Guidelines

For Authors

Author(s) submitting to the POSTech Journal must submit original research papers. This implies their work must present novel contributions to politics, technology, and social sciences. Manuscripts submitted to POSTech Journal must not have been previously published or simultaneously submitted to other journals, as duplicate submission or publication is regarded as serious misconduct.

Authors must present their research accurately and thoroughly, ensuring proper citation, quotation, and referencing of any ideas, works, images, or words of others. Failure to do so will be considered plagiarism. Authors may refer to their prior works in their submissions, provided such reuse is properly referenced and adheres to copyright policies. However, extensive reuse of previous works or excessive self-citation is discouraged, as it may constitute self-plagiarism, which is considered unethical and unacceptable.

POSTech Journal strictly prohibits data fabrication and manipulation. Where necessary, authors may be required to provide the editor with access to data, software, algorithms, or tools used to generate the findings of the submitted manuscript for verification. Authors must promptly inform the editor if they discover errors or inaccuracies in their work, facilitating collaboration to correct or retract the publication.

Individuals who have made significant contributions to the design, execution, interpretation, drafting, or revision of the research should be listed as co-authors. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring all co-authors agree to the submission and for the accuracy and integrity of the work. Co-authors collectively decide the order of authorship. In authorship disputes, POSTech Journal will defer to the host institution of the research for resolution, as it does not arbitrate such conflicts.

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation of their research, including the source of financial support received.

For studies involving human subjects, authors should ensure their research complies with ethical standards and avoids causing harm to participants.

For Editors

Editors of the POSTech Journal are obligated to treat all submitted manuscripts equitably, assessing them based solely on their scholarly merit. Factors such as the authors' gender, race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnicity, citizenship, or political philosophy must not influence the evaluation of manuscripts. The personal information of authors, as well as unpublished drafts, is to remain confidential and may only be shared with the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher. Editors are prohibited from using any materials from submitted manuscripts for their own research without the authors' explicit written consent.

Editors are responsible for conducting an initial review to assess the originality of submitted manuscripts. This includes identifying issues that could compromise research integrity, such as plagiarism, defamation, copyright infringement, citation manipulation, duplicate submission or publication, failure to properly reference others’ work, or failure to disclose conflicts of interest. Editors may contact authors to address and clarify these concerns when necessary.

Editors must select reviewers with appropriate expertise to evaluate the manuscripts. They must avoid selecting reviewers who may have conflicts of interest. If an editor is personally involved in a conflict of interest, they must recuse themselves from the review and editorial processes. Additionally, editors must ensure that the peer-review process is constructive and uphold transparency in peer-reviewed sections and procedures for authors.

Editors are responsible for making the final publication decision, which must be based solely on the quality and integrity of the submitted manuscripts. In making this decision, editors may seek input and recommendations from reviewers.

For Reviewers

Reviewers are critical in assisting editors with publication decisions and supporting authors in improving their manuscripts. They must provide objective, fair, and high-quality feedback on submitted manuscripts. Reviewers should assess the scientific rigor of the study, the adequacy of the data, the validity of the interpretations, the originality and significance of the research, the clarity of the presentation, and the manuscript's relevance to the POSTech Journal readership. Feedback should be constructive and supported by well-reasoned arguments and references. Personal criticism of authors is strictly prohibited.

To the best of their ability, reviewers must verify that the authors have cited all relevant works and properly attributed ideas to their original sources. If reviewers identify significant similarities between the submitted manuscript and other published works or detect potential issues compromising research integrity, they must inform the editor immediately.

Before agreeing to review a manuscript, reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest to the editor. If a conflict arises or if reviewers believe they are unqualified to perform the review or unable to provide timely feedback, they should decline the review request.

The peer-review process is confidential. Reviewers are prohibited from disclosing any details about the manuscript without editor authorization and from using the information for personal advantage.

Peer Review Policy

Desk Review

Manuscripts submitted to the POSTech Journal will first undergo a desk review by the board of editors. During this stage, the editors evaluate the manuscripts' originality, scientific rigor, research integrity, adherence to writing guidelines, and alignment with the journal's aims and scope. Based on this review, the board may request revisions from the authors or, in some cases, reject the manuscript outright. Authors will receive a decision within 14 days.

Peer Review

Manuscripts that pass the desk review are advanced to the peer review stage. At this point, the editors select appropriate experts to review the manuscripts. The POSTech Journal follows a double-blind review process, ensuring the anonymity of both reviewers and authors. Each manuscript is evaluated by two reviewers, who provide feedback within 5-6 weeks.

Reviewers offer one of the following recommendations:

1. Accepted Submission: The manuscript is accepted for publication. Minor copy-editing may be required to enhance clarity.
2. Accepted with Minor Revisions: The manuscript will be accepted once minor concerns raised by the reviewers are adequately addressed. Authors have 7 days to submit revisions.
3. Accepted with Major Revisions: Substantial changes are required to address significant issues in the manuscript. Authors are given up to 3 weeks to complete these revisions.
4. Rejected: The manuscript is not accepted for publication. Rejection may be due to one or more of the following reasons: 
• Insufficient originality or significance.
• Misalignment with the journal's aims and scope.
• Flaws in design, methodology, or analysis.
• Issues compromising research integrity.

Final Decision

The board of editors considers the peer reviewers' recommendations in making final decisions. Authors should submit a summary detailing how they addressed reviewers’ concerns for manuscripts requiring revisions. The board evaluates these revisions and may reject the manuscript if the changes are deemed inadequate.

Production

Accepted manuscripts proceed to a production stage involving proofreading to enhance clarity, readability, linguistic quality, formatting, and layout. Authors are notified once these processes are completed and asked to review and correct any errors before confirming publication.

Publication

Once finalized, manuscripts are prepared for online and print publication. The editorial team oversees the publication process, ensuring timely release.