Peer Review Process
All manuscripts received are evaluated by the Editorial Board and external reviewers. IAPSS Politikon employs a rigorous and transparent peer-review process to ensure the quality and validity of the research. Reviewers are selected based on their expertise and provide unbiased and constructive feedback to authors. Reviewers' identities are kept confidential unless they choose to disclose them. Editorial decisions are based on the quality and significance of the research, and editors make decisions independently, without any bias or influence. They follow relevant ethical guidelines and strive to ensure fair and unbiased treatment of all manuscripts.
To ensure a double-blind review process, authors are required to submit two separate files: a manuscript without any information that could identify the author(s) and a cover page indicating the author's name, position, a short presentation of the author, article title, and e-mail address. An insufficient level of anonymity may result in a delay during the review process.
Types of Submissions
IAPSS Politikon receives submissions of original research articles, research notes, review essays, and book reviews. The journal also accepts materials submitted in the form of interviews, pedagogical discussions, film commentaries, conference/workshop reports, and summary reports on research projects for "Conversations," a non-peer-reviewed section.
Language and Fees
IAPSS Politikon publishes all content exclusively in English. The journal aims to provide an open platform for researchers to disseminate their work, promote collaboration, and contribute to the development of Political Science. No fees or charges are required for manuscript processing and/or publishing materials.
General Policies
Authorship and Contributorship
Authors must have made substantial contributions to the research and be able to take responsibility for the content of the manuscript. All authors should be listed appropriately, and changes to authorship after acceptance require justification and agreement from all parties involved.
Handling Complaints and Appeals
Authors, reviewers, or readers who wish to raise concerns or dispute editorial decisions should contact the journal's Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Complaints and appeals will be thoroughly investigated, and appropriate actions will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.
The procedure for handling complaints and appeals involves the following steps:
1. Receipt of Complaint or Appeal
2. Initial Assessment
3. Investigation
4. Review by Editorial Board
5. Decision and Communication
6. Follow-up Actions
7. Documentation
Conflicts of Interest
The journal requires authors, reviewers, and editors to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the publication process. Conflicts of interest include financial relationships, personal connections, or any other circumstances that may affect objectivity. If a conflict of interest is identified, it will be managed appropriately, such as by excluding conflicted individuals from the decision-making process.
Data Sharing and Reproducibility
The journal encourages authors to share their research data to promote transparency and reproducibility. Authors should provide sufficient details and documentation to allow others to replicate their findings. The journal may require authors to make their data available upon request or to deposit it in an appropriate data repository.
Ethical Oversight
The journal adheres to ethical guidelines and regulations for research involving human or animal subjects. Authors must obtain appropriate ethical approvals, and their research must comply with ethical standards. Any ethical concerns or violations will be addressed and reported as necessary.
Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections
The journal provides options for post-publication discussions and corrections. Readers can engage in scholarly discussions through comments or letters to the editor. If errors or significant inaccuracies are discovered, the journal will issue corrections or retractions as appropriate, ensuring transparency and accurate information for readers.
Authors
Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure that their work is original and has not been published previously. Any use of other authors' work or ideas must be appropriately acknowledged and cited. Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited.
As the global representation of Political Science students, IAPSS is committed to the highest international standards of academic and scientific honesty. Therefore, IAPSS Politikon strictly refuses to accept any piece of work that is a product of plagiarism. The journal subscribes to the definition and characteristics of plagiarism provided by Oxford University, according to which: "Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own, with or without their consent, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement. All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered under this definition. Plagiarism may be intentional or reckless, or unintentional."
Plagiarism Screening
The journal screens for plagiarism by requesting its editors and reviewers to assess whether the manuscript is an original work to the best of their ability. The Editorial Board members make use of access to anti-plagiarism software (e.g., Turnitin) via their institutions.
Authorship and Contributions
All authors must have made significant contributions to the research and preparation of the manuscript. They should accurately list all co-authors and obtain their consent before submission. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Data Integrity
Authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of their research data. They must provide sufficient details and methodology to allow others to replicate the study, if applicable. Fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting of data is considered a serious breach of ethics.
