Consolidated Editorial, Ethics, Review and Submission Handbook

Version 1.0 – March 2026

Directors of Publication: Pierre-Yves Lastic, Dipak Kalra
Co-Editors-in-Chief: Daniella Will, Marie Penot, Nathan Lea

Part I. Editorial, Peer Review and Publication Ethics Policies

COPE Compliance Statement

The Journal of Health Data Protection adheres to the principles and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The journal applies these principles across editorial governance, peer review, publication ethics, corrections, complaints, and conflict management.

Editorial Independence and Governance

The Journal of Health Data Protection operates under full editorial independence. Editorial decisions are based exclusively on scientific merit, relevance, quality, originality, and ethical compliance. Neither sponsors, partners, advertisers, nor affiliated organizations may influence editorial decisions.

Editorial Authority

The Editors-in-Chief have full authority over manuscript evaluation, reviewer selection, editorial decisions, and implementation of editorial policies.

Peer Review Model

JHDP applies a double-blind peer review process, ensuring that the identity of authors and reviewers remains confidential. All submitted manuscripts are subject to editorial screening and, where appropriate, external peer review.

Reviewer Selection and Responsibilities

Reviewers are selected based on their expertise, academic, regulatory, legal, technical, or operational experience, and absence of conflicts of interest. Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, timely, and confidential assessments.

Editorial Board Responsibilities

Editorial Board members contribute to the scientific quality, integrity, and strategic direction of the journal. They may review manuscripts, advise on editorial priorities, and support the journal’s development, while respecting all independence and conflict rules.

Editorial Board Member Submission Policy

Editorial Board members are permitted to submit manuscripts to the Journal of Health Data Protection. Strict safeguards apply to avoid any preferential treatment or influence over editorial handling.

Specific Conflict of Interest Policy for Editorial Board Members Acting as Authors or Co-Authors

When an Editorial Board member is an author or co-author of a submitted manuscript, that individual must explicitly declare this role and must not participate in the reviewer selection, editorial assessment, recommendation, discussion, or decision for that manuscript. Handling must be delegated to an independent Editor.

Conflict of Interest Policy

All authors, reviewers, editors, and Editorial Board members must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence editorial judgment, review, or publication decisions.

Transparency and Disclosure Requirements

Authors must disclose funding sources, institutional affiliations, relevant relationships, and individual contributions where applicable.

Confidentiality Policy

All manuscripts submitted to JHDP are treated as confidential. Editors and reviewers must not disclose, share, or use unpublished information outside the editorial process.

Invited Articles and Invited Contributors Policy

Invited articles, including contributions from congress speakers, regulators, or experts, are subject to the same editorial standards as all other manuscripts and may be peer reviewed where appropriate.

Artificial Intelligence and AI-Assisted Content Policy

Authors must disclose any use of artificial intelligence tools in the preparation of manuscripts. AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, citations, and compliance of all submitted content.

Data Availability and Transparency Policy

Authors are encouraged to provide clear statements regarding data availability. Where applicable, they should describe how supporting data can be accessed, shared, restricted, or justified as unavailable.

Ethical Standards and Publication Integrity

JHDP adheres to internationally recognized standards of publication ethics and integrity. The journal prohibits plagiarism, falsification, fabrication, inappropriate authorship practices, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and duplicate publication.

Publication Ethics and Integrity

The journal follows COPE principles when evaluating suspected ethical breaches and may take appropriate editorial action where concerns arise.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

The journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy of the scientific record. When errors or serious concerns are identified, the journal may publish a correction, retraction, or expression of concern, as appropriate.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a written explanation. Appeals and complaints will be reviewed independently by an Editor not involved in the original decision whenever possible.

Part II. Practical Guidelines for Authors, Reviewers and the Editorial Board

Author Guidelines

•       JHDP publishes original research articles, reviews, policy analyses, case studies, commentaries, and interviews related to health data protection, governance, and ethical use of health data.
•       Manuscripts should include: title, author names and affiliations, abstract (150–250 words), keywords (minimum 3), main text, references, and short author biographies where requested.
•       Indicative word limits: research articles 4,000–8,000 words; reviews and policy analyses 3,000–6,000 words; commentaries 1,500–3,000 words.
•       Submissions must be original, not previously published, and not under consideration elsewhere.
•       Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or professional conflicts of interest.
•       Manuscripts must be submitted in Word format and may be revised following peer review.

Reviewer Guidelines

•       Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on scientific merit, originality, clarity, relevance, methodological rigor, and ethical compliance.
•       Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents.
•       Reviewers must decline an invitation where a conflict of interest exists or may reasonably be perceived.
•       Review reports should be clear, constructive, objective, and professionally written.

Editorial Board Charter

•       Editorial Board members support the journal’s scientific quality, peer review process, integrity standards, and strategic development.
•       Members may serve as reviewers but must avoid conflicts of interest and comply with confidentiality requirements.
•       The Editorial Board meets periodically to review journal strategy and development.
•       Members are expected to contribute actively to journal activities and uphold the journal’s reputation.

Part III. Author Submission Template

The following template elements should be used when preparing a manuscript for submission.

