Policies & Guidelines

Scope and Subject Boundaries

The International Research Journal of Social Sciences (IRJOSS), introduced by the Department of Commerce, University of Mirpurkhas, serves as a multidisciplinary platform for advancing research across the broad field of social sciences. The journal encourages critical inquiry and scholarly debate on contemporary social, cultural, economic, and political issues affecting societies globally and locally.

The scope of IRJOSS includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:

Business and Management Studies
Economics and Development Policy
Environmental and Sustainable Development Studies
Political Science and Public Administration
International Relations and Strategic Studies
Sociology and Social Policy
Psychology and Behavioral Studies
Anthropology and Cultural Studies
Media, Communication, and Journalism
Gender and Development Studies
Law and Governance
Education and Development Studies

IRJOSS welcomes conceptual, theoretical, and empirical research papers, along with review articles, case studies, and book reviews that contribute to advancing knowledge, policy, and practice in the social sciences.

Copyright Transfer

Part 1: Author Copyright Transfer & Publishing License Agreement

Article Title: Author(s):

I/We certify that this manuscript is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under consideration by another journal.
Upon acceptance, I/We grant the International Research Journal of Social Sciences (IRJOSS) a non-exclusive license to publish the article in print and online.
I/We retain full copyright and agree to publication under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license.
I/We confirm that all co-authors have approved the final version and agree with its
I/We accept that the journal may correct or retract the article in accordance with HEC and COPE policies.

Corresponding Author Signature:

Name: Date:

· Waiver Request Forms

Part 2: Publication Fee Waiver Request Form

Name of Applicant: Institution: Country:

Manuscript Title:

I hereby request a waiver / partial waiver of publication charges due to:

Student status ☐ Researcher from developing country ☐ Institutional support limitation

Justification:

Signature of Applicant: Date:

Peer Review Process

The International Research Journal of Social Sciences (IRJOSS) follows a double-blind peer review policy to ensure objectivity, scholarly quality, and ethical integrity. This system maintains anonymity between authors and reviewers, ensuring an unbiased evaluation of all manuscripts.

9.1 Purpose of Peer Review

The peer review process upholds the academic integrity of IRJOSS by:

Ensuring methodological rigor, originality, and relevance.
Enhancing research quality through constructive feedback.
Maintaining ethical standards aligned with COPE and HEC

Review Workflow

S.No	Stage	Activity	Responsible Person(s)	Duration
1	Submission	Manuscript submitted via Open Journal Systems (OJS).	Author	Day 0
2	Initial Screening	Checked for plagiarism, formatting, and journal scope.	Managing Editor / Technical Editor	7 days
3	Editorial Evaluation	Evaluated for originality, significance, and relevance.	Editor / Associate Editor	10 days
4	Reviewer Assignment	Sent to two or more reviewers for double-blind review.	Managing Editor	14 days
5	Review Process	Reviewers assess and submit feedback.	Reviewers	4–6 weeks
6	Editorial Decision	Based on reviewers’ reports (Accept / Revise / Reject).	Editor-in-Chief	10 days
7	Author Revision	Authors submit revised manuscript.	Author	2–3 weeks
8	Final Evaluation	Revised version verified for improvements.	Section Editor / Managing Editor	7 days
9	Copyediting & Proofreading	Final language editing and layout formatting.	Language & Technical Editors	10 days
10	Publication	Approved by Editor-in-Chief and uploaded to OJS.	Editorial Team	7 days

Estimated Total Duration: 12–16 weeks (approximately 80–110 days).

Reviewer Selection

Reviewers are selected based on subject expertise, academic record, and impartiality.
Preference is given to PhD scholars or researchers with recognized publications in the field.
Reviewers must have no conflict of interest with the author(s) or institution.
The reviewer database is updated annually by the Editorial Board.

Review Criteria

Each reviewer assesses manuscripts using a structured review form that evaluates:

Relevance to journal scope
Originality and contribution
Soundness of methodology
Quality of analysis and interpretation
Organization and clarity
Ethical standards and referencing accuracy

Confidentiality and Ethics

All manuscripts are treated as confidential. Reviewers must not use unpublished material or share content outside the review process. Breach of confidentiality will result in removal from the reviewer database.

