Editorial Policies

INTERNATIONAL FORUM

Graduate School

Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies

  1. O. Box 038, Silang 4118, Cavite, Philippines

E-mail: internationalforum@aiias.edu Fax: [63] (46) 414-4361

Print ISSN : 0119-2000 Online ISSN : 2350-7497

Editorial Policies

The International Forum is an internationally double-blind peer-reviewed journal published electronically twice yearly by the Graduate School of the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS). Its first issue was published in October 1998. The Journal deals with academic themes of interest to an interdisciplinary audience, for both national and international readership. The purpose of International Forum is to provide scholars and interested professionals with a forum for disseminating original research and theoretical discussions focusing primarily, but not solely, on the needs of the Asia-Pacific region. It focuses on current themes related to Business, Education, and Public Health. Views and opinions expressed in the International Forum represent those of the authors and not necessarily the views and opinions of the editors or the Graduate School.

Frequency

The International Forum covers two issues yearly. Every year, the Graduate School holds an international conference based on current themes in Business, Education, and Public Health. This conference draws a large number of manuscripts that are worthy of further dissemination through publication. Select papers are included in the editorial process for publication in the April issue. The October issue is usually on an alternate theme, broadly defined to accommodate papers on different topics.

Distribution

This journal is accessible online to any reader free of charge. Print copies of each issue of the Journal are distributed first to all AIIAS students living on campus, the faculty, the library, and a few subscribed institutions both nationally and internationally. The public relations member of the journal committee is in charge of disseminating new issues to institutions and individuals around the world. Through the AIIAS Library, the Graduate School has developed partnerships with other institutions in the Philippines for the sharing and exchange of Journal copies.

Submission

The International Forum is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal that publishes research articles (with a preference for primary research), theoretical papers, and critical book reviews.

Article submissions to the International Forum must be original, unpublished empirical studies or theoretical analyses on current themes related to Business, Education, and Public Health, including research integrating Christian values, ethics, and development. Manuscripts are to be prepared according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). Its length is not to exceed 6,000 words. An abstract of 100 to 180 words is required for all the manuscripts. All tables, graphics, and references must be included in the same electronic file. Only .doc and .docx formats are accepted.

Critical Book Reviews should be of books published within the last 2 years that are of professional interest to the academic community. The selection of the book should be approved by the editor before the submission of the review. Reviews should be from 1 to 2 pages (500-1200 words) in length.

Authors need to register with the journal prior to submitting or, if already registered, can simply log in and begin the five-step process.

 

Publication Process

The following steps describe the publication process of International Forum.

  1. A call for papers is sent out a with specific publication theme.
  2. Authors submit complete manuscripts for publication consideration.
  3. Editor provides preliminary feedback on the suitability of the manuscript to the needs and goals of the journal. Editor also shares the outcome of the originality test from the TurnItIn software.
  4. The manuscripts go through complete internal double-blind review in which the internal reviewers determine preliminary acceptance orrejection of the manuscripts.
  5. Authors make needed changes.
  6. If improvements meet internal expectations, manuscripts go through complete international double-blind review.
  7. Manuscripts that meet acceptance standards (at least 50% of the international reviewers) move to final improvements. The rest are rejected.
  8. Editor works on thorough final edits and publishes the articles.

Criteria for Selection or Rejection

To be accepted, manuscripts must meet the following conditions:

  1. Must be directly connected to the theme of the issue and relevant to the fields of Business, Education, or Public Health.
  2. Must use appropriate research design that fits for the purposes of the paper.
  3. Must contain theory as evidenced through current and relevant literature
  4. Must be an original paper that has not been published elsewhere.
  5. Must be free from plagiarism and written with proper mechanics.
  6. Must be endorsed by at least 1 internal reviewer and at least 2 or 3 external reviewers

Upon submission of the manuscript, authors can expect one of the four types of feedback:

  1. Full acceptance: A paper accepted with no need for corrections by both internal and external reviewers. This type of acceptance is extremely rare but not impossible.
  2. Acceptance with revisions.
  3. Rejection: A manuscript that cannot be endorsed by the majority of the reviewers or fails to integrate major recommendations in the reviews is rejected. Another type of article rejected includes articles with content at cross-purposes with the philosophy and/or goals of the school (unless there is a response published in the same issue).

Author’s Responsibility

The author has several responsibilities that lead to the publication of the manuscript. Among them are the major ones listed below. The author must:

  1. Follow all the guidelines provided in the Editorial Policy.
  2. Uphold the highest standard of academic writing.
  3. Effectively and efficiently make all required revisions (or explain convincingly why some recommendations are not integrated).
  4. Keep in mind the option to turn down the required revisions (due to lack of time, non-expertise in the field, etc.)
  5. Carefully follow the Manuscript Template.
  6. Sign and uphold the standards of the Publication Release Form.
  7. Cite the relevant literature properly.
  8. Contribute new knowledge or expand on what is known.
  9. Show academic humility and courtesy in the whole writing process.
  10. Base claims on facts and data rather than simply on un-tested preconceptions.
  11. Uphold Christian and ethical values.
  12. Meet all deadlines.

Editor’s Responsibilities

The editor has several responsibilities in the journal production process. Among many others, the editor:

  1. Assumes managerial responsibilities of the journal publication.
  2. Communicates with authors, internal and external reviewers.
  3. Manages the complete journal publication process.
  4. Coordinates both internal and external reviews.
  5. Assigns manuscripts to reviewers based on their expertise, professional and academic background.
  6. Guarantees anonymity in the peer-review process.
  7. Assesses the final decision on acceptance or rejection of manuscripts.
  8. Makes recommendations for improvement when the need arises.
  9. Assures, in collaboration with the reviewers and authors, that the highest standards of academic rigor are upheld in all manuscripts.

