Submissions

Author Guidelines

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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PEACE, RESOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (IJPRDS)
                            AUTHOR GUIDELINES
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Welcome to the International Journal of Peace, Resolution and Development Studies 
(IJPRDS). Prospective authors are requested to read and adhere strictly to the 
guidelines outlined below before submitting their manuscripts.

CONTENTS
1. Submission Checklist & Components
2. Peer Review Process
3. Presentation and Formatting Syle
4. Tables, Figures, and Artwork Guidelines
5. AI Policy
6. Ethics and Originality Policy
7. Pre-print and Open Access Policy

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1. SUBMISSION CHECKLIST & COMPONENTS
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Authors must submit manuscripts electronically via the IJPRDS electronic 
submission system (OJS). A complete submission consists of:

A. Cover Letter
   - Briefly explain why the manuscript fits the scope of IJPRDS and its readership.
   - Include acknowledgements of any scholars who have already read or reviewed 
     the draft (to avoid conflicts of interest during peer review).
   - Explicitly disclose the use of AI tools for copy-editing, if applicable.
   - For research involving human subjects, include an ethical conduct statement.

B. Anonymized Manuscript
   To ensure a fair double-blind review, the manuscript file must be completely 
   anonymized. Authors must remove all identifying information, including metadata/
   document properties in MS Word. The file must include:
   - Full Title of the manuscript.
   - Abstract: 150 – 200 words stating precisely the research topic, methodology, 
     core arguments, and conclusions reached.
   - Keywords: Up to six (6) keywords suitable for indexing services.
   - Main Text & References.
   - Word Count declaration at the end of the document.

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2. PEER REVIEW PROCESS
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IJPRDS follows a rigorous double-blind peer review process. 
- Editorial Decision: Based on reviewers' advice and editorial assessment.
- Revise and Resubmit (R&R): Major revisions are expected within three (3) months. 
  Minor revisions must be resubmitted within one (1) month. Delayed revisions 
  may be treated as new submissions.
- Previously Rejected Papers: IJPRDS does not consider re-submissions of 
  manuscripts previously rejected by this journal unless explicitly invited.

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3. PRESENTATION AND FORMATTING STYLE
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- Language & Length: Manuscripts must be in English, between 8,000 and 10,000 
  words in length (excluding references).
- Spelling & Punctuation: Use UK English spellings and punctuation consistently.
  * Use "-ise" rather than "-ize" (e.g., globalisation, conceptualise, recognise).
  * Use "-our" rather than "-or" (e.g., behaviour, neighbour).
  * Use single inverted commas instead of double (e.g., ‘quotation’ rather than “quotation”).
- Self-Citations: Must be sparse, convincingly contextualised, and framed in the 
  third person. Do not use placeholders like "Author (2025)". 
- Originality: At least 50% of both theoretical and empirical material must be 
  original. The journal reserves the right to withdraw the manuscript at any stage 
  if this requirement is breached.

REFERENCE STYLE GUIDELINES (APA 7th Edition)
Authors are required to follow the Publication Manual of the American 
Psychological Association (7th ed.).

In-Text Citations:
- Format: (Author, Year) or Author (Year).
- Page numbers: Use 'p.' for a single page, 'pp.' for multiple pages.
  * Example: (Wendt, 1999, p. 4) or (Wendt, 1999, pp. 2–3)
- Two Authors: Separate with '&' in parentheses, or 'and' in narrative text.
  * Example: (Berger & Luckmann, 1966)
- Three or More Authors: Use the first author followed by 'et al.'.
  * Example: (Böhm et al., 2006)
- Multiple Citations: Arranged alphabetically and separated by semicolons.
  * Example: (Gordon, 1976; Miller, 1994)

Reference List Examples:
- Books: 
  Ruddick, S. (1989). Maternal thinking: Toward a politics of peace. Ballantine Books.
- Edited Volumes:
  Dijstelbloem, H., & Meijer, A. (Eds.). (2011). Migration and the new technological borders of Europe. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Chapter in an Edited Volume:
  Williams, M. C. (2011). The continuing evolution of securitization theory. In T. Balzacq (Ed.), Securitization theory: How security problems emerge and dissolve (pp. 212–222). Routledge.
- Journal Articles:
  Blanton, R. G. (2013). Zombies and International Relations: A simple guide for bringing the undead into your classroom. International Studies Perspectives, 14(1), 1–13.
- Online/Forthcoming Articles:
  Ziai, A. (2010). German development policy 1998–2005: The limits of normative global governance. Journal of International Relations and Development. https://doi.org/10.1057/jird.2009.33

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4. TABLES, FIGURES, AND ARTWORK GUIDELINES
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- Placement: Supply all tables and figures on separate sheets at the end of the 
  manuscript, with clear indicators in the main text (e.g., "[Insert Table 1 here]").
- Formatting Tables: Use the minimum number of horizontal rules (usually three 
  lines are sufficient) and strictly avoid vertical gridlines.
- File Formats & Sizing: 
  * Vector/Line Art (Graphs, Schematics): Submit in Adobe Illustrator (.AI) or 
    Encapsulated PostScript (.EPS) format. Lettering must be in Arial or Helvetica (6–8pt).
  * Raster/Bitmapped Images (Photos, Scans): Submit in TIFF or JPEG format with 
    a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (600 dpi if the image contains small text).
- Color Artwork: IJPRDS publishes online editions in color. However, artwork 
  intended for print must be compatible with greyscale conversion or supplied in 
  CMYK format.

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5. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) POLICY
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IJPRDS does not accept manuscripts that have fully or partially been generated 
by Large Language Models (LLMs) or AI text-generation tools (e.g., ChatGPT). 
- Allowed Use: The use of AI tools solely for copy-editing (improving readability, 
  style, grammar, and punctuation) is permitted.
- Disclosure: Any such support must be explicitly disclosed in the Cover Letter, 
  specifying the tool used and the nature of the assistance. Non-disclosed use 
  of AI tools will result in immediate rejection.

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6. ETHICS AND ORIGINALITY POLICY
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IJPRDS is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication integrity 
and follows the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
- Plagiarism & Misconduct: All submitted manuscripts are subjected to automated 
  similarity checks (via iThenticate/Crossref). Submissions containing plagiarised 
  content, fabricated data, or fraudulent authorship will be rejected immediately.
- Submission Fee: IJPRDS does not charge any fees for the submission or processing 
  of manuscripts.
- Conflicts of Interest: Authors must explicitly declare any financial or personal 
  conflicts of interest upon submission.

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7. OPEN ACCESS POLICY
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- Open Access (Gold OA): IJPRDS operates as an open-access journal. Upon 
  formal publication, the final peer-reviewed PDF (Galley) will be made available 
  to the public for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International 
  Licence (CC BY), ensuring maximum visibility and academic impact.
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