1. Editorial Board

Composition and Roles:

• Diverse and Experienced Board: The editorial board will include experts from various subfields within social science, political science, international relations, development, and ocean engineering. Efforts will be made to ensure diversity in terms of geographic location, gender, and research expertise to provide a broad perspective on submitted manuscripts.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Editor-in-Chief: Oversees the overall editorial process, makes final publication decisions, and ensures the journal adheres to its standards and policies.
• Associate Editors: Handle manuscripts assigned to them, manage the peer review process, and make recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief.
• Section Editors: Focus on specific areas within the journal’s scope, ensuring in-depth expertise is applied to relevant manuscripts.
• Editorial Board Members: Provide guidance on journal policies, contribute to the peer review process, and promote the journal within the academic community.

2. Peer Review Process

Double-Blind Review:

• Anonymity: Both the authors' and reviewers' identities are concealed to prevent bias. This ensures that the manuscript is judged solely on its merits, without influence from the reputations of the authors or reviewers.

Reviewer Selection:

• Expert Matching: Reviewers are chosen based on their expertise related to the manuscript's topic. Editors ensure reviewers have no conflicts of interest, such as recent collaborations with the authors.

Review Criteria:

• Key Evaluation Points: Reviewers assess the manuscript based on originality (novel contributions to the field), significance (impact on the relevant fields), methodological rigor (sound research methods and analysis), ethical considerations (adherence to ethical standards), clarity (well-written and logically structured), and relevance (alignment with the journal's focus).

Timeline:

• Efficiency: Manuscripts undergo initial screening within one week to ensure they fit the journal's scope and comply with submission guidelines.
• Review Process: Reviewers are given two weeks to agree to review and four weeks to complete their reviews. Authors receive decisions within six weeks of submission, ensuring a timely review process.

3. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship Criteria:

• Substantial Contributions: Only those who have made significant contributions to the research design, data collection, analysis, or manuscript drafting should be listed as authors.
• Final Approval and Accountability: All listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for its content, ensuring transparency and responsibility.

Acknowledgment:

• Non-Author Contributions: Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria (e.g., technical support, funding acquisition) should be acknowledged in a separate section, provided they consent to be mentioned.

4. Publication Ethics

Adherence to COPE Guidelines:

• Misconduct Handling: COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines will be followed for addressing allegations of misconduct such as plagiarism, data fabrication, and ethical breaches. Investigations will be thorough and impartial.
• Correction and Retraction Policies: If errors are discovered post-publication, corrections or retractions will be issued promptly. Statements of concern will be published if investigations are ongoing.

Duplicate Submission:

• Originality Assurance: Manuscripts must not be under consideration elsewhere or previously published, ensuring the originality of content published in the journal.

Data Sharing:

• Open Data Practices: Authors are encouraged to share their data in public repositories to promote transparency and reproducibility of research findings.

5. Manuscript Handling

Initial Screening:

• Scope and Compliance Check: The editorial office will screen submissions to ensure they fit the journal's scope and comply with submission guidelines. Non-compliant manuscripts will be returned to authors for revision.

Plagiarism Check:

• Originality Verification: Plagiarism detection software will be used to ensure submitted manuscripts are original and do not contain plagiarized material.

Decision Making:

• Editorial Discretion: Final decisions on manuscripts will be made by the Editor-in-Chief based on recommendations from reviewers and Associate Editors. This ensures that decisions are well-considered and based on expert input.

6. Conflicts of Interest

Disclosure:

• Transparency: Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest (financial, personal, or professional) that could influence their work. This promotes transparency and trust in the publication process.

Management:

• Conflict Management: When conflicts of interest are identified, manuscripts may be reassigned to other editors or reviewers to ensure an unbiased review process.

7. Appeals and Complaints

Appeals Process:

• Fair Review: Authors can appeal editorial decisions by providing a detailed justification for reconsideration. Appeals will be reviewed by an independent editorial board member who was not involved in the initial decision to ensure fairness.

Handling Complaints:

• Ethical Resolution: Complaints about the editorial process or ethical concerns will be addressed following COPE’s guidelines. This includes transparent procedures for investigating and resolving issues to maintain high ethical standards.

8. Open Access Policy

CC BY 4.0 License:

• Creative Commons License: All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, allowing free access and use with appropriate credit to the authors. This promotes the dissemination and utilization of research findings.

Article Processing Charges (APC):

• Transparency and Accessibility: Information about APCs will be clearly provided on the journal’s website. Waivers and discounts will be available for authors from low-income countries to ensure equitable access to publication opportunities. For more details, please visit the APC page.

9. Editorial Independence

Publisher Relationship:

• Independence Assurance: Editorial decisions will be made independently of the publisher (CA and C Press AB) to avoid any influence on content, ensuring the integrity and academic freedom of the journal.

Advertising and Sponsorship:

• Clear Separation: A clear distinction will be maintained between editorial content and advertisements or sponsored content. Sponsors will have no influence over editorial decisions, preserving the integrity of published research.

10. Archiving and Preservation

Digital Preservation:

• Long-Term Access: The journal will use digital archiving services such as CLOCKSS or Portico to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of its content. This guarantees that research articles remain available even if the journal ceases publication.

11. Transparency and Best Practices

Journal Metrics:

• Performance Indicators: Regularly updated metrics, including submission-to-decision times, acceptance rates, and citation statistics, will be published on the journal’s website to provide transparency about the journal’s performance.

Ethical Standards:

• Adherence to Standards: The journal will follow the standards set by COPE to maintain high-quality scholarly publishing practices. This includes adhering to ethical guidelines, promoting transparency, and ensuring the reliability of published research.