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Policies

Contents

Philosophy of The Journal for MultiMedia History

The Journal for MultiMedia History is a history journal, guided by the same principles as the discipline of history overall. The JMMH, though, takes as its starting point the idea that different forms can enhance or even revolutionize how we question, pursue, experience, understand, and portray history. Therefore, the JMMH uses the peer review process and its online venue to promote, showcase, and examine the field of multimedia history.

While it should be assumed that the JMMH or authors retain copyright to published materials, all are welcome to access the JMMH free of charge.

Who Can Submit?

Anyone may submit an original project to be considered for publication in The Journal for MultiMedia History provided he or she owns the copyright to the work being submitted or is authorized by the copyright owner or owners to submit the project. Authors are the initial owners of the copyrights to their works (an exception in the non-academic world to this might exist if the authors have, as a condition of employment, agreed to transfer copyright to their employer).

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General Submission Rules

Submitted projects cannot have been previously published, nor be forthcoming in an archival journal or book (print or electronic). Please note: "publication" in a working-paper series (or, for multimedia projects, having been temporarily accessible in a "beta" or draft state or partially presented to an audience, etc) does not necessarily constitute prior publication, though such instances should be noted in any submission. In addition, by submitting material to The Journal for MultiMedia History, the author is stipulating that the material is not currently under review at another journal (electronic or print) and that he or she will not submit the material to another journal (electronic or print) until the completion of the editorial decision process at The Journal for MultiMedia History.

The JMMH charges no fees to an author for consideration or publication of scholarly work. The JMMH accepts multimedia history submissions for peer review and possible publication. Videos and films, hypertext, computer based and internet projects, or blends of media as ancient as theater and as new as interactive mobile technology -- and even currently unforeseen media -- are welcome. The journal also welcomes scholarly analyses of any and all aspects of the field of multimedia history. Scholarly analyses would typically be peer reviewed. The JMMH also welcomes reviews of works relevant to multimedia history (reviews of multimedia history projects or of books relevant to the field, and so on). Reviews might be solicited or submitted, and would typically be considered by the editor or members of the board for possible publication. Reviews and analyses can take text or multimedia form. If a multimedia project or a scholarly analysis of some element of the field is deemed a possible fit for the JMMH, it will be sent for peer review by at least two experts in the field. The JMMH will strive to have a decision made on submitted projects within 60 days, though a longer period may be required. Publication for accepted projects will usually occur as soon after acceptance as possible. This will typically be the next issue scheduled for release, unless the JMMH decides a different issue or timeframe would be a better point to publish the work.

Authors and their projects, as well as editors and reviewers, are expected to meet ethical and legal standards guiding scholarly research and publication. The JMMH treats all instances of ethical or legal questions regarding a submission or published piece on a case by case basis. However, the JMMH generally follows the standards set out by the American Historical Association (AHA), as well as those set out by the Committee On Publishing Ethics (COPE) and organizations it cooperates with. If the JMMH finds or is alerted to any instance of conflict of interest, plagiarism, data falsification or inappropriate media manipulation, unethical research, or any other ethical or legal violation on the part of an author (or in association with a submitted or published work), likely action would include refusal to publish a work, or a published work being retracted. The JMMH would also take any other action a particular case might call for, possibly including but not limited to contacting an author’s university or sponsoring organization.

In order to provide some more clarity on the above policy on ethical and legal concerns, the following discusses in more detail conflict of interest, plagiarism, data falsification or media manipulation, research methods, and overall ethical expectations. The discussion is not exhaustive and does not replace an author’s need to be fully aware of the ethical and legal standards guiding the field of history and any other fields or industries pertinent to a given project.

The AHA "Conflict of Interest Policy (2012)” explains that "A conflict of interest arises when an individual's personal interest or bias threatens or appears to threaten to compromise his or her ability to act in accordance with professional or public obligations."

