Question

Answer

What is the typical time frame for the initial review?

The primary review, where editors assess the initial suitability of the manuscript, takes approximately 10 days.

What is the average time for the full peer-review process?

The average refereeing time, encompassing the full expert assessment and recommendation phase, is 8 weeks.

What is the acceptance rate?

The journal maintains a highly selective acceptance rate of 21%.

Does the journal charge any publication fees or APCs?

Yes, an Article Processing Charge (APC) is required to sustain the journal’s high-quality publishing services and its commitment to permanent open access and a fee of 6,000,000 Iranian Rials is applied (3,000,000 at the submission phase nad 3,000,000 after manuscript acceptance). These funds are utilized to cover the costs of technical maintenance, professional typesetting, digital archiving, and the immediate global dissemination of the research. To ensure that high-quality research from these authors can still be featured in our journal, we provide the opportunity to apply for a full or partial APC waiver upon request.

What kind of peer review process does PQ use?

The journal utilizes a double-blind peer-review process, meaning that both the authors' and reviewers' identities are concealed from each other throughout the evaluation.

What are the required article types?

PQ accepts submissions of both original and review articles.

What ethical standards does the journal adhere to?

The journal strictly follows the policies and guidelines of the COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics and adheres to its Code of Conduct in addressing misconduct issues.

How is originality verified?

The originality of all submitted manuscripts is verified through a multi-stage evaluation process managed by the editorial office. During the initial screening, papers are closely examined by subject matter experts to ensure the work has not been previously published and does not overlap significantly with existing literature. Furthermore, the Samim-e Noor (https://www.samimnoor.ir) or Hamananjoo (https://tik.irandoc.ac.ir) are employed for formal verification of text uniqueness.

What citation style should authors use?

Authors are required to use the APA referencing style.

What are the copyright and licensing terms?

Authors retain unrestricted copyrights and publishing rights. The articles are published under a CC BY 4.0. LICENSE (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en) license, allowing free access and reuse, provided proper attribution is given.

Where should I send my submission?

Researchers must register and submit their manuscript directly through the journal's online submission system based on the author's guidelines. The email address for contact is Politics@ut.ac.ir.

What are the required files for submission?

Five essential files must be uploaded: 1. The main manuscript file (anonymized, without author names), 2. The Title Page, 3. Declaration of Competing Interests Form (signed by the Corresponding Author(s)), 4. A Cover Letter, and 5. Similary Check Certificate (issued by IranDoc or Samim-e Noor).

Can I appeal an editorial decision?

Yes, authors may submit a formal appeal request to an editorial decision, provided it meets requirements and follows the outlined procedure. Only one appeal per submission is generally considered, and that decision will be final.

Are published articles digitally archived and preserved?

To ensure long-term preservation and permanent access to scholarly content, all published articles in this journal are digitally archived in the institutional archive of University of Tehran and National Library of Iran. This commitment to digital curation guarantees that the journal’s research legacy is protected against technological obsolescence, providing researchers and libraries with uninterrupted access to the final version of record for years to come.