Appeal and Re-review Policy

Authors may appeal editorial decisions within 15 days by submitting a written request to the Editor-in-Chief.
Appeals are reviewed by an independent reviewer or a subcommittee of the Journal Ethics Committee (JEC).
The final decision of the Editor-in-Chief is binding.

Reviewer Recognition

Reviewers’ contributions are acknowledged annually through:

Certificates of appreciation.
Listing on the IRJOSS website (with consent).
Consideration for the “Outstanding Reviewer” recognition.

Publication Frequency and Format

The International Research Journal of Social Sciences (IRJOSS) ensures timely, structured, and high-quality dissemination of research through a consistent publication cycle.

Publication Frequency

Frequency: Biannual (two issues per year)
Issue 1: January – June (Spring Issue)
Issue 2: July – December (Fall Issue)
Special Issues may be released on emerging research themes or conference proceedings with prior approval of the Journal Steering Committee (JSC).

Article Types

IRJOSS publishes a wide range of scholarly contributions:

Original Research Articles
Review Papers
Case Studies
Research Notes / Short Communications
Book Reviews
Editorials or Commentaries (by invitation)

Language and Style

All submissions must be in English.
The journal follows the APA 7th Edition referencing style.
Authors are responsible for clarity and accuracy, and all accepted manuscripts undergo professional language editing before publication.

Layout and Design

A4 page format, double-column layout.
Each article includes:
- Title, author information, and ORCID ID
- Abstract (150–250 words) and 4–6 keywords
- Structured main text (Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion)
- DOI assigned through CrossRef
Figures and tables must be properly labeled, high resolution, and cited in text.

Online and Print Editions

IRJOSS is available in both online (e-ISSN) and print (p-ISSN)
Online publication is managed through Open Journal Systems (OJS) hosted by the University of Mirpurkhas.
Print copies are distributed to libraries, institutions, and contributors.

Archival and Preservation

All issues are:

Digitally archived in the University of Mirpurkhas Institutional Repository.
Backed up via the PKP Private LOCKSS Network (PLN) for long-term preservation.
Retained permanently to ensure continuous accessibility.

Publication Timeliness

Each issue is released within one month after its respective cycle (July and January).
Any delay beyond one month must be reported to the JSC with justification.
Publication punctuality is considered a key performance indicator (KPI) under HEC evaluation.

Plagiarism and Similarity Check Policy

The International Research Journal of Social Sciences (IRJOSS) strictly follows the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan Plagiarism Policy (2022) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines to ensure that all published manuscripts are original, ethical, and free from academic misconduct.

Screening Procedure

All submitted manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using Turnitin or iThenticate prior to peer review.
The similarity report is reviewed by the Managing Editor and the Editor-in-Chief.
Only manuscripts with an acceptable similarity index are sent for peer review.

Acceptable Similarity Index

Similarity Range	Editorial Action
0–17%	Acceptable — proceeds to review.
18–30%	Returned to author for revision with justification.
Above 30%	Rejected immediately; author notified with official report.

Exclusions in Similarity Report

When evaluating similarity, the following are excluded:

References and bibliography
Quotations (within acceptable limits)
Standard methodology or terminologies used in research papers

Actions on Plagiarism

Manuscripts found plagiarized are rejected immediately.
If plagiarism is detected after publication, the article will be retracted, and a notice of retraction will be issued on the journal’s website.
The author’s institution and the HEC Pakistan will be informed of any confirmed misconduct.
Repeat offenders may be blacklisted from future submissions.

Ethical Responsibility

Authors are responsible for submitting only original and properly cited work.
Editors and reviewers must actively report any suspected duplication or unethical practice.
The journal adheres to COPE flowcharts for handling all allegations of misconduct.

Copyright and Licensing Policy

The International Research Journal of Social Sciences (IRJOSS) promotes open access publishing and ensures both author rights and free accessibility of knowledge. The journal’s copyright and licensing policy aligns with Creative Commons and HEC open-access guidelines.

Copyright Ownership

Authors retain full copyright of their work.
Upon acceptance, authors grant IRJOSS a non-exclusive license to publish and distribute the article in print and online formats.

Licensing Terms

All published material is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which allows:

Use, sharing, and adaptation of the material for any purpose,
With proper credit to the original author(s) and source.