Editorial Policy

The editorial policy of Policies, Administration and Markets Journal (PAMJ) is designed to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity, peer review transparency, and scientific excellence. It governs all stages of the publication process-from manuscript submission to final publication-ensuring that every article contributes meaningfully to advancing knowledge in public administration, policy, law, markets, and related interdisciplinary fields.

1. MISSION AND EDITORIAL VISION

The mission of PAMJ is to serve as a high-impact, open-access platform that encourages the dissemination of original research in a wide spectrum of topics, including public governance, legal-institutional frameworks, digital transformation, sustainable development, marketing strategies, and market regulation.

The editorial team is committed to publishing articles that demonstrate:

  • Methodological rigor and originality
  • Relevance to the journal’s aims and scope
  • A clear contribution to academic knowledge or professional practice
  • Ethical soundness in research design and reporting

2. PEER REVIEW PROCESS

PAM Journal adopts a double-blind peer review process to ensure impartiality and academic quality. The process involves the following steps:

  • Initial screening by the editorial office to assess thematic fit, compliance with submission guidelines, and minimum academic quality.
  • Double-blind review by at least two external reviewers, specialists in the domain, who are unaware of the author's identity and vice versa.
  • Reviewer criteria include originality, theoretical contribution, methodological quality, clarity of results, and coherence of argument.
  • In case of conflicting reviews, a third expert opinion is solicited.
  • The editorial decision (accept, revise, reject) is based on the reviewers’ reports and the editor’s final assessment.

Turnaround time: Authors are informed of the first editorial decision within 4 to 6 weeks of submission.

3. AUTHORSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Authorship should reflect a substantial contribution to the research process. PAMJ follows several guidelines:

  • All listed authors must have contributed significantly to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research.
  • Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.
  • The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors have approved the final version and agreed to its submission.
  • Changes to the authorship list after submission are not permitted without the written consent of all listed authors and editorial approval.

4. MANUSCRIPT TYPES ACCEPTED

PAM Journal publishes the following categories of scholarly work:

  • Original Research Articles (empirical or theoretical)
  • Review Articles (systematic, literature reviews, meta-analyses)
  • Policy Papers and Case Studies
  • Book Reviews and Conceptual Essays
  • Special Issues on emerging themes (subject to editorial proposal)

All manuscripts must conform to the journal template, be submitted in Word format, and meet the journal’s referencing style (APA).

5. PLAGIARISM, INTEGRITY, AND ETHICAL STANDARDS

PAMJ maintains a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism, falsification, duplicate submission, and unethical research practices.

  • All manuscripts are checked using plagiarism detection software (e.g., iThenticate).
  • Ethical research involving human subjects must indicate institutional review board (IRB) approval and informed consent.
  • Data, methods, and funding sources must be fully disclosed.
  • Any conflicts of interest must be declared at submission.

Violations may result in immediate rejection, retraction, or author blacklisting in severe cases.

6. DATA TRANSPARENCY AND OPEN ACCESS POLICY

PAMJ is an open-access journal. All articles are freely accessible under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), allowing users to read, download, and reuse with proper attribution.

Authors are encouraged to deposit datasets and supplementary materials in public repositories (e.g., Zenodo, Figshare, OSF). Transparency and reproducibility are key values, especially in quantitative and empirical work.

7. CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND DISCLOSURE

Authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose any personal or financial interest that could influence the manuscript’s content or the editorial decision.

Examples include:

  • Financial ties to companies or agencies mentioned
  • Institutional affiliations that may be perceived as biased
  • Personal or professional relationships with other authors

When in doubt, disclosure is preferred over omission.

8. CORRECTIONS, RETRACTIONS, AND COMPLAINTS

In case of post-publication concerns:

  • Errata or corrigenda will be issued for factual or typographic errors.
  • Retractions will be published in cases of confirmed academic misconduct, major methodological flaws, or ethical violations.
  • Authors and readers may submit complaints via the Editorial Office Contact Form. All complaints will be treated confidentially and according to COPE guidelines.

9. EDITORIAL GOVERNANCE AND INDEPENDENCE

PAMJ is governed by an international editorial board, composed of scholars and professionals from a wide range of disciplines and regions. Editorial independence is strictly maintained:

  • Editors make decisions based solely on academic merit, without regard to race, gender, institutional affiliation, or national origin.
  • Editorial members recuse themselves from handling papers where a conflict of interest exists.
  • Guest editors for special issues must comply with PAMJ's editorial policy and are supervised by a senior editor.