Source basis: JHDP Editorial and Peer Review Policies; JHDP Editorial and Peer Review Policies Version 1.0 March 2026; JHDP Full Editorial and Publication Ethics Policies Version 1.0 March 2026; JHDP Author Guidelines; JHDP Reviewer Guidelines; JHDP Editorial Board Charter; JHDP Author Submission Template 

Chapter — Copyright and Permissions

Journal of Health Data Protection (JHDP)

This chapter is drafted as a standalone section ready to be inserted into the JHDP consolidated handbook. It is written in formal journal policy style and avoids duplicating author, reviewer, or editorial policies except where needed for copyright clarity.

1. Ownership of Copyright

•       Unless otherwise agreed in writing, authors retain copyright in their submitted and published works.
•       By submitting a manuscript to JHDP, authors confirm that they are the copyright holders of the work, or that they have obtained all necessary permissions from any co-authors, employers, funders, or other rightsholders to submit and publish the manuscript.
•       Authors grant JHDP and its publisher a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to review, edit, reproduce, publish, distribute, communicate, display, archive, and promote the accepted work in print, digital, and future electronic formats for the full term of copyright and any renewals or extensions permitted by law.

2. Originality and Third-Party Rights

•       Authors must submit only original work that does not infringe the intellectual property, privacy, publicity, confidentiality, database, image, or moral rights of any third party.
•       Any third-party content included in a manuscript — including figures, tables, photographs, questionnaires, diagrams, extended quotations, screenshots, datasets, or other protected material — remains the property of its respective rightsholder unless clearly in the public domain or otherwise lawfully reusable.
•       Authors are solely responsible for obtaining written permission for any third-party material that requires authorisation for reproduction, adaptation, translation, or republication.

3. Permissions and Credits

•       Where permission is required, authors must secure it before final acceptance and must provide JHDP with evidence of such permission upon request.
•       All reused or adapted material must carry an appropriate credit line identifying the original source, the copyright holder where relevant, and the nature of the permission or licence relied upon.
•       If permission cannot be obtained, the material must be removed, replaced, redrawn, paraphrased, or otherwise modified so that publication does not infringe third-party rights.

4. Licence Granted to the Journal

•       The licence granted to JHDP includes the right to copyedit, format, typeset, index, tag, translate metadata, create abstracts, create promotional extracts, and disseminate the published version through the Journal website, partner platforms, indexing services, library services, archives, and lawful distribution channels.
•       This licence also permits JHDP to preserve and archive the article for long-term access and scholarly recordkeeping.

5. Author Reuse Rights

•       Authors may reuse their own published article for non-commercial academic and professional purposes, including teaching, conference presentation, internal institutional distribution, inclusion in a thesis or dissertation, and deposit in a personal or institutional repository, provided that the original publication in JHDP is clearly acknowledged and any version-sharing conditions adopted by the Journal are respected.
•       Where a final published PDF is redistributed, it must remain complete and unaltered, with all copyright, citation, and source notices preserved.

6. Journal Rights in Published Formatting and Compilation

•       While authors retain copyright in their individual contributions, JHDP and its publisher retain rights in the Journal’s collective presentation, issue compilation, branding, editorial arrangement, layout, typographical design, and associated publication materials, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
•       No person may reproduce or distribute the Journal issue, website presentation, or branded materials in a manner that misrepresents endorsement by JHDP or interferes with the Journal’s legitimate publishing interests.

7. Open Access, Subscription Access, and Licensing Notice

•       The Journal may publish content under subscription access, controlled access, or any open-access model designated by the publisher for a given issue or article.
•       The applicable access status and licence terms for each published article shall be indicated on the Journal website and, where relevant, on the published article itself.
•       Where an open licence is applied, users must comply with the exact terms of that licence. Where no open licence is indicated, all rights not expressly granted remain reserved.

8. Requests for Reuse by Third Parties

•       Requests from third parties to reproduce, distribute, translate, adapt, or otherwise reuse JHDP content should be addressed to the Journal or publisher in accordance with the contact details or permissions procedure published by the Journal.
•       Authors may be consulted when reuse concerns substantial adaptation, translation, or republication of their individual contribution.

9. Infringement, Complaints, and Corrective Action

•       If JHDP becomes aware of a credible allegation of copyright infringement or unauthorised reuse, the Journal reserves the right to suspend publication, remove online access temporarily, request additional evidence, require replacement materials, publish a correction, or withdraw content where justified.
•       Authors agree to cooperate promptly with any investigation concerning ownership, permission status, or alleged infringement affecting a submitted or published manuscript.

10. Warranties and Indemnity

•       By submitting a manuscript, authors warrant that, to the best of their knowledge, the work is original, that they have the authority to submit it, and that all necessary permissions, acknowledgements, and consents have been obtained.
•       Authors remain responsible for the accuracy of such warranties and may be required to indemnify the Journal and publisher against losses arising from proven breaches of these obligations, subject to applicable law and any separate publishing agreement.

11. Recommended Copyright Notice

•       The following notice may be used or adapted by JHDP for publication pages, article PDFs, or the Journal website:

© [Year] The author(s). Published by the Journal of Health Data Protection (JHDP). The author(s) retain copyright in this work and grant the Journal a non-exclusive licence to publish, distribute, archive, and promote it. Any reuse by third parties is subject to the licence or permissions notice attached to the article.

Optional publishing agreement clause set