Editorial Policies

Focus and Scope

The Italian Journal of Health Education, Sport and Inclusive Didactics is addressed to researchers, educators, trainers and teachers working in the fields of health education, sport sciences, inclusive education and educational sciences.

The journal publishes original empirical research articles, theoretical contributions, case studies, systematic reviews and reports on innovative educational practices.

Its aim is to promote scientific and methodological debate and to support the development of interdisciplinary research on education, wellbeing, physical activity and inclusive educational practices.

 

Section Policies

Papers

Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed
 

Peer Review Process

REFEREES’ EVALUATION

The journal adopts a double-blind peer review process in order to ensure the scientific quality, originality, and relevance of the manuscripts submitted for publication.

The evaluation process is carried out in accordance with the ethical principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors, editors and reviewers are encouraged to consult the COPE Guidelines for Peer Reviewers.

Editorial structure and responsibilities

Editor-in-Chief: has overall responsibility for the journal’s scientific quality and editorial direction. The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on all manuscripts.

Managing Editor: supports the Editor-in-Chief in coordinating the editorial workflow, including the initial screening of submissions and the administrative management of the peer review process.

Section Editors: are responsible for handling submissions within their specific subject areas. They manage the peer review process by identifying and inviting qualified reviewers, monitoring the review process, and providing recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief. Section Editors do not act as reviewers for the manuscripts they handle.

In accordance with the international guidelines, the journal adopts the following criteria:

Selection of reviewers

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned to a Section Editor, who selects at least two independent external reviewers with recognized expertise in the relevant field.

Reviewers are scholars, university professors, or researcher, they are selected based on subject expertise and external to the journal’s editorial board.

The journal ensures the involvement of both national and international reviewers.

Double-blind review

The journal adopts a double-blind peer review system. The identity of the authors is not disclosed to the reviewers, and the identity of the reviewers is not disclosed to the authors, in order to guarantee impartiality and independence in the evaluation process.

Evaluation procedure

Before being sent for peer review, all manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software in order to ensure the originality of the submitted work.

Reviewers evaluate the manuscript according to scientific criteria such as:

  • originality and relevance of the topic

  • methodological rigor

  • clarity and coherence of the argument

  • contribution to the advancement of research in the field

Reviewers provide their evaluation through a structured review form that includes both quantitative assessment criteria and qualitative comments.

Editorial decision

Based on the reviewers’ reports, the Section Editor provides a recommendation regarding the manuscript.

The Managing Editor coordinates the editorial process and communicates decisions to the authors.

Editorial decisions (acceptance, revision, or rejection) are made under the supervision of the Editor-in-Chief, who retains final responsibility for the scientific quality of the journal and all published content.

Transparency and acknowledgment

To ensure transparency, the journal may publish annually a list of reviewers who have contributed to the peer review process during the year, without linking reviewers to specific manuscripts.

 

 

Open Access Policy

This journal provides open access to its contents, believing that making research freely available to the public improves the global exchange of knowledge.

Article Processing Charges

The journal does not charge any submission fees or article processing charges (APCs) for the submission, peer review, or publication of articles.
All editorial costs of the journal are covered by the publisher.

 

Archiving

This journal participates in LOCKSS to create a distributed archiving system between libraries and enables them to create permanent archives of the journal for preservation purposes.

All published articles are also preserved on the journal’s publishing platform and remain permanently accessible through the journal website. In addition, authors are permitted to deposit the accepted version of their articles in institutional or subject repositories in accordance with the journal’s self-archiving policy.

 

Code of Ethics

CODE OF ETHICS

The Italian Journal of Health Education, Sport and Inclusive Didactics is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in scholarly publishing.

The journal follows the principles of transparency and best practices in academic publishing promoted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors, editors, and reviewers are encouraged to consult the COPE guidelines when addressing ethical issues related to research and publication.

Research submitted to the journal must respect ethical standards concerning the protection of research participants, including their dignity, privacy, and confidentiality. Authors who submit their papers to our journal accept the Helsinki Declaration and the ethical guidelines here stated.

DUTIES OF EDITORS

Transparency: The “Italian Journal of Health Education, Sport and Inclusive Didactics” follows the principles of transparency and good academic publishing practices defined by COPE in the document Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.

Editorial decisions: Editors evaluate submitted manuscripts exclusively on the basis of their scientific merit, originality, methodological rigor, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

Fairness and impartiality: Manuscripts are evaluated without discrimination based on race, gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, religious beliefs, or political orientation.

Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Information about submitted manuscripts must not be disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and members of the editorial team involved in the evaluation process.

Conflict of interest: Editors must not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for their own research without the explicit written consent of the authors. In cases of potential conflicts of interest, editors will withdraw from the editorial process.

DUTIES OF REVIEWERS

Peer review assists editors in making editorial decisions and helps authors improve their manuscripts.

Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be shared or discussed with others without authorization from the editors.

Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted objectively and supported by clear arguments. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate.

Acknowledgement of sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors and inform the editors of any substantial similarity between the manuscript under review and other published works.

Timeliness: Reviewers who feel unqualified to review a manuscript or unable to complete the review within the required timeframe should promptly notify the editors.

Conflict of interest: Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors or their institutions.

 

DUTIES OF AUTHORS

Originality and plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their manuscripts represent original work and that all sources are appropriately cited. The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, duplicate publication, or self-plagiarism.

Multiple submissions: Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously.

Authorship: Authorship should be limited to those who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission.

Data access and retention: Authors may be requested to provide the data underlying their research in order to verify the validity of the results.

Conflict of interest disclosure: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the research results or interpretation of the manuscript. Sources of funding must also be clearly indicated.

PLAGIARISM AND ORIGINALITY

All submissions are subject to plagiarism screening prior to peer review in order to ensure originality and research integrity.

Manuscripts containing suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or unethical use of sources may be rejected.

RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN PARTICIPANTS

Research involving human participants must comply with internationally recognized ethical standards.

Where applicable, authors must confirm that the study received approval from an appropriate institutional ethics committee or review board.

If ethical approval was not required according to institutional or national regulations, authors should clearly state this in the manuscript.

Authors must ensure that informed consent has been obtained where appropriate and that data are presented in a way that protects participants’ privacy and anonymity.

Special attention must be paid when research involves vulnerable populations.

HANDLING OF ERRORS AND MISCONDUCT

If a significant error or inaccuracy is identified in a published article, authors must promptly notify the editorial office.

The journal follows COPE guidelines when addressing suspected cases of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, and unethical research practices.

Depending on the nature and severity of the issue, the journal may publish:

  • corrections
  • expressions of concern
  • retractions

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Authors must disclose the use of artificial intelligence tools in the preparation of manuscripts.

Artificial intelligence systems cannot be listed as authors.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the content produced with the assistance of AI tools.

COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS

Complaints regarding editorial decisions or ethical concerns should be addressed to the Managing Editor.

All complaints will be handled in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies and COPE recommendations.



 

 

 

Informed consent policy

GSD requires that informed consent be obtained from all human subjects prior to their participation in any research.

Research involving human participants must comply with internationally recognized ethical standards concerning the protection of participants’ rights, dignity, and privacy.

Authors must ensure that informed consent has been obtained from all participants where appropriate. In the case of minors or vulnerable populations, consent must be obtained from parents, legal guardians, or authorized representatives.

Where applicable, authors should also confirm that the research received approval from an appropriate institutional ethics committee or review board.