Authors
The sections below provide essential information for authors, and we recommend that you take the time to read them before submitting a contribution to J-TICH.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
AUTHOR DETAILS
Author Definition
The term author refers to the creator or originator of an idea (e.g., the author of the theory of relativity) or the individual(s) who develop and bring to fruition the product that disseminates intellectual or creative works (e.g., a scholarly article).
Author Guidelines
Authors should guarantee they have participated in creating the work as presented and that they have not violated any other author’s legal rights (e.g., copyright) in the process.
Each author on a submission to J-TICH is expected to have done all of the following:
- Made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work
- Drafted or made critical revisions for important intellectual content
- Approved the final version to be published
- Agreed to be personally accountable for their contributions and to ensure that questions related to the accuracy/integrity of any part of the work, even ones in which the author was not personally involved, were appropriately investigated and resolved, and the work reflects this.
Those meeting fewer than the above four criteria should be listed in the Acknowledgments section of a submission rather than as an Author.
Note: Changes in authorship (by adding or deleting authors), changes to the Corresponding Author, or changes in the sequence of authors are not permitted after acceptance of a manuscript. The J-TICH editor is not in a position to investigate or adjudicate authorship disputes before or after publication. If they cannot be resolved amongst authors, such disagreements should be directed to the relevant institutional authority.
Author Order
Author order is important for determining contributions to a project. Conversations around authorship should begin early in the project's life, and changes in status and author order may occur multiple times throughout the process up to the publication date. Therefore, maintaining a record of meetings, project agreements/contracts, and discussions can help remind authors of the history of the agreements to date and provide the framework for completing authorship contribution requirements for journal submission.
Author Commitment
J-TICH Authors commit to:
- Recognizing community health, nutrition, and physical activity as complex and relational aspects of individual and community life. Emphasizing that these are more than just nutrients and exercise; they have significance beyond health and weight.
- Using a trauma-informed approach when conducting research to establish and promote resilient communities that can be healthy enough to sustain opportunity and realize their potential. Demonstrating the use of this approach by including the following in your writing
- Respect and acknowledgment of communities as the experts in understanding what they need.
- Prioritization is given to high-quality interpersonal connections using non-judgmental communication when interacting with individuals and the community. This involves
- Listening to what is being shared with you by individuals and communities.
- Using asset-based language to highlight the capabilities and contributions of individuals and communities as they choose their path forward. Such language acknowledges the value of people, their gifts and talents, and highlights the strengths of individuals, communities, and organizations.
- Thoughtfully incorporating community voice, when appropriate.
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- Recognition of the importance of overcoming inequities and fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion in our communities.
Author Responsibilities
Originality and Acknowledgement of Sources
The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works. Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have influenced their work and give the work appropriate context within the larger scholarly record. Information obtained privately, as in conversation, correspondence, or discussion with third parties, must not be used or reported without explicit, written permission from the source.
Plagiarism takes many forms, from ‘passing off’ another’s paper as the author’s own paper to copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another’s paper (without attribution) to claiming results from research conducted by others. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable. View the plagiarism section of J-TICH’s Policies for more details.
Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
An author should not submit for consideration in another journal a paper published previously, except as an abstract, as part of a published lecture or academic thesis, or as an electronic preprint. Doing so constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable.
Confidentiality
Information obtained through confidential services, such as grant applications or refereeing manuscripts, may only be used with the author's explicit written permission for the work involved in these services.
AI Disclosure Instructions
Authors must disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by adding a new section at the end of their manuscript document before the Reference list. Please see below for details on the use of AI in writing, figures, images, and artwork.
Statement: During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the publication’s content.
This declaration does not apply to essential tools for checking grammar, spelling, references, etc. You don't need to add a statement if there is nothing to disclose.
The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Writing
Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies are expected to increasingly be used by content creators. This policy aims to provide greater transparency and guidance to authors, readers, reviewers, editors, and contributors.
J-TICH will monitor this development and adjust or refine this policy when appropriate. This policy only refers to the writing process and not to AI tools used to analyze and draw insights from data as part of the research process.
Where authors use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, these technologies should only be used to improve the readability and language of the work. The application of such technology should be done with human oversight and control, and authors should carefully edit and review the result due to AI generating output that can be incorrect, incomplete, or biased. The authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of their work.
Authors should disclose the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in their manuscript, and a statement will appear in the published work. Declaring the use of these technologies supports transparency and trust between authors, readers, reviewers, editors, and contributors. It facilitates compliance with the terms of use of the relevant tool or technology.
Authors should not list AI/AI-assisted technologies as authors or co-authors nor cite AI as an author. Authorship involves responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans. Authors must:
- ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated
- approve the final version of the work and agree to its submission.
- be responsible for ensuring that the work:
- is original
- states the authors who qualify for authorship
- does not infringe on third-party rights
The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Tools in Figures, Images, and Artwork
Using Generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images in submitted manuscripts is prohibited. This may include enhancing, obscuring, moving, removing, or introducing a specific feature within an image or figure. Using generative AI or AI-assisted tools in producing artwork, such as journal covers or graphical abstracts, is not permitted. Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable if they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original. Image forensics tools or specialized software might be applied to submitted manuscripts to identify suspected image irregularities.
Conflict of Interest
A conflict of interest (COI) exists when there is overlap of an individual’s private interests (competing interests) and their responsibilities to scientific and publishing activities such that a reasonable observer may wonder if the individual’s behavior or judgment was motivated by consideration of their competing interests. Potential conflicts of interest include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding.
