Authors are required to indicate their consent to the submission terms and conditions twice: first when their paper is submitted and then prior to publication when they approve the article for publication.  In both instances approvals are permanently recorded by the publisher. 

Authors are responsible for ensuring that they fully understand and comply with the terms and conditions.  Failure to read or understand them cannot excuse non-compliance.

Where an author is unable to comply with any provision the publisher should be informed immediately. 

1. Understandings:

a. All authors (both the corresponding author and any co-authors) are in full compliance with ethical and legal requirements outlined in these submission terms and conditions and here: 

b. Authors will be required to pay an article processing fee if your Work is accepted for publication (excluding commissioned reviews)

b. Fee waviers may not be applied for after submission of your Work

c. All works submitted to Libertas Academica are subject to peer and editorial review

d. Libertas Academica reserves the right to decline to commence or to continue processing your work at any time at its sole discretion

e. Unless your work appears in a Clinical Medicine Reviews journal (i.e. a journal with a title that begins "Clinical Medicine Reviews in...") then copyright in your Work rests with the author(s).  If your Work appears in a Clinical Medicine Reviews journal (i.e. a journal with a title that begins "Clinical Medicine Reviews in...") then copyright in your Work rests with Libertas Academica Ltd.

f. Libertas Academica is not responsible for returning the original disk, hardcopy, and any photographs or illustrations.

g. Fee reimbursements or refunds in full or part are given at the sole discretion of the publisher.

h. Libertas Academica is legally obliged to ensure that journals do not publish libelous or defamatory material.  Where manuscripts appear to contain this journal editors together with the authors and the publisher if necessary will work together to ensure an appropriate resolution is found.

i. The authors agree to fully indemnify Libertas Academica against any liability whatsoever in connection to their actions, inactions, errors or omissions.  The authors waive all rights to take legal action against Libertas Academica.

j. Where the corresponding author has consented to these terms and conditions the co-authors, if any, agree without reservation to the corresponding author consenting upon their behalf.

2. Author Responsibilities:

a.   The Work is in compliance with the author guidelines and any applicable journal-specific guidelines

b.   Your co-authors (if any) have authorised you to submit the Work

c.   The Work is not under consideration for publication in another journal nor has it been published in another journal

d.   You have clearance to reproduce any copyrighted material

e.   Nothing in the Work is unlawful, misrepresentative, libellous, plagurous or would constitute a breach of contract or confidence or commitment to secrecy

f.    You have taken due care to ensure integrity of the submission and according to currently accepted scientific knowledge all statements in it purporting to be facts are true

g.   You have clearance to reproduce all copyrighted material appearing in this manuscript, and you absolve Libertas Academica from all liability arising from any failure to get clearance or oversights in having done so by you and your co-authors if any

h.   You agree that by submitting my manuscript to Libertas Academica you have consented to receive email from Libertas Academica

i.    Papers are published and may be removed at the discretion of the Editor in Chief

j.    Individuals or organisations who have made substantial contributions to the manuscript (eg, data collection, analysis, writing or editing assistance) must be named with their specific contributions in an Acknowledgment section.

3. Identifiable Human Subjects, Experiments on Humans and Animals:

Where a patient(s) is identifiable, even if their name or a picture is not used, a signed letter must be supplied from the patient or their family indicating that their consent has been given for their information to be used in the article.

In the Disclosures section of your manuscript there must be a statement confirming that consent was obtained: "Written consent was obtained from the patient/s or their relative/s for publication of this study."

In respect to human subjects, authors should indicate whether experiments were in accordance with ethical standards of the responsible committee and with the Helsinki Declaration.  Where doubt exists authors must set out the rationale for their approach and show that the institutional review body explicitly approved the doubtful aspects.

In respect to animal subjects, authors should indicate whether institutional and national guides on the care and use of laboratory animals was followed.

4. Copyright:

When you submit a manuscript you are asked to confirm that you have copyright clearance to reproduce all copyrighted material, including figures, tables and text exceeding more than about 40 words.

Please remember that in many cases copyright in figures, tables and text rests with the publisher of the source, not the author. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have copyright clearance; Libertas accepts no responsibility for getting clearance on your behalf and no liability if you fail to do so.

If you're unsure if you need to get copyright clearance contact the publisher of the source.

5. Retractions, Expressions of Concern and Corrections:

The Editor in Chief may choose to publish a retraction, expression of concern or correction.  Generally the guidelines provided by COPE will be applied to determine under what circumstances this is done, although the guidelines may be modified to fit the circumstances.  The authors agree to waive any legal liability against the publisher and Editor in Chief should a retraction, expression of concern or correction be issued.

The following are examples of circumstances in which a retraction, expression of concern or correction may be used: research findings are unreliable owing to misconduct or honest error, findings have previously been published elsewhere without cross-referencing, permission or justification, plagiarism, unethical research.

