Advertising and Direct Marketing

1. Introduction

Magistra Andalusia: Jurnal Ilmu Sastra (MAJIS) is committed to maintaining the integrity, independence, transparency, and credibility of its scholarly publishing activities. Advertising and direct marketing, where permitted, must be conducted in a manner that does not compromise editorial independence, peer review, academic judgment, publication ethics, or the trust of readers, authors, reviewers, and other stakeholders.

MAJIS distinguishes clearly between scholarly publishing activities and commercial or promotional activities. Advertising, sponsorship, promotional communications, and direct marketing must never determine or influence decisions concerning manuscript submission, peer review, acceptance, rejection, publication, correction, or retraction.

The journal does not consider advertising revenue, promotional relationships, institutional relationships, or commercial interests to constitute legitimate grounds for altering editorial decisions.

This policy establishes the principles and procedures governing advertising and direct marketing associated with MAJIS. It is intended to ensure that any promotional activity undertaken by or on behalf of the journal remains transparent, appropriate to an academic publishing environment, and separate from the journal's editorial functions.

2. Description

2.1 Advertising

For the purposes of this policy, advertising refers to paid or otherwise commercially motivated promotional material displayed in connection with MAJIS, including, where applicable:

  • advertisements displayed on the journal website;

  • institutional advertisements;

  • advertisements for academic events;

  • advertisements for scholarly services;

  • advertisements for books or academic publications;

  • advertisements for conferences or educational activities;

  • advertisements for academic software or research services; and

  • other promotional material approved by the journal.

Advertising does not include ordinary journal information such as:

  • calls for papers;

  • publication announcements;

  • editorial notices;

  • author guidelines;

  • publication-ethics policies;

  • journal announcements;

  • issue announcements; or

  • other information necessary for the operation of the journal.

2.2 Direct Marketing

Direct marketing refers to targeted promotional communication distributed by or on behalf of MAJIS to specific individuals or groups for purposes other than ordinary scholarly communication.

Depending on the circumstances, direct marketing may include:

  • promotional emails;

  • invitations to journal-related activities;

  • announcements of special issues;

  • promotional newsletters;

  • announcements concerning journal services;

  • invitations to participate in academic events; and

  • other targeted communications.

Routine editorial communication with authors, reviewers, editors, or prospective contributors is not considered direct marketing when it is necessary for the administration of the journal.

2.3 Editorial Communication versus Marketing Communication

MAJIS distinguishes between editorial and marketing communications.

Editorial communications include:

  • manuscript submission notifications;

  • peer-review invitations;

  • requests for revision;

  • editorial decisions;

  • publication notifications;

  • correction notices;

  • retraction notices;

  • requests concerning publication ethics; and

  • other communications necessary for editorial administration.

Marketing communications are promotional in nature and are subject to this policy.

The distinction is important because editorial communications must remain independent of commercial or promotional considerations.

3. Policy

3.1 Editorial Independence

Advertising and direct marketing must not influence editorial decisions.

In particular, the presence, absence, amount, or commercial value of advertising must not affect:

  • manuscript acceptance;

  • manuscript rejection;

  • reviewer selection;

  • reviewer recommendations;

  • editorial decisions;

  • publication scheduling;

  • article corrections;

  • expressions of concern;

  • retractions;

  • editorial appointments; or

  • other scholarly decisions.

Editors must not provide preferential treatment to advertisers, sponsors, or organisations that engage in promotional relationships with MAJIS.

The journal's editorial independence takes precedence over any commercial or promotional interest.

3.2 Separation of Advertising from Editorial Content

Advertising must be clearly distinguishable from scholarly content.

Where advertising is permitted, it should be visually and functionally separated from:

  • research articles;

  • review articles;

  • editorial materials;

  • peer-review information;

  • publication-ethics policies;

  • author guidelines; and

  • other scholarly content.

Advertisements must not be designed in a manner that could reasonably cause readers to mistake them for editorial content.

The journal may label advertising explicitly as:

Advertisement

or another equivalent designation appropriate to the publication platform.

3.3 No Influence on Peer Review

Advertisers, sponsors, or marketing partners must not:

  • select reviewers;

  • recommend acceptance or rejection;

  • access confidential peer-review information;

  • communicate with reviewers about manuscripts;

  • communicate with authors concerning editorial decisions;

  • influence reviewer recommendations; or

  • receive confidential information concerning manuscripts under review.

Similarly, reviewers must not allow advertising relationships or commercial interests to influence their assessment of manuscripts.

3.4 Advertising Eligibility

MAJIS may decline advertisements that are inconsistent with the journal's academic mission, ethical standards, institutional requirements, or applicable law.

Advertising should generally be relevant to scholarly, educational, cultural, literary, linguistic, research, or academic activities.

The journal may reject advertising that:

  • contains misleading claims;

  • promotes illegal activities;

  • contains discriminatory or hateful content;

  • promotes fraudulent services;

  • misrepresents academic credentials;

  • contains deceptive academic publishing claims;

  • promotes predatory publishing practices;

  • conflicts with the journal's publication-ethics principles;

  • compromises the reputation or independence of the journal;

  • creates a significant conflict of interest; or

  • is otherwise inappropriate for an academic journal.

The journal is not required to accept advertising merely because advertising space is available.

3.5 Academic and Publishing Services

Particular care should be exercised with advertisements for services related to scholarly publishing.

MAJIS should not knowingly promote services that facilitate:

  • plagiarism;

  • contract cheating;

  • fabricated research;

  • fabricated authorship;

  • fraudulent peer review;

  • manuscript impersonation;

  • fake citations;

  • citation manipulation;

  • deceptive indexing claims;

  • predatory publishing;

  • falsification or fabrication of academic credentials; or

  • other forms of academic misconduct.

Advertisements for legitimate academic services may be considered provided that they comply with this policy and do not imply endorsement by MAJIS unless the journal has expressly authorised such an endorsement.

3.6 Advertising Does Not Constitute Endorsement

The display of an advertisement does not necessarily constitute endorsement by MAJIS, its editors, the Faculty of Humanities of Andalas University, or Andalas University.

Where appropriate, advertising material may include a disclaimer stating that:

The publication of an advertisement does not constitute endorsement by Magistra Andalusia: Jurnal Ilmu Sastra, its editors, the Faculty of Humanities of Andalas University, or Andalas University.

The journal may require an advertiser to use appropriate disclaimers where the nature of the advertisement could create a reasonable perception of institutional endorsement.

3.7 Advertising and Research Articles

Advertising must not be placed in a manner that implies a commercial relationship with a particular article or author unless such a relationship is transparently disclosed and permitted under applicable institutional and ethical requirements.

Advertisers must not receive:

  • advance access to unpublished manuscripts;

  • preferential access to published content;

  • editorial influence over article content; or

  • preferential treatment in publication decisions.

3.8 Advertising and Special Issues

Advertising associated with a special issue must comply with this policy and must remain separate from the editorial management of the special issue.

Guest editors must not:

  • solicit advertising in exchange for public