AND is a biannual double-blind, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary and bilingual (Italian and English) scientific journal inspired by COPE's (Committee on Publication Ethics - Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors) code of ethics for publications. It, therefore, takes all possible precautions against negligence that may occur in the journal's publication process and ensures good practice from an ethical point of view.
The publication ethics and good practices are made explicit, shared and pursued by all parties involved: Scientific Direction, Scientific Committee and Editorial Board, Editors, Editors, Authors, and Reviewers.


Duties of Management, Editors, Committees

Publication decisions
The Editor-in-Chief and the Scientific Management are responsible for deciding whether or not to publish proposed articles. The Editor may consult with the editors and referees to make their decisions.
The Editor-in-Chief and Scientific Management report to the journal's Scientific Committee and Editorial Board and are bound by the requirements of current laws on libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism.

Correctness
The Editor-in-Chief and the Scientific Board evaluate articles proposed for publication based on importance, originality of scientific content, the validity of the study and relevance to the interests of the journal, and clarity of the text, without discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, the scientific, academic and political direction of the authors.
Articles accepted by the Scientific Board in agreement with the Editors are anonymised and submitted to two or more anonymous peer reviewers to ensure that the material submitted to the journal remains strictly confidential during the review process.
The peer-review procedure adopts criteria of impartiality and is free from bias. It is carried out precisely based on the argumentative structure of the essays.
The publication of articles is subject to review by the Authors, any changes requested by the reviewers, and the final opinion of Scientific Management and the Editors.
AND's publication process ensures that articles are edited in open-access mode and freely available to all interested readers.

Procedures for publicising the post-publication debate and for handling possible changes and corrections to published articles

In case of scientific debate arising after publishing an article hosted in the Journal, the scientific contribution on the same topic will be published, even with different positions and orientations, as long as it passes the ritual referencing procedure foreseen for works hosted in the Journal. If, on the other hand, reports of errors, conflicts of interest, plagiarism, corrections or other comments are received regarding a contribution published in the Journal, the Director, having heard the author concerned, will assess the advisability of publishing reply notes, signed by the author of the contribution in question or by the Director himself, or will invite the reporter to formalise the debate in a scientific contribution to be published, subject to the successful completion of the refereeing procedure in which the respect of the criteria of publishability of the work is verified.

Confidentiality
ThEditoror and any editorial board or scientific committee member must refrain from disclosing any information about the texts submitted for review to anyone other than the corresponding author, referee, prospective referee, editorial advisor, and publisher, as appropriate.

Conflict of interest and disclosure
Unpublished materials contained in a text submitted to the journal should not be used in research by thEditoror or an editorial board member without the author's express written consent.

Policies on the acquisition of consents and disclaimers for publication and accessibility, also in open mode, and on intellectual property

The authors' contribution submission transfers the right to use it on a non-exclusive basis; however, they are not allowed to use the contribution layout in the journal (editorial pdf) except for competition and research quality assessment purposes.

It is also left to the authors to publish the contribution in the journal, in other scientific journals or monographs with national and international circulation as long as this follows the publication in the journal once the refereeing has been successful.

No remuneration is foreseen for the authors, nor are financial contributions to the publication costs requested from the authors, except for the sole cases in which the publication of individual scientific contributions takes place at the request of the authors and is subject to the consent of the Scientific Director, in the form of Open Access. The publication of contributions in Open Access is admitted up to a maximum of one scientific contribution per issue and, in any case, for several pages not exceeding 30% of the foliation of each issue in which the scientific contribution in Open Access is published. In case of publication in Open Access, the scientific contribution published in the Journal will be made available by the Publisher on the Journal's website without any restriction for public access, subject to payment by the author, directly or through a third party, of the amount determined by the Publisher.


