JFS Publication Process

Note: this is a general overview of the publication process with JFS.  The stages and timelines for process can change or be extended and may vary depended on circumstances.  The publication process and timelines with special issues may vary.

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PUBLICATION PROCESS

JOURNAL OF FUTURES STUDIES

JFS is a small, independent, and open access journal, there isn’t a large budget for production. JFS doesn’t make money from paywalls like Elsevier, Taylor and Francis, or Sage etc., We don’t charge authors USD$2,000-3,000 to keep papers open access like they do. JFS is funded through Tamkang University and by donations from Tamkang University colleagues, and supported by the kindness and generosity of voluntary reviewers.  To maintain this we have to be very lean and we don’t have a big publishing team. 

Publishing with JFS takes between 12 to 24 months from submission to the issuing of a DOI. This involves passing the required double anonymous review process, making revisions, proofing and completing the required production editing. The timeframe also depends on how many existing papers are in the review and production process, as this creates a queue (JFS only publishes 10 papers per quarter). However,  papers can be put on the website as in-press as soon as the review and proofing process is completed. (In-press papers are citable within referencing conventions). 

If you’re an existing author with an active submission in the JFS online submission system, and have questions kindly log into your account, click on the ‘Add message’ on the Submission page to send us your queries.  That way we can track and link your concerns to your submission quicker and thereon solve or address your issues faster. We communicate with authors using the JFS system.  Do check your SPAM – as emails from the JFS online system might have been sent to your SPAM.

If you have questions about JFS publication process after reading the information below, write to us @ tkufutures@gmail.com 

PART 1: GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1.1 No of papers in an issue

For every issue, under the University requirement– there must be at least 5 articles, plus reports and essays, up to a max of 10 papers per issue. 

1.2 The general guidelines applicable to every submission

https://jfsdigital.org/invitation-to-authors/

The editors invite contributors in the areas of foresight, forecasting, long-range planning, visioning and other related areas, from any of the main research frameworks of Futures Studies – empirical, interpretative, critical and action learning.

An important note, all submissions must cite at least two or more works in the futures field, and one or those, a JFS publication.

Articles, essays and reports are expected to show an in-depth understanding of the field’s dimensions, content, research perspectives and methods. To stimulate the systematic use and growth of futures literature, one of the criteria for publishing in the journal is indicating how the article relates to others in the futures literature. That is, your paper should refer to material published in this journal and in the other journals in the futures field (including, the Journal of Futures Studies, Futures, Foresight, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, The European Journal of Futures Research, World Future Review, On the Horizon) as well as futures material contained in books, monographs, other field related journals, including visual resources and web resources. Editors strongly advise authors to cite at least two or more works in the futures field, and one of those, JFS publication.

1.3 Manuscript length

Full article – a max of 8000 words including references

Essays 2500-4000 words including references

Reports 3000-5000 words including references

1.4 JFS uses APA 7th ed referencing style

APA 7th ed

https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/basic-principles

Referencing style for chapter in an edited book

https://libguides.css.edu/APA7thEd/BookChapter

1.5 COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE SUBMISSION SYSTEM

Reminder to authors/reviewers to add tkufutures@gmail.com in their contact list so that they will securely receive email notifications from the JFS system, and avoid any emails/notifications that get blocked or sent to SPAM from your mail system.

PART 2:  REVIEW PROCESS

2.1 NEW SUBMISSIONS – First cut

It is important that each new submission must comply with the following:

• Submissions must not contain any author(s) identification, manuscripts must be anonymous – as they have to pass the double-blinded review process
• Make sure that the referencing style is in APA 7th ed ; https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/basic-principles
• Make sure that the papers have a strong methodology section and must show a strong link to Futures literature
• Must cite at least two references on Futures; at least one of the two is from the Journal of Futures Studies, 
• Length of article must not be over 8000 words including references ; essays can be up to 4000 words. Word limit is STRICT. 