[see “Conflict of Interest Policy (2012), Approved by AHA Council, January 5, 2012.” American Historical Association Website. American Historical Association, 2013. http://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/governance/policies-and-documents-of-the-association/conflict-of-interest-policy (accessed February 10, 2016)]

Conflicts of interest (coi) could occur if an editor or reviewer has a connection with an author that would bring into question the ability of an editor or reviewer to objectively review a submission. An author might have a conflict of interest if money they receive from an individual or organization could, or could be seen to, undermine the author's objectivity. Authors, editors and reviewers should identify any possible conflict of interest and either withdraw a project from consideration, recuse themselves from review, or address the situation to the satisfaction of the JMMH. Note, if the lead JMMH editor has a possible conflict of interest, he or she should identify the issue to members of the editorial board and either recuse himself or herself from reviewing a project, or address the issue to the satisfaction of members of the editorial board.

Plagirism is “The action or practice of taking someone else's work, idea, etc., and passing it off as one's own.”

[see "plagiarism, n.". OED Online. December 2015. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/144939?redirectedFrom=plagiarism (accessed February 10, 2016).]

Plagiarism would include using another’s exact words without properly using quotation marks, and/or not properly citing the original work. In a multimedia context, this would also include using another’s image or video or website or computer program or data base, etc., without properly denoting and/or citing that use. Even without using exact words or images, plagiarism can also include using the ideas or research findings or conclusions of another person without proper citation.

Data falsification would constitute a serious ethical and possible legal violation. Related, deceptive or unauthorized manipulation of images or audio or video materials (or other media) could constitute an ethical or legal violation. In cases where adjustments to images or other media are justified (an authorized manipulation, or non-substantive changes necessary for viewers to appreciate and asses materials for instance) authors are expected to clearly indicate any instance where media has been manipulated or modified.

Research for a submitted project is expected to be conducted ethically and legally. Typically, history projects do not involve questions of “human subjects research” as defined by the United States Office for Human Research Protection. Sometimes, multimedia projects involve video or audio (or other media) presenting living people. Oral history is an example of this kind of multimedia history project. The American Historical Association (along with the Oral History Association and others) have worked closely with the United States Office for Human Research Protection to clarify that oral history is not typically the kind of scholarly work that falls under “human subjects research.” Oral history projects, then, typically, do not have to be considered by Institutional Review Boards to proceed. While an author is ultimately responsible for determining if his or her project should be reviewed by an IRB, regarding United States Office for Human Research Protection guidelines, the JMMH treats most multimedia projects as the AHA and the Oral History Association treat oral history projects.

[For more on this topic, including links to further reading, see, “Exclusion of Oral History from IRB Reviews: An Update,” by Linda Shopes and Donald Ritchie. Perspectives on History. American Historical Association, March 2004. http://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/march-2004/exclusion-of-oral-history-from-irb-reviews-an-update (accessed February 10, 2016)]

That a project may not require IRB approval does not mean an author is not expected to follow strict scholarly and ethical research standards regarding important obligations such as attaining informed consent, and research standards beyond concerns over human subjects apply as well.

Some additional readings that may help authors, editors, and reviewers ensure they are following the best standards follow. The links are only provided as a convenience. If a link becomes inactive, the American Historical Association and COPE and other organizations can be contacted for up to date ethical and legal information, and authors are still responsible to know and follow all pertinent ethical and legal standards.

“Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct (updated 2011).” American Historical Association website. American Historical Association, 2013. http://www.historians.org/jobs-and-professional-development/statements-and-standards-of-the-profession/statement-on-standards-of-professional-conduct (accessed February 10, 2016)

“Code of Conduct.” COPE website. COPE, 2011. http://publicationethics.org/resources/code-conduct (accessed February 10, 2016)

“Standards for Authors.” COPE website. COPE, 2011. http://publicationethics.org/files/International%20standards_authors_for%20website_11_Nov_2011_0.pdf (accessed February 10, 2016)

If there are any concerns about a project submitted to published by the JMMH, or if you have concerns about the submission terms for The Journal for MultiMedia History, please contact the editors.