Conflict of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional conflicts of interest that may influence the research or its interpretation. Any potential conflicts should be declared in the manuscript.
Multiple Submissions and Redundant Publication
Authors should not submit the same work to multiple journals simultaneously. Similarly, redundant publication, where substantial parts of the same work are published multiple times, is not permissible.
For further information, please refer to the instructions for authors.
Reviewers
Peer Review Process
Reviewers play a crucial role in ensuring the quality and integrity of published research. They should agree to review manuscripts within a reasonable timeframe and provide unbiased and constructive feedback to authors.
Confidentiality
Reviewers should maintain the confidentiality of the review process and refrain from sharing or discussing the manuscript with others without permission.
Expertise and Objectivity
Reviewers should possess relevant expertise in the field and provide objective and impartial evaluations of the manuscript. They should avoid personal biases and conflicts of interest that could affect their judgment. If a reviewer feels unqualified to review a manuscript or has a potential conflict of interest, they should decline the invitation to review.
Timeliness and Communication
Reviewers should complete their reviews promptly and inform the editor of any delays. If additional time is needed, they should notify the editor in a timely manner. Reviewers should provide clear and constructive feedback to help authors improve their work.
Editors
Editorial Decision-Making
Editors are responsible for making fair and unbiased decisions on manuscript acceptance, revision, or rejection. They base their decisions on the quality, significance, originality, and validity of the research, as well as adherence to ethical guidelines. Editors do not discriminate against authors based on their gender, race, nationality, or institutional affiliation.
Confidentiality and Integrity
Editors and editorial staff treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. They do not disclose any information about the manuscript or its contents to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and relevant editorial board members.
Conflict of Interest
Editors handle manuscripts impartially and avoid conflicts of interest that could influence their decisions. If an editor has a personal or financial conflict of interest related to a manuscript, they recuse themselves from the review process and transfer responsibility to another editor.
Publication Ethics
Editors should actively promote adherence to ethical guidelines among authors, reviewers, and other stakeholders. They investigate any allegations of misconduct, plagiarism (as defined by the IAPSS Declaration on Plagiarism), or ethical breaches and take appropriate actions in consultation with the editorial board.
Publisher
IAPSS Politikon is interested in having the roles of the publisher and the editors well-defined to ensure the autonomy of editorial decisions without any influence from advertisers and other commercial partners.
The publisher is obliged to archive the signed license agreements with the author, which guarantees the absence of conflicts of interest concerning financing of publication and research, as well as academic honesty.
The publisher coordinates the administration and functioning of the online facilities of the journal and ensures its functioning in cooperation with the overall IAPSS website coordinator. IAPSS Politikon guarantees open access to published manuscripts.
If any instance of plagiarism or any other scientific misconduct is discovered after publication, the publisher, in cooperation with the editors, is obliged to adopt all necessary measures to either publish and announce a corrected version of the article or retract it from the publication.
Last edited: 11 May 2024
We are excited to announce a series of methodological seminars for the upcoming academic year, organized by our journal. The seminar series features engaging sessions spread across the academic year, each exploring a different research method with guidance from expert speakers.
RSVP: Please confirm your attendance via Google Form (https://forms.gle/wDNAdKQYwq2dNJTu8)
Are you passionate about democratizing knowledge and amplifying diverse voices in political science? Join us in our mission to make quality research more accessible and promote diverse perspectives in the field.
As an independent journal, IAPSS Politikon aims to bridge the gap between emerging scholars and the wider academic community.
We are currently seeking new Editors to help guide our publication and contribute to this important endeavor.
Share your thoughts, insights, and critiques by submitting book reviews. Your perspective matters, and it's a chance to contribute to the world of knowledge. Plus, it's a great way to sharpen your analytical skills and build your academic portfolio. Start reviewing today!
IAPSS Politikon accepts reviews of books in the broad field of political science and review articles that combine a number of recent works under a common theme. If you're interested in making a submission, reach out to our Book Review section editor at politikon.bookeditor@iapss.org.
