Peer Review Process

Description

Submissions must be prepared in accordance with the Author Guidelines and Plagiarism Policy. Manuscripts may be returned to authors without scientific assessment if they fail to meet all submission requirements, are not in the correct format, or cannot be reliably downloaded.

Submissions must represent the authors' original and independent work. Each new submission is assessed by the Editor-in-Chief using the Manuscript Readiness Level (MRL) to determine whether it falls within the general scope of the Journal of Contemporary Governance and Public Policy. Manuscripts will be rejected without review if they contain insufficient content, exceed the word limit, are incorrectly formatted, or are poorly presented and unclear.

Manuscripts that pass the initial assessment will be assigned to the Editor-in-Chief or an Associate Editor, who will oversee the peer-review process to assess the manuscript’s contribution, originality, relevance, and overall presentation.

Following this, the manuscript will be sent to at least three independent reviewers for evaluation under a double-blind peer-review process, in which both the reviewers and the authors remain anonymous to each other to ensure impartiality. Peer-review comments are kept strictly confidential and will only be disclosed with the express consent of the reviewers. All manuscripts are subject to peer review, and authors can expect to receive a decision—or an explanation for any delay—within two months of submission.

If revisions are requested, the corresponding author must submit the revised manuscript within two weeks. The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or Associate Editor, based on the feedback received during the peer-review process.

All reviewed manuscripts are treated as confidential documents prior to publication, in accordance with our Publication ethics and malpractice statement.

Types of Decision

There are four types of editorial decisions made during the peer-review process:

1. Decline Submission

Following peer review, the manuscript is deemed unsuitable for publication in the Journal of Contemporary Governance and Public Policy, and resubmission is not permitted.

2. Resubmit for Review

The submitted manuscript is not currently acceptable and requires substantial revision. However, the editors recognise clear potential in the work and are willing to consider a revised version. Authors are invited to resubmit their paper as a new submission. Concerns regarding its suitability for publication will remain until the authors convincingly demonstrate that the revised manuscript aligns with the journal’s scope and standards. The resubmitted paper will, where possible, be returned to the original Associate Editor for further evaluation.

3. Revision

The manuscript requires modifications before a final decision can be made. Authors are requested to revise their manuscript in response to the reviewers’ and editors’ comments and to resubmit within two weeks of receiving the decision letter. A point-by-point response to the comments must accompany the revised manuscript. Revisions may be subject to further peer review, and multiple rounds of revision may be necessary. If the authors fail to adequately address the concerns raised, the manuscript may ultimately be declined.

4. Accept Submission

The manuscript is accepted for publication, subject to minor revisions or sub-editing to ensure it meets all editorial requirements. Once these final checks are completed by the editorial office, the acceptance is confirmed, and the manuscript is forwarded to the publisher for publication.

Galley Proof

Page proofs will be sent to the corresponding author for final checking. Corrections must be limited to typographical or printer’s errors; any other amendments, including changes to wording, equations, or grammar, may incur additional charges to the author.

Proofs should be returned to the editors within three days of receipt to avoid delays and to ensure the article is published in the intended issue. The editors do not accept responsibility for the accuracy of the published content—it is the author’s responsibility to review and verify the material at the proof stage.

Editorial and Publishing Process

Journal of Contemporary Governance and Public Policy adheres to a rigorous editorial and publishing process. This structured approach encompasses multiple stages of peer review, plagiarism checks, ethical compliance verification, and meticulous copy-editing to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity and quality. By maintaining these strict protocols, the journal ensures that only well-researched, original contributions advance public discourse on governance challenges.