For Authors

Authors submitting to the POSTech Journal must submit original research papers. This means their work should present novel contributions to politics, information technology (IT), and the related social sciences. Manuscripts submitted to the POSTech Journal must not have been previously published or simultaneously submitted to other journals, as duplicate submission or publication constitutes 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.

The 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 that all co-authors agree to the submission and for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the work. Co-authors collectively decide the order of authorship. In cases of authorship disputes, the 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 sources of financial support. For studies involving human subjects, authors must ensure that 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 solely on their scholarly merit. Factors such as the authors’ gender, race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnicity, citizenship, or political affiliation and ideology must not influence the evaluation of manuscripts.

The personal information of authors, as well as unpublished drafts, must 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 and 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. Editors must also 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 play a critical role 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 interpretations, the originality and significance of the research, the clarity of 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.

Reviewers must ensure that 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.