INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS


Authors are expected to:

  1. Read the "Aim &Scope” to gain an overview and assess if the article is suitable for this journal.

  2. Use the “Paper Guidelines & Template” to prepare the article and apply the requirements about text and format, research structure, and references.


    Types of Publications

    Articles submitted to IJBS should neither be published previously nor be under consideration for publication in another journal. The main article types are as follows:

    • Articles: Original research papers/articles. The journal considers all original research articles, provided they are scientifically sound and contain substantial new information. The quality and impact of the study will be considered during peer review.

    • Review Articles: These provide concise and precise updates on the latest progress made in a given area of research.

    • Conference Papers: Expanded and high-quality conference papers can be considered as articles if they fulfill the following requirements: (1) the paper should be expanded to the size of a research article; (2) the conference paper should be cited and noted on the first page of the paper; (3) if the authors do not hold the copyright of the published conference paper, authors should seek the appropriate permission from the copyright holder; (4) authors are asked to disclose that it is conference paper in their cover letter and include a statement on what has been changed compared to the original conference paper. IJBS does not publish pilot studies or studies with inadequate statistical power.


Article Preparation

Authors must use the “Paper Guidelines &Template” to prepare their articles regarding format, research structure, references, etc.


Article Submission

Articles for IJBS should be submitted online at www.ijbs.unyt.edu.al through the “Submission Form.” The submitting author, generally the corresponding author, is responsible for the article during the submission and peer review. The submitting author must ensure that all eligible co- authors have been included in the authors’ list and that they have all read and approved the submitted version of the article. All co-authors can see the article details in the submission system if they register and log in using the e-mail address provided during the article submission. Alternatively, authors can submit their articles via email to the Editorial Office at ijbs@unyt.edu.al

English Corrections

Your article must be submitted in grammatically correct English to facilitate proper peer review. If the author is not a native English speaker, we recommend that he/she have the article professionally edited before submission or read by a native English-speaking colleague. Professional editing will enable reviewers and future readers to read and assess the content of submitted articles more easily.


Copyright

As part of the submission process, the authors will be required to warrant that they are submitting their original work, that they have the rights to the work, and that they have obtained and can supply all necessary permissions for the reproduction of any copyright works not owned by them.


Honour Code and Plagiarism

Authors should know that IJBS checks articles for unoriginal material and plagiarism. By submitting the articles to this journal, the authors consent to originality checks during the peer review and editorial process. Commitment to ethical professional conduct is expected from every author/researcher. Research work should neither neglect nor discriminate against individuals and groups who may benefit from advances in research.


Editors and Journal Staff as Authors

Editorial independence is essential, and Editorial Board members' decisions are independent. Editorial staff or editors shall not be involved in processing their academic work submitted to IJBS. Articles authored by editorial staff/editors will be assigned to at least two independent outside reviewers. Decisions will be made by Editorial Board members who do not have a conflict of interest with the author.


Editorial Process and Peer-Review

Initial Checks

All submitted articles received by the Editorial Office undergo the following steps:

  • Check if the article fits the scope of the journal, i.e., falls within the “Aim & Scope” of IJBS – done by the Chief Editor & Deputy Chief Editor.

  • Check the format, English editing, and references – done by Managing Editors.

  • Check for Plagiarism & AI (through Turnitin) - done by Managing Editors.

    The managing editors inform the Chief Editor / Deputy Chief Editor if the article can pass on to the second stage or should be returned to the author for revision and resubmission. If the latter, the Assistant Editor notifies the author and tells him/her to re-submit the revised article within a specific deadline. Articles that do not fit the journal's ethics policy or do not meet its standards will be rejected before peer review. No judgment/evaluation of the article from the scientific/research point of view will be made at this stage.


    Peer-Review

    Once an article passes the initial checks, it undergoes the peer review process, which includes the following steps:

  • The Editorial Team defines two reviewers whose areas of expertise are related to the article's area of expertise. The reviewers may be Editorial Board members of IJBS and/or Guest Editors of the journal (external). Reviewers should not have published with any co-authors during the past five years.

  • The Editorial Office (through the Assistant Editor) contacts the two reviewers and sends them the article, also notifying the deadline (usually one month).

  • A double-blind peer-review process is applied, where authors' identities are unknown to reviewers.

    Reviewers feedback

    The reviewer communicates the feedback to the Editorial Team, which will be one of the following:


    Accept after Minor Revisions:

    The article is, in principle, accepted after revision based on the reviewer’s comments. Authors are given five days for minor revisions.

    Reconsider after Major Revisions:

    The article's acceptance would depend on the revisions. If some of the reviewer’s comments cannot be revised, the author must provide a point-by-point response or a rebuttal. Usually, only one round of major revisions is allowed. Authors will be asked to resubmit the revised paper within a suitable time frame, and the revised version will be returned to the reviewer for further comments.

    Reject and Encourage Resubmission:

    If the article does not meet the requirements of a scientific paper in all its components, it will be rejected, and the authors will be encouraged to re-submit the paper once it does.

    Reject:

    The article has serious flaws and/or makes no original significant contribution. No offer of resubmission to the journal is provided.


    Editorial Decision

    After the peer review, the last stage includes the following steps:

  • The Editorial Office (through the Assistant Editor or Deputy Chief Editor) sends the reviewers’ feedback to the author and asks him/her to revise the article. The author should respond to all reviewers’ comments point-by-point. Where the authors disagree with a reviewer, they must react clearly.

  • The author must re-submit the article within the required deadline.

  • After the re-submission, the Editorial Team checks if the reviewers’ comments have been addressed. If yes, it is accepted for publication. If not, it is rejected, and the author is notified of the reason.


Author Appeals

Authors may appeal a rejection by sending an e-mail to the Editorial Office. The appeal must provide a detailed justification, including point-by-point responses to the reviewers' comments. The Assistant Editor will forward the article and related information to the Editor-in-Chief, who discusses it with the Editorial Board. The academic Editor being consulted will be asked to give an advisory recommendation on the article and may recommend acceptance, further peer review, or uphold the original rejection decision. A reject decision at this stage is final and cannot be reversed.


Publication Charges

There are no submission fees, publication fees, or page charges for the International Journal of Balkan Studies.


Production and Publication

Once accepted, the article will undergo final corrections, pagination, etc. It will be published in the respective issue in two forms: online on the IJBS website, www.ijbs.unyt.edu.al, and in printed copies. The author is entitled to a copy of the journal in which the article is published.