Editorial Policies of the Journal

Who We Are

Founded in 1924, the German Journal of Sports Medicine is one of the oldest journals in the field in Europe. Its readership includes physicians, physiologists, sports scientists, physiotherapists, coaches, sports managers, and athletes.

The journal provides open online access to its scientific content and serves as a platform for professional and interdisciplinary communication.

What We Do

The journal focuses on translational research and clinical practice in sports medicine, including prevention, diagnosis, therapy, rehabilitation, and training.

It also addresses broader aspects of sports science, such as physiology, biomechanics, and the impact of physical activity and inactivity on health and disease across all age groups.

Scope and Coverage

The Deutsche Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin – German Journal of Sports Medicine publishes high-quality, peer-reviewed research in sports medicine and related disciplines.

The journal examines the effects of exercise, training, sports participation, and physical inactivity on health, disease prevention, clinical management, rehabilitation, and performance across the lifespan.

Core Areas Include:

Prevention, screening, and risk assessment
Diagnosis and evaluation of sports- and exercise-related conditions
Therapeutic interventions and rehabilitation strategies
Training, exercise physiology, and performance optimization
Sports cardiology, orthopaedics, and injury management
Sports psychology and mental health
Sports nutrition and metabolism
Environmental influences on sports and exercise

Article Types

The journal publishes:

Original research
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Clinical trials
Case reports
Conceptual studies

Manuscripts may address biomedical, clinical, epidemiological, or interdisciplinary aspects of sports medicine, including social, cultural, and behavioral factors.

Contributions are expected to be evidence-based, clinically relevant, and methodologically rigorous.

Target Audience

Physicians, sports scientists, physiotherapists, coaches, sports managers, and other professionals involved in research, practice, and promotion of sports and exercise health.

Publication Frequency

The journal is published seven times per year and offers both print editions and full-text online access (PDF and HTML).

Quality of Content: Principles of Good Scientific Practice

The journal adheres to the standards of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), including the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (January 2026 update).

To ensure transparent and complete reporting, the journal follows the STROBE initiative (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology), including its checklists for cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies.

All submitted research must comply with fundamental scientific principles:

Conducting research lege artis
Following established protocols
Systematic documentation and data storage
Critical evaluation of results
Verifiability of manuscripts
Proper acknowledgment of prior work
Shared responsibility among all authors

Authors must provide original data upon request.

Scientific Integrity

The journal strictly opposes scientific misconduct, including:

Plagiarism
Misappropriation of intellectual property
Undeserved authorship
Sabotage of research
Tolerance of unethical behavior

Academic position does not justify independent authorship.

Ethical Principles

.NEW. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In alignment with the 2025 policy decision and guidelines of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), GJSM permits the use of AI tools under clearly defined conditions.

1. General Principle

AI tools may only be used in a supportive capacity. Full responsibility remains with authors and reviewers.

2. Requirements for Authors

Authors must:

Use AI only for support (e.g., language editing, structuring)
Not use AI for generating scientific content (e.g., Introduction, Discussion, References)
Disclose AI use in the manuscript
Retain full responsibility for accuracy and integrity
Comply with data protection, copyright, and research integrity standards
Not list AI tools as authors

3. Requirements for Reviewers

Reviewers must ensure:

Confidentiality:
No upload of manuscripts into public AI tools

Transparency:
Disclosure of AI use

Quality Assurance:
Critical verification of AI-supported content

Responsibility:
Full accountability remains with the reviewer

4. Legal and Ethical Considerations

AI use must comply with:

GDPR / DSGVO
Copyright law
European AI regulations

Risks include:

Bias (e.g., automation bias)
Lack of transparency
Potential inaccuracies (“hallucinations”)

5. Implementation

The journal may require:

Mandatory disclosure statements
Additional documentation

References

1. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). Artificial Intelligence in the Review Process. Information for Researchers No. 18. https://www.dfg.de/en/news/news-topics/announcements-proposals/2026/ifr-26-18 [Accessed March 23, 2026].
2. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Guideline on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Review Process (DFG form 4.04 – 03/26). https://www.dfg.de/resource/blob/390262/4-04-en.pdf [Accessed March 23, 2026].
3. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. AI in the Review Process. DFG – Basics and Topics, Artificial Intelligence. https://www.dfg.de/en/basics-topics/digital-topics/ai/review#389620 [Accessed March 23, 2026].

Ethical Standards in Sports Medicine

All authors must comply with doping-free sport principles as defined by:

German Olympic Association for Sports (DOSB)

DOSB’s Anti-Doping section

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

International Olympic Committee (IOC)

Research must follow the Declaration of Helsinki, ensuring:

Respect for participants
Voluntary informed consent
Protection of rights and autonomy

Authors must verify requirements for:

Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval
PROSPERO registration (for systematic reviews)

Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest.

The corresponding author confirms that all co-authors agree to these principles.

Human and Animal Research

Human Research

Participation must be voluntary
Full study information must be provided
Participants may withdraw at any time
Consent must be documented (preferably written)
Participants should have access to general results

Animal Research

Must comply with all applicable legal and ethical standards.

Quality of Editorial Work – Editorial Process

The editorial process ensures:

Scientific excellence
Relevance for clinical practice
Evidence-based and comprehensible communication

Peer Review

Principles

Peer review ensures:

Scientific validity
Relevance
Editorial quality

It provides constructive feedback while maintaining fairness, confidentiality, and integrity.

Process

Electronic submission only
Initial editorial screening
Review by two independent blinded reviewers
Confidential evaluation
Decision: accept, revise, or reject
Transparent revision process
Continuous review until final decision
Full documentation via Editorial Manager
Archiving for ten years

In-House Peer Review

External review for editor-authored papers
Strict conflict-of-interest management
Independent editorial oversight
Full transparency and documentation

Management of Comments, Errata, and Retractions

The journal follows ICMJE and COPE guidelines.

Letters to the editor are encouraged
Errors corrected via errata
Serious concerns may lead to retraction
Retractions are publicly documented

Submission Guidelines

Full author guidelines and previous issues are available on the GJSM website
Language: American English
Submission via Editorial Manager
AI: allowed only for support, not content generation
Special issues follow standard peer review
Manuscripts edited for clarity and style

Ethical Image Use

Respect personal rights
Written consent required for identifiable individuals

Open Access Policy

The journal follows the Budapest Open Access Initiative:

Free access to all content
No submission or processing fees

Licensing

Published under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0:

Authors retain copyright
Content may be shared and adapted for non-commercial use
Proper attribution required
Same license must be applied
Commercial use requires written permission