Indicate that the journal is Diamond Open Access and explain what this means: scholar-led, equitable Open Access publishing with open licenses and according to internationally acknowledged quality standards. Tell your readers and potential authors that publications are made available free of charge. State that the authors hold the copyright and specify which license applies, including the permitted types of reuse and sharing and the correct citation method.

Refer to recognised standards, such as those set out by COPE, and summarise the journal's expectations regarding originality, proper citation, intellectual property and responsible research conduct. This should include details of how the journal addresses plagiarism, data falsification or fabrication, and other forms of misconduct.

State that authorship must reflect a substantial intellectual contribution to, and responsibility for, the work. Clarify that contributions that do not meet the criteria for authorship will not be acknowledged. Specify that AI tools cannot be listed as authors and must be transparently disclosed where used. Emphasise that authors remain fully responsible for all content, including any parts produced with AI.

Explain how authors and readers can submit complaints or appeals (for example, via a dedicated email address), how these are reviewed by editors or an ethics committee, and how the journal manages post-publication discussions, corrections, expressions of concern and retractions, in line with COPE guidance.

The editors of the journal HTCE (Historical Thinking Culture and Education) kindly provided the following example. It can be used by other editors as an inspiration and adapted for reuse. 

Editorial Policies und Publication ethics 

HTCE_Editorial_Policies_and_Publication_Ethics_2025-09-30-OTH