Quality Assurance

The Review Board of the International Forum journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of scholarly writing. Quality is promoted through the following practices:

  1. Both the internal and external reviewers are individuals who are experts in their respective fields: Business, Education, and Public Health.
  2. Reviews are done on a double-blind review basis to considerably reduce the possibility of subjectivity.
  3. All manuscripts that are submitted go through the same process before being granted either acceptance or rejection.
  4. Technology is used to check and improve the quality of the mechanics of the manuscript: TurnItIn to check for paper originality and Grammarly for grammar.
  5. Each author signs a Publication Release Form to confirm originality of the manuscript

Publication Standards & Malpractice

International Forum publishes only original manuscripts that have not been published elsewhere nor are under consideration for publication in another book or journal. Authors can borrow up to 10% from their previously published work and include it in their manuscript. Authors are required to respect the confidentiality and privacy of their research participants. Malpractice, defined here as intentional unethical practices, will result in manuscript rejection if proven after the author is given a chance to respond.

Republication of an International Forum article in another journal or in a book is permitted under two conditions: (a) the author obtains and shares written permission from the other publisher of intention to publish an already - published article and (b) written permission from the editor (after approval of the Internal Review Board) to that effect. Republication of an article published in International Forum without meeting these two conditions is considered malpractice.

Retraction can be used under some carefully analyzed evaluation. If an article published in International Forum is later found to have broken ethical standards, the Internal Review Board will decide on the gravity of the infraction, inform the author, and request a written explanation from the author. If the gravity of the malpractice is considered major, the Internal Review Board will decide on retraction of the article. At this point, the article will be removed from all electronic databases of the journal.

In case of complaints, the author is expected to immediately inform the editor, who will swiftly work with involved parties to resolve the issue. Depending on the complexity of the matter, the editor may involve some or all members of the Internal Review Board.

Peer Review Process

Type of Review. International Forum relies on double blind reviews.

This means that the author never knows who reviewed his/her manuscript and the reviewers do not have access to the identity of the author until the paper is in the final edits stage.

Internal Review. When a manuscript is submitted, the editor primarily decides whether the manuscript is generally suitable for the journal based on the three fields (Business, Education, and Public Health), the theme, originality, and the general structure of the paper. The internal review process then begins. This includes members of the Internal Review Board who are experts of the three different fields (Business, Education, and Public Health). It is after a manuscript has been accepted at this first level of the review that the author can continue the process that will lead to the complete external review.

External Review. If the manuscript is accepted in the internal review process and the author effectively integrates the recommendations in the revision process, the manuscript is sent to two to four external reviewers. More than 50% must give an acceptance motion for publication for the manuscript to move towards final publication. If the majority of the reviewers reject the paper, the paper is removed from the publication process. The author is informed about the decision. If a rejected paper is resubmitted for future publication in International Forum, it will have to undergo a complete review as a brand new article.

Recruitment of Reviewers. The Internal Review Board, made of faculty and a few doctoral students of the Graduate School, is in charge of recommending names of potential external reviewers. The editor contacts each recruit and explains the responsibilities involved in the review. The editor checks the credentials of the candidates. If the candidate meets all the minimum requirements, the editor sends him/her a note of appointment. If someone with proper credentials would like to become an external reviewer for International Forum, the person is encouraged to write to the editor.

An external reviewer is appointed for an unlimited length of time. This appointment may be terminated, however, if (a) the external reviewer fails to continue providing high standard service to the journal or (b) decides to resign from this responsibility.

In considering the appointment of external reviewers of International Forum, preference is given to candidates who meet the following criteria: (a) hold a doctoral degree in the field of Business, Education, or Public Health; (b) have done some publication in his/her field of specialization; and (c) have experience working in his/her field of specialization.

Reviewer’s Responsibilities. It is the responsibility of the reviewer to (a) provide timely constructive feedback (within 1 to 2 weeks), (b) objectively evaluate the manuscript, (c) uphold the highest standard of scholarly writing, (d) continue to publish articles and/or books in his/her field.

Reviewer’s Guidelines. The reviewer must effectively utilize the Peer Review Form provided to him/her when a manuscript is sent. He/she must ensure that all aspects of the form are completely and objectively evaluated. Feedback must show professionalism, ethical standards, and courtesy to the author. The reviewer must always remember that the ultimate goal of any review is to uphold the highest standards of scholarly writing and to help develop scholarly expertise in our authors.

Open Access and Copyright

International Forum operates on an open access policy. The Publication Release Form that authors sign gives the right for the editorial board to make all its published articles available to everyone electronically, free of charge. It should be known, however, that all the materials published in this journal are copyrighted and can be used only with proper citation. Reproduction of the articles is acceptable and encouraged as long as it is for nonprofit purposes.

Indexing

This journal is indexed with Google Scholar, OJS, Public Knowledge Project, Bibliothekssystem Universität Hamburg, Global Impact Factor, and Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek Universitätsbibliothek Regensburg. Additionally, the Internal Review Board of this journal is currently in the process of indexing the journal through Philippine e-Journals, Creative Commons, Directory of Open Access, and ResearchGate.

More indexing opportunities will be available progressively.

Subscription

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