Duties of Authors
The Author guarantees, using a specific declaration made at the time the manuscript is sent to the Journal, that the work submitted for evaluation complies with the principles of integrity of research, is unpublished, scientifically original and not submitted simultaneously to other journals or periodicals, except with the express consent of the Editorial Committee. Should the article subsequently be published in other journals or volumes, the Editorial Committee must be informed and consent.
The Author is also required to adequately cite the texts, sources and contributions used following the editorial rules indicated for publication in the Journal, taking care that other Authors' work and words are adequately paraphrased or quoted literally with appropriate evidence of the sources.
Repurposing, in whole or in part, one's contribution published elsewhere without proper attribution and citation reference (text recycling; self-plagiarism) constitutes a violation of the Journal's Code of Ethics. In any case, the Editorial Board must be informed by the Author about the ‘significance’ of the overlap and other contextual factors that may have created conditions for an overlap.
All authors are required to follow the journal's editorial rules.

Authorship of the work
The contribution must indicate the authorship of the work. All those who have contributed significantly to the conception, organisation, realisation and re-elaboration of the research underlying the contribution must be indicated as co-authors. In the case of contributions by several authors, the share of each author must be shown at the end of the work.

Use of Artificial Intelligence or Large Language Models
Authors of an article for AND who use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT or Large Language Models (LLM) to produce text or images/graphics or to collect/analyse data must declare at the time of submission and at the bottom of the paper which tool was used and how it was used, so that the editorial bodies and readers can understand the role of these tools in the development of the reported work. Authors are fully responsible for the content of their manuscript, including those parts produced by an artificial intelligence tool, and are therefore liable for any ethical violations that may result from the use of such content.

Integration of the work
The Editorial Board may ask the Authors for the corrections and additions they deem appropriate, following the anonymous evaluation of the Reviewers. The Authors may express their observations or objections, which the Editorial Committee will decide on.
The Editorial Board reserves the right to proceed, through the action of the Editorial Secretary, to purely editorial changes after the first correction of the proofs for the homogeneity of publication of the Journal.


Duties of Referees

Contribution to the editorial decision
Through the double-blind peer-review procedure, the Reviewers assist the Management and the Editors in making proposed articles. They must also suggest corrections and suggestions to the Author through the journal's Management to improve the contributions.

Meeting deadlines
If the Reviewers do not feel adequate for the proposed task or know that they will not proceed with the reading evaluation of the papers within the required time, they must promptly inform the Management.

Confidentiality
Any text transmitted anonymously to the Reviewers for reading must be considered confidential; therefore, it must not be discussed and evaluated with others without the explicit authorisation of the Director.

The rigour of peer review
The peer review must be rigorous in content, including the form and argumentative structure of the manuscript submitted. Reviewers are also required to explain and justify their judgements adequately.
Reviewers must inform the Director of similarities between the text read and other works.
Reviewers must provide bibliographical references to fundamental works that the Author may have overlooked.

Conflict of interest and disclosure
The double-blind peer-review process is based on the guarantee of reciprocal anonymity between authors and reviewers. The omission of those explicit references in the text could also reveal the author's identity.
Should the reviewers detect any recognition elements and find themselves in a conflict of interest due to collaboration, competition, or membership of the same research institutes, they are not required to accept the articles for reading.
All information and indications obtained during the peer-review process must be considered confidential and cannot be used for other purposes.


