The sequence of events that led to the formation of ISAJE began in July 1997 when the journal Addiction hosted a meeting for editors of peer-reviewed journals in the largely overlapping fields of drug dependence, substance abuse and addiction.

The meeting (in Farmington, Connecticut, USA) "had serious and committed intent and was much more than a bit of agreeable networking. Many important theses were set out …" Furthermore, there was a very definite product from the meeting, the document now referred to as the "Farmington Consensus".

This historic document has been widely adopted and reproduced in many journals in the field]. It aimed to make a statement of a strongly shared position, to enhance the quality of publications in the field, to emphasise commitment to the peer review process and to "take strong positions on issues relating to the efficiency and integrity of that process".

The intention was also to set standards for ethical expectations from authors, referees, editors alike and thus to bring out the importance of avoiding duplicate publications and undeclared conflicts of interest. Farmington also requires journals to define policies for dealing with examples of scientific misconduct that they may encounter and to be alert to issues relating to editorial independence and the impact of the financial and other interests of journal owners.