About the Journal

About the Journal

About ASIDE Gastroenterology

Publisher, Ownership, and Academic Oversight

Until February 2026, ASIDE Gastroenterology was published by the American Society for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in Healthcare (ASIDE).

Effective from February 2026, ownership and publishing responsibility were transferred to PubPorta Publishing LLC, 16192 Coastal Highway, Lewes, Delaware 19958, USA, which now serves as the publisher and owner of the journal.

Academic oversight and scholarly guidance continue to be provided by the American Society for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in Healthcare (ASIDE).

This transition does not affect the journal’s aims and scope, editorial independence, peer-review process, or open-access policies. Previously published content remains accessible under its stated licensing terms.

Vision and Mission

ASIDE Gastroenterology is a peer-reviewed, open-access medical journal dedicated to publishing high-quality research and scholarly content in gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy, pancreatology, nutrition, gastrointestinal oncology, and related digestive sciences.

The journal is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in healthcare by highlighting health disparities, improving access to evidence-based digestive care, and encouraging scholarship that addresses social and structural factors influencing gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary health outcomes.

Its mission is to disseminate rigorous, clinically meaningful, ethically conducted, and educationally valuable work that advances medical knowledge, supports equitable care, and strengthens education, practice, policy, and research across diverse populations.

Aims and Scope

ASIDE Gastroenterology welcomes submissions across the full spectrum of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy, and related digestive sciences. The journal considers article types including, but not limited to:

  • Original research articles
  • Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
  • Narrative reviews
  • Clinical trials
  • Case reports and case series
  • Brief reports
  • Editorials and commentaries
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Methodology papers and study protocols where appropriate
  • Quality improvement and implementation research

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Esophageal, gastric, small intestinal, colonic, and anorectal disorders
  • Inflammatory bowel disease, functional gastrointestinal disorders, motility, and microbiome research
  • Pancreatic and biliary disease
  • Hepatology, including viral hepatitis, MASLD/NAFLD, cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and liver cancer
  • Endoscopy, advanced endoscopic techniques, quality, and safety in endoscopic practice
  • Gastrointestinal oncology and premalignant conditions
  • Nutrition, obesity-related gastrointestinal disease, and metabolic liver disease
  • Health services research, outcomes research, implementation science, and quality improvement in GI care
  • Disparities, social determinants of health, and interventions that improve equitable access
  • Global gastroenterology and digestive health in low-resource settings

Submissions should provide scientific, clinical, educational, or policy-relevant value and be relevant to clinicians, researchers, trainees, educators, and others working to improve digestive health outcomes.

Readership

The journal serves gastroenterologists, hepatologists, endoscopists, internists, surgeons, advanced practice providers, researchers, educators, policymakers, and public health professionals with an interest in clinically relevant scholarship and equitable healthcare practice.

ASIDE Gastroenterology welcomes contributions and readership from all regions of the world and aims to foster broad international dialogue through accessible, high-quality publication in digestive health.

Publication Frequency

ASIDE Gastroenterology is published quarterly, with four issues per year. Articles are published online after completion of peer review, editorial processing, and production, and are then assigned to the next available issue.

Language

The journal publishes in English.

Open Access Policy

ASIDE Gastroenterology provides immediate open access to all content. The full text of every article is freely available to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to without delay, with no embargo and no registration requirement.

Copyright and Licensing

Unless otherwise indicated, all articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license (legal code).

This license permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, including commercial use, provided appropriate credit is given to the original authors and the source, a link to the license is provided, and changes are indicated.

Authors retain copyright in their work and grant the publisher a non-exclusive right of first publication under the above license. The copyright holder and license are displayed on each article’s HTML page and PDF.

If any material within an article, including images, figures, tables, or data, is not covered by CC BY 4.0, that material will be identified by a credit line stating the applicable rights and restrictions.

Author Fees and Charges

ASIDE Gastroenterology currently charges no submission fees, no article processing charges (APCs), and no publication fees.

If the journal’s fee structure changes in the future, the change will be stated clearly on the journal website. Editorial decisions are independent of any fee or funding consideration.

Revenue Sources and Editorial Independence

The journal is currently supported through its publisher’s operational resources and related non-editorial support arrangements. The journal does not charge APCs at this time.

Editorial decisions are made independently of commercial, financial, institutional, or political influence. Revenue considerations, sponsorships, advertising, reprints, supplements, or any future business arrangements will not affect peer review, editorial assessment, acceptance, rejection, or publication timing.

Advertising Policy

ASIDE Gastroenterology does not currently accept advertising.