Authors should disclose all financial/relevant interests that may have influenced the development of the submission. Reviewers should disclose any conflict of interest and, if necessary, decline the review of any submission they perceive to have a conflict of interest. J-TICH will also decline to consider any submission with a conflict of interest.
Conflicts of interest should be declared in the Cover Letter and the Manuscript Submission Form.
Fundamental Error Notification
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is the author’s responsibility to promptly notify the journal and cooperate to retract or correct the paper if deemed necessary by the journal. If the journal learns from a third party that a published work contains an error, the author must cooperate with the journal, including providing evidence to the journal where requested.
ORCID INSTRUCTIONS
ORCID allows authors to have a single record of all of their research. When registering with ORCID, users receive a unique digital identifier called ORCID to link their published articles and other professional activities. This can reduce or eliminate confusion when the same person’s name appears in different ways in various publications, when people have the same or similar names, or when people change their names.
Upon submission, the corresponding author must enter their ORCID; for co-authors, this is optional. Please enter the numerals only and not the link. J-TICH encourages all authors and reviewers to register with ORCID to facilitate the consolidation of their publication records. Registering is free of charge and can be done here.
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR DETAILS
The corresponding author is the individual who takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal during the manuscript submission, peer review, and publication process. They are people who have contributed to the paper significantly and can ensure that it goes through the publication process smoothly and successfully.
Corresponding Author Responsibilities
- Correcting and proofreading manuscripts
- Handling the revisions and re-submission of revised manuscripts up to the acceptance of the manuscripts
- Agreeing to and signing the Author Publishing Agreement on behalf of relevant co-authors/arranging for any third-party copyright owners’ signature
- Acting on behalf of all co-authors in responding to queries from all sources post-publication, including questions relating to publishing ethics, reuse of content, or the availability of data, materials, resources, etc.
At submission, the corresponding author must:
- Include written permission from the authors of the work concerned for mention of any unpublished material cited in the submission (for example, others' data, in-press manuscripts, personal communications, or work in preparation)
- identify any material within the manuscript (such as tables/figures) that has been published previously or elsewhere, and provide written permission from authors/publishers of the prior work, as appropriate, to re-use such material
- Ensure that any potential conflict of interest pertaining to the submission has been disclosed in a message to J-TICH.
After acceptance, the corresponding author is responsible for the following:
- The accuracy of all content in the proof, including the names of co-authors, addresses and affiliations.
After publication, the corresponding author is responsible for:
- Serving as the point of contact for queries about the published paper
- Informing all co-authors of any matters arising related to the published paper and ensuring such issues are dealt with promptly
- Informing the journal immediately if they become aware of any aspects that require correction
- Ensuring that any changes to the author list after submission, such as a change in the order of the authors or the deletion or addition of authors, are approved by every author.
Changes in Authorship
Only corresponding authors can make requests for a change in authorship. Requests should be made to the editor using the Changes in Authorship Form.
Request for addition of author(s) before publication
You will be asked to clarify why the author was omitted from the original author list and the reason for adding the author. All authors must provide written consent to add the new author. If all authors provide written consent, the author list and contributor details (role of each contributor/author) should be amended as needed. If all authors do not provide written consent, then the review/submission will be suspended.
Request for addition of author(s) after publication
You will be asked to clarify why the author was omitted from the original author list and the reason for adding the author. All authors must provide written consent to add the new author. If all authors provide written consent, then the correction is published. If all authors provide written consent, then authorship will be changed once J-TICH has written agreement from all authors.
Request for removal of the author(s) before publication
You will be asked to clarify why the author was added to the original author list and the reason for removing the author. All authors will need to provide written consent to remove the author.
If all authors provide written consent, then the correction is published. If all authors do not provide written consent, then the review/publication of the submission will be suspended.
Request for removal of the author(s) after publication
You will be asked to clarify why the author was added to the original author list and the reason for removing the author. All authors will need to provide written consent to remove the author.
If all authors provide written consent, then the correction is published. If all authors provide written consent, then authorship will be changed once J-TICH has written agreement from all authors.
The primary affiliation for each author should be the organization/institution where most of their work was done. If an author moves to a new institution/organization, the current address may also be stated. J-TICH remains neutral concerning jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
J-TICH does not require all research paper authors to sign the letter of submission, nor do they impose an order on the list of authors. The journal takes submission to J-TICH to mean that all the listed authors have agreed on the contents, including the author list and the authors’ contribution statements. The corresponding author is responsible for the following:
- All authors agreeing to be listed
- All authors have approved the manuscript submission to the journal
- Managing all communication between the journal and all co-authors before and after publication.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The acknowledgment section can be used to thank anyone important in the publication of the work who does not qualify for authorship and to declare relevant funding information. Acknowledgments should be brief and should not include thanks to anonymous referees or editors, inessential words, or effusive comments. The acknowledgment section should not be used to list contributors who meet our criteria for authorship as outlined in the Author section above.
When acknowledging funding, our recommended best practice is that authors should acknowledge funders and grants on publications when the activities that contributed to that publication:
- are within the scope of the acknowledged grant and,
- arise directly from a specific grant.
The following questions can be used to determine if the activities arise from a specific grant.
- Are the results included in the publication original and the direct result of experimentation, materials, or analysis supported by the grant?
- Does the grant financially support the publication of the manuscript (e.g., through payment of article processing charges)?