Pre-publication review procedures

The review model
To ensure a high standard of the scientific quality of published contributions, in compliance with the principles of integrity in scientific research (Dignity, Responsibility, Fairness, Diligence - in accordance with the Guidelines for Integrity in Research drawn up by the CNR) AND adopts a review model for manuscripts proposed for publication that consists of two phases: i) preliminary assessment; ii) double-blind peer review.
The Editorial Committee conducts a preliminary evaluation of the manuscripts received to verify, firstly, the relevance of the proposals to the topics covered by the Journal and the methodological approach and, secondly, the existence of the minimum requirements for publication, also in relation to the editorial criteria of the Journal. If the proposals received pass the preliminary assessment, they are sent for refereeing.
Refereeing is carried out according to the double-blind peer review procedure. The refereeing is carried out by anonymous experts (the evaluators and referees), whose findings are formalised in a particular form that will be kept in the Observatory's archive.
After anonymisation, the contribution is sent by the Editorial Secretary to an evaluator, chosen by the Editorial Board based on specific thematic expertise and following a rotation criterion. The Reviewer expresses his/her evaluation by returning the evaluation form within 15 days of the assignment. If the judgement is not expressed within the allotted time, the Editorial Board may proceed to replace the evaluator.
Following the refereeing, through electronic communication by the Editorial Secretary, the Author receives the form containing the anonymous opinion rendered by the evaluator. If the evaluator favours publication without changes, the contribution is started for publication. If the evaluator favours publication subject to changes, the comments thus made shall be forwarded to the Author. If the Author decides to comply, he shall send the contribution back to the Editorial Board, which may decide whether to forward it again to the assessor or proceed directly to publication. If the final assessment is positive, the contribution is started for publication; if not, the Editorial Board will consider whether to reject the contribution or proceed to a further revision stage. If the evaluator expresses a contrary opinion, the contribution is not published.
If a member of the Editorial Board is an author or co-author of a contribution proposed for publication, the procedures set out in the standard template are followed.
If a review of assessment decisions is required, the decision rests with the Editorial Board, which may also include members of the Scientific Committee. If a member of the Editorial Board is an author or co-author of a contribution proposed for publication, he or she does not participate in the vote.
Exceptions to the model
It is possible to depart from the refereeing model for the publication of contributions by Authors of particular authority and for the publication of other types of contributions helpful for the scientific study and discussion, also in a critical key, of themes and institutes relevant to the Journal.
In all the above cases, the Editorial Committee directly assumes responsibility for publication with adequate justification. This procedure and its justification are mentioned in a note to the contribution itself.
Procedures for handling disputes concerning the application of the Model
Any disputes concerning the application of the refereeing procedures and/or the outcome of decisions concerning the preliminary assessment and/or refereeing are discussed by the Editorial Board with those concerned.


Duties of the Scientific and Editorial Committee
The journal's Scientific and Editorial Committee must ensure the quality of the proposed contributions by carrying out its reading and evaluation and verifying that the journal's mission is to amplify learning, research, and the dissemination of knowledge.
The journal's Scientific and Editorial Committee also undertakes to report any cases of conflict of interest in choosing, evaluating, and proposing articles and to collaborate with the Editorial Board and the Editor-in-Chief to ensure a fair evaluation process free from personal bias.
Duties of the Editor
The Editors exercise their duties fairly and objectively and ensure that the journal and its contributors do not discriminate against authors based on gender, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, or geographical origin.
Duties of the Publisher
DNA Editrice ensures that good practice is maintained to the standards set out above and adopts appropriate procedures in the event of ethical or moral complaints, documentation of these will be appropriately retained.

Publisher's Duties and Authors' Rights
Regarding intellectual property policies, including copyright management and publication licenses, the Publisher affirms the authors' complete freedom to republish their contributions. This includes publications in scientific treatises and miscellaneous publications and inclusion in databases accredited by the international scientific community. The only requirement is that the primary site and publication date are provided cautiously.
Regarding intellectual property policies, including copyright management and publication licences, the Publisher is steadfast in its commitment. It ensures that the acquisition of consents and disclaimers for the publication and accessibility, even in open mode, of texts (if not for citation purposes), data, images, and graphics is in strict compliance with current copyright law, customary disciplinary standards, and any constraints related to the right to privacy as enshrined in Article 15 of the Constitution.
After consulting the editors and the editor-in-chief, the Publisher grants authors the right to reply and correct what they publish AND to publicise the debate following publication (e.g. the publication of reply notes or letters addressed to the editors or the Publisher) and the mechanisms to allow - in a manner that is documented and transparent to the reading public - any changes and corrections to articles already published, or their withdrawal. This concession is subject to compliance with current legislation on the offence of libel and defamation in the press.

Duties of the Editor and Rights of the Editors and the Editorial Board
As the AND is not protected by the National Contract for Journalists and Publicists, the Publisher may include scholars in the Editorial Board of its own volition, but only after hearing the advice and obtaining the consent of the Editors and the Editorial Board.


Accountability and responsibility for journal content
Journal editors take responsibility for all works published on AND. They strive to grant scientific and editorial quality through double-blind peer review and careful editing.
The journal retains all published articles in full and guarantees the long-term preservation of all content posted via the LOCKKS system.