If advertising is introduced in the future, advertisements will be clearly distinguished from editorial content and handled independently of editorial decision making. Advertising will not influence peer review or publication decisions.

Direct Marketing Policy

ASIDE Gastroenterology may occasionally send targeted calls for papers or informational messages to researchers whose expertise aligns with the journal’s aims and scope. Any outreach conducted on behalf of the journal is intended to be appropriate, well targeted, truthful, and unobtrusive.

The journal does not guarantee acceptance, indexing, or publication outcomes in any communication and does not request or require payment as a condition of submission. Messages clearly identify the journal and publisher, describe the article types sought where relevant, and direct recipients to the journal’s policies and submission system. Recipients may opt out of future communications where applicable, and such requests will be honored promptly.

Editorial Process

ASIDE Gastroenterology upholds a rigorous editorial and peer-review process managed by an international editorial team committed to scientific quality, ethical publishing, fairness, diversity, and inclusion.

All scholarly submissions undergo an initial editorial assessment, followed, where appropriate, by external peer review. Editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit, methodological rigor, ethical integrity, relevance to the journal’s scope, and the quality of reporting.

Peer Review Policy (Double-Blind)

1. Overview

ASIDE Gastroenterology is committed to fair, independent, rigorous, confidential, and constructive peer review. All scholarly manuscripts submitted to the journal are assessed for originality, scientific and clinical validity, ethical conduct, methodological rigor, clarity, relevance, and contribution to the field before a final editorial decision is made.

2. Scope of Peer Review

All scholarly manuscripts considered for publication in ASIDE Gastroenterology are subject to editorial assessment and quality control before publication.

Manuscripts that pass initial editorial screening are sent for external double-blind peer review. Each manuscript sent for peer review is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise.

Article types normally subject to peer review include original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, narrative reviews, clinical trials, case reports, case series, brief reports, methodology papers, and study protocols where applicable.

Editorials, announcements, corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions may be handled by editorial review rather than external peer review. Where relevant, this will be made clear in the published record.

3. Type of Peer Review

ASIDE Gastroenterology uses a double-blind peer review model. Reviewer identities are concealed from authors, and author identities are concealed from reviewers as far as reasonably possible within the journal’s workflow.

Authors must submit anonymized manuscripts and remove identifying information from the main manuscript file and any supplementary files intended for peer review. If anonymity has not been adequately protected, the submission may be returned for correction before review.

4. Initial Editorial Screening

After submission, each manuscript undergoes initial editorial screening by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated editor. This screening assesses whether the manuscript:

  • fits the aims and scope of the journal;
  • meets basic scientific, clinical, and editorial standards;
  • follows the journal’s submission requirements;
  • includes required declarations, permissions, approvals, and supporting documentation;
  • is ethically suitable for consideration; and
  • is appropriate for external peer review.

At this stage, manuscripts may be returned for technical correction or rejected without external review if they are out of scope, scientifically inadequate, incompletely prepared, ethically problematic, or otherwise unsuitable for the journal.

5. Reviewer Selection and Independence

Reviewers are selected on the basis of subject expertise, scholarly experience, prior review quality where known, and absence of disqualifying conflicts of interest. Reviewers must be independent of the authors and the submitted work.

Before accepting an invitation, reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest, including personal, professional, institutional, academic, or financial relationships that could affect their impartiality. Editors will not appoint reviewers whose conflicts could compromise fair review.

If a reviewer declines, becomes unavailable, submits an inadequate review, or is found to have a relevant conflict of interest, the editor may invite an alternative reviewer. Additional reviewers may be invited when needed.

6. Review Criteria

Reviewers are generally asked to assess, as applicable:

  • originality, relevance, and importance to the field;
  • scientific and clinical accuracy;
  • methodological rigor and appropriateness of study design;
  • statistical analysis and interpretation of results, where applicable;
  • adequacy of the literature review and referencing;
  • whether the conclusions are supported by the evidence presented;
  • clarity, organization, and quality of writing, tables, and figures; and
  • compliance with ethical, reporting, and authorship standards.

7. Confidentiality, Integrity, and Reviewer Conduct

All manuscripts and associated materials must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, discuss, or use unpublished content for personal or professional advantage.

Reviewers are expected to provide objective, respectful, and constructive comments that support editorial decisions and help authors improve their work where appropriate.

The journal may use research integrity checks before, during, or after peer review, including plagiarism or similarity checks and other integrity-related screening measures, subject to human oversight.

8. Supplementary Material, Review Reports, and Reviewer Identity

Supplementary material relevant to the scientific, clinical, or methodological evaluation of a submission may be included in peer review.

