Authors should verify the ownership, licensing conditions, and permitted use of third-party materials, including:

• Copyrighted text, books, articles, and other publications.
• Figures, photographs, diagrams, charts, and illustrations.
• Tables and datasets obtained from third parties.
• Software, source code, and proprietary algorithms.
• Trademarks, logos, and protected visual materials.
• Previously published research materials.

When permission is required to reproduce or adapt copyrighted material, authors must obtain the appropriate authorization before publication and, where necessary, before submission. Authors should clearly identify the original source, provide appropriate attribution, and comply with applicable license terms and usage restrictions. Permission or licensing documentation should be retained and provided to the editorial team upon request.

Proper citation alone does not necessarily authorize the reproduction of copyrighted material. Authors must determine whether the intended use is permitted by the applicable license, qualifies for a relevant legal exception, or requires explicit permission from the rights holder. Previously published material must not be presented in a manner that misrepresents its origin or ownership.

By submitting a manuscript to the Journal of Decision Support Systems and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (JODESMA), authors confirm that they have the necessary rights or permissions to use the materials included in their submission and that, to the best of their knowledge, the manuscript does not infringe the intellectual property rights of another person or organization. Authors remain responsible for resolving rights-related issues associated with their submissions.

The editorial team may request clarification, permission records, licensing information, or other supporting documentation when concerns arise regarding the use of third-party materials. Submissions that appear to infringe intellectual property rights or fail to meet applicable attribution and licensing requirements may be returned for correction, delayed, rejected, or subject to appropriate post-publication action if the issue is identified after publication.