Principles for Online Advertising

These principles are revised from the Principles Governing Advertising in Publications of the American Medical Association, previously revised in May 1999, April 2003, August 2006, and November 2006. This version was posted online on March 13, 2009.

These principles are applied by JAMA & Archives Journals to ensure adherence to the highest ethical standards of advertising and to determine the eligibility of products and services for advertising on the JAMA & Archives Journals Web sites.

The appearance of advertising on the JAMA & Archives Journals Web sites is neither a guarantee nor an endorsement by JAMA & Archives Journals or the AMA of the product, service, or company or the claims made for the product in such advertising. The fact that an advertisement for a product, service, or company has appeared on the JAMA & Archives Journals Web sites shall not be referred to in collateral advertising.

As a matter of policy, JAMA & Archives Journals will sell advertising space on its Web site when the inclusion of advertising does not interfere with the mission or objectives of the AMA or JAMA & Archives Journals.

To maintain the integrity of JAMA & Archives Journals Web sites, advertising (ie, promotional material, advertising representatives, companies, or manufacturers) cannot influence editorial decisions or editorial content (as defined in "Principles for Content"). Decisions to sell advertising space are made independent of and without information pertinent to specific editorial content. The JAMA & Archives Journals Web sites' advertising sales representatives have no knowledge of specific editorial content before it is published.

Placement of advertising adjacent to (ie, next to or within) editorial content on the same topic is prohibited. Just as a print advertisement should not be placed next to an editorial page on the same topic, a digital advertisement should not be adjacent to editorial content on the same topic, either by linking or by appearing adjacent in the content section of the same screen. Similarly, just as a print reader can choose to read an advertisement or skip over it, a computer user should have the option to click or not click on an advertisement. Viewers will not be sent to a commercial site or expanded advertisement unless they choose to do so by clicking on an advertisement.

The AMA, in its sole discretion, retains the right to decline any submitted advertisement or to discontinue posting of any advertisement previously accepted. By submitting ads for consideration, all advertisers agree to the Principles Governing Advertising in Publications of the American Medical Association and all Rate Card provisions, as amended from time to time.

Advertising

1. Digital advertising may be placed on the JAMA & Archives Journals Web sites.
2. Digital advertisements must be readily distinguishable from editorial content and the word "Advertisement" must be displayed. Advertisements may link off-site to a commercial Web site.
3. Digital advertisements may appear as fixed banners or as rotating advertisements.
4. Digital advertisements may not be juxtaposed with, appear in line with, or appear adjacent to editorial content on the same topic, or be linked with editorial content on the same topic. Advertisements may appear on the journal home page and pages that include lists of articles, such as the Tables of Contents and Topic Collections pages. Advertising may not appear on content pages, including articles and issue summary pages (such as This Week in JAMA and In This Issue of Archives).
5. Digital advertisements that are fixed in relation to the viewer's screen or that rotate should be placed to ensure that juxtaposition (as defined in item 4 above) will not occur as screen content changes.
6. AMA, JAMA, and Archives Journals logos may not appear on commercial Web sites as a logo or in any other form without prior written approval by the individuals responsible for the respective areas within AMA.
7. Web sites shall not frame JAMA & Archives Journals Web site content without express permission; shall not prevent the viewer from returning to the JAMA & Archives Journals Web site or other previously viewed screens and shall not redirect the viewer to a Web site the viewer did not intend to visit. JAMA & Archives Journals reserve the right to not link to or to remove links to other Web sites.
8. All online advertising (including but not limited to banner advertisements and e-mail advertisements) must be reviewed and approved by JAMA & Archives Editorial. Such review will include the Web site landing page to which the advertisement links. Specific requirements are provided below.

Web Site Advertisement Requirements

1. Advertisements will not appear adjacent to related content.
2. Advertisements must not include unsubstantiated claims.
3. For advertisements that display additional content on larger space than the advertisement itself (ie, PointRoll or other expandable ad units), the additional content must display only when the user clicks, not just rolls over the ad. They should be set for "expand on click".
4. The word "Advertisement" will appear adjacent to the advertisement and will be hyperlinked to a landing page that states the following: This is a paid advertising placement and JAMA & Archives Journals do not endorse the advertised product. Advertisements must adhere to the JAMA & Archives Online Advertising Principles.
5. The Web site URL to which the advertisement links must be provided to Editorial for review and prior approval, and must contain the following elements:
   • Company sponsoring the Web site is clearly displayed
   • No registration of personal information (including DEA) is required before reaching Web site

E-mail Alert Advertisement Requirements

1. E-mail alerts may have text or HTML advertisements embedded in the e-mail (top and/or bottom).
2. The word "Advertisement" must appear above the advertisement.
3. Advertisements must not include unsubstantiated claims.
4. The Web site URL to which the ad links must be provided and must contain the following elements:
   • The company sponsoring the Web site is clearly displayed
   • No registration of personal information (including DEA) is required before reaching Web site