Complaints and Appeals
Complaints of an ethical or moral nature and unfair practices (by way of non-exhaustive examples: serious errors, situations of conflict of interest, plagiarism) may be identified by anyone but must be brought in writing to the attention of the Editor, the editoriEditorrd or the publisher, with due support of the information and evidence sufficient to initiate an internal investigation. This investigation will be conducted by the Editor, who may or Editort involve the Editor, at his discEditor if the report does not directly implicate him. However, if the information now concerns Viella, the Editor will necessaEditore involved.
An internal investigation will be carried out in case of minor violations concerning the editorial staff, journal contributors, and the publisher. The accused will be provided with all documentation regarding the allegations. In addition, the accused will be allowed to respond to any claims.
In the case of major violations, the academic and institutional structures of the accused may also be involved, and a committee of external experts will be appointed to examine the evidence.
In the case of civil violations, the Editor or editorial staff will report them to the relevant authorities.
If the accused is a journal member, their position within the journal will be revoked; the offender will receive a warning letter about their future conduct.
If the accused is an author, the scientific committee or the Editor may invite tEditorlty party to withdraw their contribution or decide to revoke publication formally. A formal embargo on future donations may also be imposed on the offending Author.
On a case-by-case basis, consideration will also be given to sending a formal letter to the department or institution to which the offending Author is accountable, informing them of the offending Author's malpractice; a legal, public notice of the malpractice may be published.


Post-publication corrections
Each article published by the AND journal, both in print and online, constitutes the Version of Record (VoR): the final, definitive and citable version of the scientific record (see NISO, 2008)
The VoR comprises:

• After peer review, the article, including the summary, text, references, bibliography, and all attached tables, illustrations, and data, was reviewed and accepted in its final form.
• Any supplementary materials.

To recognise a published article as a final VoR means to expect it to be relied upon as accurate, complete, and citable. Therefore, sometimes, it is necessary to change the VoR after an article has been published. This will be done after careful evaluation by the editorial Director, supported by AND, to ensure that the necessary changes are made by Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.


Corrections, expressions of concern and retractions
All necessary changes will accompany a post-publication notice permanently linked to the original article, ensuring readers are fully informed. This could be a correction notice, an expression of concern or a retraction. The objective of this mechanism of making permanent and transparent changes is to protect the integrity of the scientific documentation. All corrections, expressions of concern, and retraction notices are available upon publication. When responding to concerns about AND publications, we adhere to our journals' policies, publication criteria, editorial standards, and COPE guidelines where applicable. AND cooperates with editorial directors in cases involving severe ethical or integrity concerns after publication, including those that warrant an expression of concern or retraction. If you wish to notify AND of an error in a publication that may require correction, please email the journal directly with details (article citation and DOI, description of error).


Corrections
Corrections to AND articles are published when correcting an error or omission that may affect the article's interpretation but where the article's academic integrity remains unaffected (e.g. incorrect captioning of a figure, lack of clear information on funding or author conflicts of interest). In addition, AND may also publish a correction to rectify an error in the publication's metadata (e.g., an incorrectly spelled author's name or errors in conflicts of interest, funding or data availability statement). Typically, a correction notice appears as a post-publication notice linked to the original AND article, with the following actions:

• Add a footnote to the published version of the record showing the electronic link to the correction notice.
• Lay out and make the correction notice available in the journal's online issue, with an electronic link to the published version of the record.

Corrections of typographical errors or other minor problems that do not significantly impact the article's scientific integrity, comprehension or indexing will not be published.


Retractions
As discussed in the COPE Retraction Guidelines, retraction is a mechanism for correcting the literature and informing the academic community about concerns about an article's integrity, validity, or reliability. If editors believe unresolved issues in discussions with authors warrant retraction by COPE guidelines AND will retract the paper. Authors and institutions may request the retraction of their articles if their reasons meet the retraction criteria.
If a severe error (e.g. in analysis or methods) invalidates the conclusions of the article, or if misconduct has occurred in the research or publication, a retraction notice will be issued (e.g. research without the necessary ethical approvals, falsified data, manipulated images, plagiarism, duplicate publication, etc.). When the decision is made to retract an article, AND will:

• Publish a separate retraction statement, entitled 'Retraction: [title of article]', with a link to the retracted article.
• The retraction statement will be paginated and available in the journal's online issue.