomatologia shall follow the appropriate COPE flowcharts wherever necessary.  

Further reading
 ICMJE - Responsibilities in the Submission and Peer-Review Process
 STM - International Ethical Principles for Scholarly Publication  
 
Misconduct
Misconduct constitutes violation of this editorial policy, journal policies, publication ethics, or any applicable guidelines/policies specified by COPE, WAME, ICMJE, and STM. Any other activities that threaten/compromise the integrity of the research/publication process are potential misconducts. Suspected cases of misconduct will be investigated according to COPE guidelines  

Correction and retraction of articles
Corrections may be made to a published article with the authorization of the editor of the journal. Editors will decide the magnitude of the corrections. Minor corrections are made directly to the original article. However, in cases of major corrections, the original article will remain unchanged, while the corrected version will also be published. Both the original and corrected version will be linked to each other. A statement indicating the reason for the major change to the article will also be published. When necessary, retraction of articles will be done according to COPE retraction guidelines  

Further reading
 ICMJE - Scientific Misconduct, Expressions of Concern, and Retraction
 COPE Guidelines
 COPE Flowcharts
 COPE retraction guidelines
 WAME - Publication Ethics Policies for Medical Journals
 STM - International Ethical Principles for Scholarly Publication