Peer review reports are normally anonymous and are not routinely published alongside articles.

Reviewers may recommend acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection, but the final decision rests with the journal’s editorial leadership.

9. Editorial Decisions

After reviewer reports are received, the handling editor evaluates the comments and recommendations and makes a recommendation to the Editor-in-Chief or delegated decision-making editor.

Editorial decisions may include:

  • accept;
  • minor revision;
  • major revision; or
  • reject.

The final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief or an appropriately designated editor, not with the reviewers. When reviewer opinions differ substantially or additional expertise is needed, the journal may seek one or more additional independent reviews.

10. Revision and Re-review

When revisions are requested, authors should submit a revised manuscript together with a point-by-point response to reviewer and editor comments. Revised manuscripts may be assessed by the editorial team and/or returned to one or more reviewers depending on the nature and extent of the revisions.

11. Special Issues, Article Collections, and Guest Editors

If the journal publishes special issues, supplements, or guest-edited collections, those submissions will be subject to the same editorial standards and external peer review requirements as regular submissions.

The Editor-in-Chief retains responsibility for the scholarly quality and integrity of all content published in the journal, including special issues and article collections. Guest editors may assist with editorial processes where authorized, but final editorial oversight remains with the journal’s established editorial leadership.

Submissions authored by guest editors or members of a special-issue leadership team will be handled independently by another qualified editor with no relevant conflict of interest. Special issue articles will be clearly identified where applicable.

12. Acceptance and Publication

Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, formatting, proofreading, metadata preparation, and final author approval before publication. The journal aims to display relevant article history dates, such as submission, acceptance, and publication dates, where applicable.

Policy on Editorial Involvement, Endogeny, and Conflict Management

Editorial Involvement in Submitted Manuscripts

If the Editor-in-Chief, an associate editor, a guest editor, or an editorial board member is an author or co-author of a submitted manuscript, that individual must take no part in reviewer selection, editorial discussion, or the final decision on that manuscript.

Such manuscripts will be handled independently by another qualified editor with no relevant conflict of interest.

Endogeny

The journal seeks to minimize endogeny. The proportion of published research papers in which at least one author is an editor, editorial board member, or reviewer of the journal should not exceed 25% in either of the latest two issues, or the equivalent recent publication period if the journal’s publication model changes.

Conflicts of Interest

Editors, reviewers, and authors are expected to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence editorial judgment, peer review, interpretation, or reporting of the work.

Where a relevant conflict exists, the journal may require disclosure, recusal, alternative handling, or other appropriate management measures.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

ASIDE Gastroenterology is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. The journal follows recognized best practices in publication ethics and aims to act consistently with guidance from organizations such as COPE, ICMJE, OASPA, and Think. Check. Submit..

1. Responsibilities of Editors

  • Editors evaluate submissions on scholarly merit, methodological rigor, relevance, and policy compliance.
  • Editors aim to make fair, unbiased, timely, and evidence-based decisions.
  • Editors preserve confidentiality throughout the editorial process.
  • Editors manage conflicts of interest and recuse themselves where appropriate.
  • Editors are responsible for addressing ethical concerns, corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions when necessary.

2. Responsibilities of Reviewers

  • Reviewers assist editors in making decisions and help authors improve their work.
  • Reviewers should provide objective, respectful, and evidence-based feedback.
  • Reviewers must preserve confidentiality and disclose conflicts of interest.
  • Reviewers should identify concerns relating to plagiarism, duplicate publication, inappropriate image use, fabricated or falsified information, citation manipulation, or other research integrity issues.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

  • Authors must submit original work and cite sources appropriately.
  • Authors must ensure that all listed authors meet accepted authorship criteria and that no qualified contributors are omitted.
  • Authors must disclose relevant financial and non-financial conflicts of interest.
  • Authors must comply with applicable ethical, privacy, authorship, and consent requirements.
  • Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal or publish substantially redundant work without proper justification and disclosure.
  • Authors should cooperate with editorial requests for clarification, correction, or investigation when concerns arise.

4. Human Participants, Ethics Approval, and Consent

For studies involving human participants, authors should state whether ethics committee or institutional review board approval was obtained, whether the need for approval was waived or exempted where applicable, and whether informed consent was obtained when required.

Case reports, case series, images, and other potentially identifiable clinical material must be handled in accordance with applicable ethical standards, privacy requirements, and consent expectations. Authors are responsible for ensuring appropriate de-identification and permissions.

