Introduction Editorial policies are the invisible scaffolding of scholarly publishing. They determine what gets published, how peer review operates, how conflicts are managed, and how journals respond to ethical breaches. In short, they are the backbone of trust in academic communication. Yet many editorial policies haven’t been revised in years. Some haven’t even been read … Read more
Introduction If academic writing had a VIP list, the literature review would be right at the top. It’s not the flashiest part of a thesis or paper, and it rarely gets quoted in the media, but it holds the scaffolding together. A literature review is the scholarly world’s equivalent of checking the map before heading … Read more
Introduction The question of how long a journal article should be has long haunted graduate students, early-career researchers, and seasoned academics alike. Is 3,000 words enough? Is 10,000 too much? The answer, as always in academia, is: it depends. Word count is not just a matter of verbosity or brevity. It’s about discipline norms, journal … Read more
Introduction Starting a social sciences academic journal may sound like an endeavor best reserved for tenured professors or publishing conglomerates with budgets that rival the GDPs of small countries. However, with the right mix of vision, planning, and unwavering perseverance, it is entirely possible to launch a journal that makes a meaningful contribution to the … Read more
Introduction Springer Nature, the massive scientific publishing giant behind some of the world’s most prestigious academic journals, including Nature, finds itself caught in a political crossfire. According to reports, the US federal government has begun canceling contracts with Springer Nature, effectively terminating hundreds of scientific journal subscriptions used by government agencies. The reason? Allegations of … Read more