Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement

Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science (IAPSS Politikon) is a peer-reviewed journal published by the International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS). It welcomes submissions from researchers worldwide and encompasses various theoretical and methodological traditions within the field of Political Science. The journal covers a broad range of topics and aims to provide a platform for scholarly exchange and diverse perspectives in Political Science.

All the manuscripts received are evaluated by the Editorial Board and by external reviewers. We employ 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 their identities. Our editorial decisions are based on the quality and significance of the research. 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.

In order to ensure a double-blind review process, authors are required to submit two separate files containing: a manuscript without any information susceptible of identifying the author/s and a cover page, indicating the author’s name, position, short presentation of the author as requested by the Paper Submission Guidelines, article title, and e-mail address. An insufficient level of anonymity may result in a delay during the review process.

IAPSS Politikon receives submissions of original research articles, research notes, review essays, and book reviews. IAPSS Politikon 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.

IAPSS Politikon publishes all content exclusively in English. 

IAPSS Politikon 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

Policies on 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: The journal receives a complaint or appeal from an author, reviewer, or reader. The complaint or appeal may be related to editorial decisions, peer review process, ethical concerns, or other aspects of the publication process.

  2. Initial Assessment: The journal's editorial office conducts an initial assessment of the complaint or appeal to determine its validity and relevance. This involves reviewing the details provided and assessing whether the issue falls within the scope of the journal's policies.

  3. Investigation: If the complaint or appeal is deemed valid and relevant, an investigation is initiated. The journal may consult the relevant parties involved, such as authors, reviewers, or editors, to gather additional information and perspectives. The investigation aims to gather all necessary facts and evidence to make an informed decision.

  4. Review by Editorial Board: The complaint or appeal, along with the investigation findings, is reviewed by the journal's editorial board or an appointed committee. The board carefully evaluates the issue and discusses potential resolutions or actions to be taken.

  5. Decision and Communication: Based on the investigation and review, a decision is made regarding the complaint or appeal. The decision may involve addressing the concern, revising editorial decisions, providing clarification, or taking corrective actions. The decision is communicated to the complainant or appellant, providing clear and transparent reasoning for the outcome.

  6. Follow-up Actions: If necessary, the journal implements any necessary actions or changes resulting from the complaint or appeal. This may involve corrections, retractions, revised editorial policies, or improvements to the publication process.

  7. Documentation: The journal maintains records of the complaint or appeal, investigation process, and decisions made. This documentation ensures transparency, accountability, and a reference for future cases.

Conflicts of interest / competing interests: 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. See the IAPSS Declaration on Plagiarism.

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 instructions for authors.

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 (Turnitin) via their institutions.

By submitting the manuscript the authors acknowledge that after the publication by IAPSS Politikon of their work will be made available online at IAPSS website, as well as through the databases where the journal is indexed.

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. 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 journals, and ensures their 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 the 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: 18 May 2023