5. Clinical Trials and Reporting Standards

Clinical trials should be registered in an appropriate public registry when registration is required or considered best practice. Authors should follow relevant reporting guidelines where appropriate, such as CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, CARE, or other applicable standards for their study design.

6. Complaints and Appeals

The journal considers complaints and appeals regarding editorial process, publication ethics, or editorial conduct. Concerns should be submitted in writing to the editorial office with sufficient detail to permit assessment.

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by providing a reasoned explanation of the scientific or procedural basis for the appeal. The journal may uphold the original decision, request additional review, or reopen editorial consideration if justified.

7. Allegations of Misconduct

Allegations of research or publication misconduct, including plagiarism, duplicate publication, image manipulation, fabricated or falsified content, inappropriate authorship, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or unethical clinical reporting, will be assessed seriously. The journal may request explanations, documentation, institutional review, or other evidence and may take corrective action where warranted.

8. Corrections, Retractions, and the Scholarly Record

Where concerns arise after publication, the journal may publish corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or other updates to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Data Sharing and Reproducibility

ASIDE Gastroenterology supports transparency and reproducibility in scholarly publishing. Research articles should include a Data Availability Statement describing whether and how the data, code, materials, or protocols supporting the findings can be accessed.

Underlying data, analysis code, protocols, and other materials necessary to reproduce results should be shared where ethically, legally, and practically possible. When restrictions apply, authors should explain the reason and indicate whether controlled access is available.

Authors are encouraged to deposit datasets in trusted repositories, preferably discipline-specific repositories where available. When no suitable discipline-specific repository exists, general repositories that provide persistent identifiers may be used. Software or code should be deposited in public version-controlled repositories and archived where possible with persistent identifiers.

Human-participant data must be de-identified and handled in accordance with informed consent, ethics approvals, and applicable law. If data cannot be shared publicly, authors should explain the restriction in the Data Availability Statement.

Artificial Intelligence and Automated Tools Policy

For Authors

Authors should disclose the use of generative artificial intelligence or other automated tools when such tools have been used beyond straightforward language correction, formatting, or routine editing. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and appropriateness of all submitted content.

Automated tools cannot be listed as authors. Generative AI tools should not be cited as primary sources of scientific or clinical evidence.

For Reviewers and Editors

To protect confidentiality and research integrity, reviewers and editors should not upload manuscripts or unpublished files to public or commercial generative AI tools for the purpose of creating review reports, editorial assessments, or substantive decision-making text.

Routine editorial screening tools may be used with human oversight where appropriate. Any journal use of automated tools remains subject to editorial judgment and responsibility.

Preservation and Archiving Policy

ASIDE Gastroenterology is committed to the long-term preservation and accessibility of its content through the following measures:

  • PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN): application submitted; upon activation, published content will be preserved through the PKP PN service for OJS journals.
  • Internet Archive: issues and article PDFs are deposited in the Internet Archive (archive.org) for long-term preservation and public access. Core journal pages may also be captured periodically through web archiving services.
  • Institutional and Repository-Based Preservation: authors are encouraged to deposit permitted versions of their work in institutional, funder, subject, and personal repositories.
  • OAI-PMH: metadata and content are available for harvesting via the journal’s OAI-PMH endpoint: https://asidejournals.com/index.php/Gastroenterology/oai

If the journal ceases publication, archived content will remain accessible through available preservation systems to the extent permitted by those services.

Repository and Self-Archiving Policy

ASIDE Gastroenterology permits and encourages authors to deposit all versions of their articles in institutional, subject, funder, or personal repositories, and on academic profiles, without embargo:

  • Submitted version (preprint): may be shared at any time.
  • Accepted version (Author Accepted Manuscript, AAM): may be shared immediately upon acceptance.
  • Published version (Version of Record, VoR): may be shared immediately after publication.

Where a version is deposited, authors should include a full citation and a link to the Version of Record or DOI where available. Articles are published under CC BY 4.0. Journal metadata are harvestable via OAI-PMH.

Website Transparency and Accuracy

The journal aims to present accurate, current, and non-misleading information regarding ownership, publisher identity, editorial team, aims and scope, publication schedule, article types, peer review, ethics, fees, archiving, and licensing.

Readers and authors are encouraged to report any factual inconsistency, outdated policy language, or metadata discrepancy to the editorial office.

Contact

For questions about the journal, editorial policies, publication ethics, or submissions, please contact:

ASIDE Gastroenterology
Email: [email protected]

Publisher:
PubPorta Publishing LLC
16192 Coastal Highway
Lewes, Delaware 19958
USA