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Formatting Requirements

The Journal for MultiMedia History, as a multimedia venue, accepts numerous formats and presentation styles. The JMMH typically follows Chicago Manual of Style guidelines regarding printed content. Regarding multimedia content, formatting and presentation should reflect the academic or professional standards relevant to the submission. For more, particularly on guidelines on formatting of the final submission, see Final Multimedia and Manuscript Preparation Guidelines for details. Although bepress can provide limited technical support, regarding text articles, it is ultimately the responsibility of the author to produce an electronic version of the article as a high-quality PDF (Adobe's Portable Document Format) file, or a Microsoft Word, WordPerfect or RTF file that can be converted to a PDF file.

It is understood that the current state of technology of Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) is such that there are no, and can be no, guarantees that documents in PDF will work perfectly with all possible hardware and software configurations that readers may have. Similarly, it is understood that the current state of technology of any one or more media (electronic or otherwise) is such that there are no, and can be no, guarantees that projects produced in one or more media will work perfectly with all possible hardware and software configurations (or other modes of engaging projects) that users may have.

Regarding multimedia projects (non-text formats), authors are responsible for making sure works submitted meet pertinent academic or professional standards (quality audio or video, efficient error free programming, etc.) and that projects are accessible by JMMH editors and reviewers via computer or other appropriate mode. Many digitally based projects (video or audio projects, for instance) would be simply uploaded via the journal's submission section, with a companion text document explaining the project and any information needed to access the project. Website projects, interactive java projects, or other dynamic digital content could be submitted by sending a link to a server address where the project is currently housed (JMMH editors and the author would then work out if the outside server or JMMH resources would be used during the review process or for possible publication). Sending a PDF, uploading digital content, or providing links to hosted content are just three possible approaches for submitting or presenting projects. As a multimedia journal, the JMMH is willing to discuss with authors projects of still more varied forms. If there are questions about how a project might be offered for review or possible publication, please contact the editors.

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Rights for Authors and The Journal for MultiMedia History and Scholars Archive

As further described in our submission agreement (the Submission Agreement), in consideration for publication of the project, the authors assign to The Journal for MultiMedia History all copyright in the project, subject to the expansive personal--use exceptions described below.

Attribution and Usage Policies

Reproduction, posting, transmission or other distribution or use of the project or any material therein, in any medium as permitted by a personal-use exemption or by written agreement of The Journal for MultiMedia History, requires credit to The Journal for MultiMedia History as copyright holder (e.g., The Journal for MultiMedia History © 2024).

Personal-use Exceptions

The following uses are always permitted to the author(s) and do not require further permission from The Journal for MultiMedia History provided the author does not alter the format or content of the articles or the multimedia projects, including the copyright notification:

  • Storage and back-up of the project on the author's computer(s) and digital media (e.g., diskettes, back-up servers, Zip disks, etc.), provided that the project stored on these computers and media is not readily accessible by persons other than the author(s);
  • Posting of the project on the author(s) personal website, provided that the website is non-commercial;
  • Posting of the project on the internet as part of a non-commercial open access institutional repository or other non-commercial open access publication site affiliated with the author(s)'s place of employment (e.g., a Phrenology professor at the University of Southern North Dakota can have her article appear in the University of Southern North Dakota's Department of Phrenology online publication series); and
  • Posting of the project on a non-commercial course website for a course being taught by the author at the university or college employing the author.

People seeking an exception, or who have questions about use, should contact the editors.

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General Terms and Conditions of Use

Users of the The Journal for MultiMedia History and the Scholars Archive website and/or software agree not to misuse the The Journal for MultiMedia History or the Scholars Archive service or software in any way.

The failure of The Journal for MultiMedia History to exercise or enforce any right or provision in the policies or the Submission Agreement does not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. If any term of the Submission Agreement or these policies is found to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavor to give effect to the parties' intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions of the Submission Agreement and these policies remain in full force and effect. These policies and the Submission Agreement constitute the entire agreement between The Journal for MultiMedia History and the Author(s) regarding submission of the Project.

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