Submissions

Author Guidelines

Authors are invited to make a submission to this journal. All submissions will be assessed by an editor to determine whether they meet the aims and scope of this journal. Those considered to be a good fit will be sent for peer review before determining whether they will be accepted or rejected.

Before making a submission, authors are responsible for obtaining permission to publish any material included with the submission, such as photos, documents and datasets. All authors identified on the submission must consent to be identified as an author. Where appropriate, research should be approved by an appropriate ethics committee in accordance with the legal requirements of the study's country.

An editor may desk reject a submission if it does not meet minimum standards of quality. Before submitting, please ensure that the study design and research argument are structured and articulated properly. The title should be concise and the abstract should be able to stand on its own. This will increase the likelihood of reviewers agreeing to review the paper. When you're satisfied that your submission meets this standard, please follow the checklist below to prepare your submission.

Publication Ethics Statement 

IJLSD is committed to the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing. Its publication ethics are guided by internationally recognised principles, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Guidelines.

a) Author Responsibilities:

i. Submissions must be original works that have not been published elsewhere and are not under consideration by any other journal.
ii. Authors must ensure that all sources are properly acknowledged and referenced.
iii. Any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed.
iv. Authors must obtain necessary permissions for use of copyrighted materials.

b) Editorial Responsibilities:

i. Editors will evaluate submissions solely on academic merit, relevance, and quality, without discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, religion, nationality, or political beliefs.
ii. The editorial team will maintain confidentiality of all submissions and will not use unpublished materials for personal advantage.
iii. Decisions on acceptance, revision, or rejection will be based on the outcome of the peer review process and the Journal’s editorial standards.

iv. The Journal will investigate all allegations of misconduct, including plagiarism, falsification of data, or unethical research practices, and may retract or correct articles where necessary.

c) Reviewer Responsibilities:

i. Reviewers must ensure objective, constructive, and confidential evaluations of submissions.
ii. They should disclose any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from reviewing where appropriate.
iii. They must not use unpublished materials from submissions for personal research without the author’s consent.

Peer Review Policy

IJLSD operates a double-blind peer review process to ensure impartial and rigorous evaluation of submissions.

Process:

1. All manuscripts are first screened by the Editorial Board for compliance with the Journal’s scope, format, and quality standards.
2. Suitable submissions are anonymised and sent to at least two independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant field.
3. Reviewers assess manuscripts for originality, scholarly contribution, clarity of argument, depth of analysis, and proper use of sources.
4. Based on reviewers’ recommendations, the Editorial Board will decide to:

Accept the manuscript;

Request minor or major revisions; or
Reject the manuscript.

a) Confidentiality and Anonymity:

Both authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other throughout the process.
All materials are treated as confidential and used solely for the purposes of review.

b) Timelines:

IJLSD aims to provide initial decisions within 4–6 weeks of submission. Revised manuscripts may be re-reviewed before a final decision is made.