If any of the above (guide to authors  https://jfsdigital.org/information/) is not complied with then a request for revisions will be sent to authors even before the review process can begin. We cannot begin the review process until these guidelines are followed. 

2.2 REVIEW PROCESS 

1. Once the manuscript passed the first cut, the Review Process round 1 begins.
2. We send the manuscript to review stage : Round1
3. Select reviewers – Review Requests will be sent out to a select set of reviewers. Reviewers have up to a week to respond – to accept the Review Request or Reject. They have up to 2 weeks to review and provide comments to authors for improvement. Extension of time upon request.
4. When both reviewers’ comments were submitted, based on the recommendations of reviewers, a decision is send to author(s).

2.3 DECISION AFTER REVIEW

If revisions were required, editors to send the Revisions Required email to authors with reviewer comments attached doe authors can make the necessary corrections and address every concern stated by reviewers.

If there were no corrections required, two possible decisions: 

1) accept with revisions required – a Revisions Required request email with attached  reviewer comments and a note from the Editors about some minor changes required just before acceptance. 

2) accept with no revisions: an Acceptance email to be sent to inform authors about the decision.  The manuscript at this stage will be sent to Copyediting stage.  The Journal production editor will get in touch with authors to work on the manuscript in preparation for IN-PRESS.

2.4 REVISED SUBMISSION BY AUTHORS

All revised submissions will be reviewed to make sure that the authors have made the necessary changes as per reviewers’ comments and guidelines.

It would be helpful for authors to provide a list detailing how they have responded to the reviewers’ concerns.  This can help editors & reviewers evaluate revisions and corrections made. If the authors have not addressed the comments and questions sufficiently, another revision request will be sent to advise authors on the revisions required.

2.5 GUIDE TO THE REVIEW STAGE

Anonymous Review

Please anonymize any in-text comments – for example any word document with track changes needs to NOT show who the commenter is. Here is a video on anonymizing commenter data – https://youtu.be/WcxcPyFDn04

Review Criteria 

As a general guide JFS aims to publish high quality papers that make a contribution to the evolving knowledge base of futures studies. 

Potential questions reviewers will use in their evaluation

1. Does the paper genuinely have something new to say – e.g. make a contribution to NEW knowledge in the field?
2. Are claims and research substantiated by evidence?
3. Is the paper informed by science and / or deep scholarship rather than shallow or litany depictions?
4. Does the paper use research informed by other fields that provides inter-disciplinary connections?
5. Does the paper take on a focused and defined / limited subject matter with clear research boundaries?
6. Does the paper present a clear argument – with an intelligible scaffold and a good structure?
7. Does the paper communicate effectively? (e.g. use of language, grammar)
8. Does the paper effectively situate itself in the literature? (e.g. the key literature that can / should inform the study and writing – positioning work within the field of futures studies – understand the discourses and debates and how the article sits amid this)
9. Does the paper display epistemological awareness – e.g. how the perspective and theory structures the nature of inquiry and data?
10. Does the paper engage with the ethics of the issue effectively?

 

PART 3 PUBLICATION

3.1 COPY-EDITING

Once the manuscript has passed the review stage, the revised manuscript  will be sent to the copy edit stage in preparation for IN-PRESS publishing. IN-PRESS allows your paper to be published on the website before an DOI is issued. This means your paper is visible and citable while your paper is scheduled for publication in a quarterly issue. You will receive an email notification requiring inputs from authors. This stage is managed by our production editor.  The production editor liaises with authors to work on the page formatting, referencing style, captions for tables/figures, and other requirements to get the manuscripts  ‘camera-ready’. When this notification arrives, please read the instructions carefully.

PUBLISHING IN JFS 

JFS is unique in its commitment to open access, a quick review process, accessibility and zero author fees. This requires discipline from our team, but also requires understanding and cooperation from authors. We can continue to publish works in Futures Studies and keep this open by being efficient and through the cooperation and diligence of authors.

We look forward to your next submission and hope that your publishing journey is smooth and rewarding.