Reviewer Policy

1. Purpose and Scope: The International Journal for Public Policy, Law and Development (IJPLD) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of peer review, ensuring the quality, integrity, and relevance of the research published in the journal. This policy outlines the responsibilities, expectations, and processes for reviewers who contribute to IJPLD.

2. Reviewer Responsibilities: Reviewers play a crucial role in the peer review process, providing objective and constructive evaluations of manuscripts submitted to IJPLD. Reviewers are expected to:

• Confidentiality: Maintain strict confidentiality of the manuscript and its contents. Reviewers must not share, discuss, or disclose any information about the manuscript with anyone outside the editorial process.

• Objectivity and Impartiality: Provide unbiased and fair assessments of the manuscripts based on scientific merit, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope. Personal biases or conflicts of interest must be disclosed and avoided.

• Timeliness: Complete the review within the stipulated timeframe. If additional time is required or if a reviewer is unable to complete the review, they should inform the editorial office promptly.

• Constructive Feedback: Offer clear, detailed, and constructive feedback aimed at improving the quality of the manuscript. Reviewers should highlight strengths as well as areas for improvement and provide specific suggestions where appropriate.

• Ethical Considerations: Carefully identify potential ethical concerns, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or duplicate publication. Any such concerns should be reported to the editor immediately.

3. Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could bias their review. This includes any financial, institutional, or personal relationships with the authors or their affiliated institutions. If a conflict of interest is identified, the reviewer should recuse themselves from the review process, and the editorial office will assign the manuscript to another reviewer.

4. Review Process

   • Invitation: Reviewers are invited by the editorial team based on their expertise in the relevant field. The invitation includes the manuscript title, abstract, and the expected review deadline.

   • Acceptance or Decline: Upon receiving an invitation, reviewers should promptly accept or decline the review. If declining, reviewers are encouraged to suggest alternative reviewers with appropriate expertise.

   • Review Report: Reviewers are required to submit a detailed report through the journal’s online submission system. The report should include a summary of the manuscript’s content, an assessment of its strengths and weaknesses, and recommendations for improvement or acceptance/rejection.

   • Decision Recommendations: Reviewers should recommend one of the following:

     • Accept
     • Minor Revisions
     • Major Revisions
     • Reject The final decision regarding the manuscript is made by the editor, taking into account the reviewers' recommendations.

5. Acknowledgment and Recognition: IJPLD recognizes the invaluable contributions of its reviewers. Reviewers may be acknowledged annually, with their consent, through a published list of names in the journal. Additionally, outstanding reviewers may be recognized through awards or other forms of acknowledgment.

6. Ethical Compliance: All reviewers are expected to adhere to the ethical guidelines provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Any breach of ethical standards by reviewers may result in removal from the reviewer pool and notification to relevant institutions.

7. Continuous Improvement: Reviewers are encouraged to engage in continuous learning and improvement of their reviewing skills. IJPLD may provide resources, training, and feedback to support reviewers in this regard.

8. Contact Information: For any questions, concerns, or further information regarding the reviewer policy, reviewers are encouraged to contact the editorial office at support@ijpld.com