6. Authorship, Contributorship and Conflict of Interest:

Identification as an Author

Giving an individual credit as an author should be based on that individual meeting three criteria:

a.   Substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data;

b.   Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and

c.   Final approval of the version to be published.

On its own, acquisition of funding, collection of data, or general supervision of the research group does not constitute authorship.  Individuals designated as authors should qualify for authorship and all those who qualify must be listed. Each author must have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate parts of the content. 

ICMJE authorship criteria (http://www.icmje.org/ethical_1author.html) must be met.

Work Conducted by Large Multi-center Groups

If a large, multi-center group has conducted the work, the group should identified the individuals who accept direct responsibility for the manuscript.

These individuals should fully meet the criteria for authorship or contributorship.

All individuals who are named as authors or contributors should fully meet the criteria for authorship or contributorship.

When submitting a manuscript authored by a large multi-center group the manuscript should clearly identify all individual authors and the group name.  Libertas will list names of individuals in the group in the Acknowledgements.

The group should decide about contributors and authors before submission of the manuscript.  The corresponding author must be able to explain the presence and order of individuals.  It is not the role of Libertas or the Editor in Chief, Associate Editor or Editorial Board to make authorship or contributorship decisions or arbitrate conflicts.

Identification of Contributors

Individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship must be listed in the acknowledgements section. This may include individuals providing technical help and writing assistance.  Entities supporting these contributions should also be identified.

Individuals identified as contributors should have their function or contribution described.  Because endorsement of the paper may be inferred by their identification, these individuals must give the authors permission to be acknowledged.

Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Project Funding

Authors must describe the role of any project funding source in respect to study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, writing of the manuscript and the decision as to whether and to which journal it should be submitted to.  Where such involvement exists it is strongly recommended that this information is stated in the manuscript's Disclosure and Ethics section.

If the project funding source had no such involvement this should also be stated.

Potential Conflicts of Interest of Authors

Authors are responsible for disclosing financial and personal relationships that may bias their work on the front page of their submission or in the accompanying cover letter.

Authors must identify sources of writing or other assistance and sources of funding for this assistance.

Where authors believe they may be in a conflict of interest they must review and return the ICMJE Conflict of Interest disclosure form (http://www.icmje.org/coi_disclosure.pdf) and ensure that disclosures are added to the article.

Contributions by Scientific/Medical Writers

Involvement by scientific/medical writers or anyone else who assisted with the preparation of the manuscript content should be acknowledged.  Funding sources should also be disclosed.  If medical writers are not listed amongst the authors their role should be acknowledged explicitly.  This reflects guidelines set out by the European Medical Writer's Association (EWMA).

7. Dispute Resolution:

Where a dispute arises the parties will first attempt to resolve it amongst themselves.

Any dispute arising out of or relating to this contract may be referred to mediation, a nonbinding dispute resolution process in which an independent mediator facilitates negotiation between the parties.

Mediation may be initiated by either party writing to the other party and identifying the dispute that is being suggested for mediation. The other party will either agree to proceed with mediation or agree to attend a preliminary meeting with the mediator to discuss whether mediation would be helpful in the circumstances.

The parties will agree on a suitable person to act as mediator or will ask the Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand to appoint a mediator. The mediation will be in accordance with the Mediation Protocol of the Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand.  Any dispute arising out of or relating to this contract, which is not resolved by mediation, shall be finally decided by arbitration. The arbitration shall be by one arbitrator to be agreed by the parties and failing such agreement to be nominated by the President of the Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand.

8. Operative Law:

In all matters the laws of New Zealand shall be operative and any legal disputes shall be settled under the laws of New Zealand.

9. Indemnification:

You agree to absolve Libertas Academica, the Editor in Chief and editorial board of any legal liability whatsoever with respect to any and all statements made in your paper, your actions, errors and omissions and the actions, errors and omissions of co- authors and any other contributors to the paper without any limitations.

10. Author Loyalty Discount:

You understand that the Author Loyalty Discount is only available for your paper if you have 1) registered BEFORE YOUR PAPER WAS SUBMITTED, 2) had your registration accepted, 3) submitted your paper using the special submission URL contained in our registration acceptance email.

If you do not comply with all of these conditions then the Author Loyalty Discount will not be available under any circumstances.

Author Loyalty Discounts are not transferrable and are only available for the paper they were regisered for.  They are not available for later unregistered papers.  They are not retrospective.  They are not transferrable.

11. Remedies for Breach:

Where you are found to have been in breach of any of these terms and conditions the Publisher may remove your paper from its website and from third party websites such as Pubmed at its sole discretion or in consultation with the Editor in Chief, or publish an expression of concern or retraction.

The Publisher may also take any such action as it deems appropriate in its sole discretion to remedy breach of these terms and conditions.  In this case you and your co-authors waiver any legal rights against Libertas Academica Ltd, the Editor in Chief and editorial board.