Author Guidelines

  • Manuscript should be typed, double-spaced, and use Times New Roman font size 12, with 2.5” margins.
  • The article submitted must not exceed 8000 words excluding notes and references.
  • For bibliography and citations authors are advised to follow Chicago style (Social Sciences) or MLA (Literature).
  • Manuscripts in PDF and MS Word format should contain the following files;
    • Title page: A separate file with the title of article, full name(s)of author(s), institutional affiliation(s), acknowledgments and email(s) address(es)
    • Article: An anonymous file containing title, abstract (150-200 words), key words, complete article with references and appendices.
  • Submissions can be made online via the journal’s OJS website.

Editorial Policy

  1. Open Access Policy

PJAS is an open access journal that provides its content free of charge to support academic research as well as to showcase the contribution of Pakistani researchers.

  1. Publication Frequency

PJAS is a biannual journal with a Spring (March) and a Fall (September) issue.

  1. Publication Process

Authorship

PJAS accepts articles written by up to three authors. Names of all authors must be mentioned at the time of submission. New names will not be added once the article is in review.

Submission

Articles must be submitted online via the Online Submission System on OJS. As soon as the article is successfully uploaded, the system will send an automated email to acknowledge the submission. PJAS uses the online journal management system whereby authors can track the progress of their article(s) through the editorial process by logging in to the journal website.

Peer Review Process

Manuscripts submitted for publication are initially screened by two members of the Editorial Board to ascertain their suitability as per the aims and scope of the journal. Articles that meet the journal criteria are then sent for peer review while those deemed unsuitable are declined by the editors. Where editors disagree, the opinion of a specialist may be sought to reach a final decision. All articles are subject to double-blind peer review by at least two referees in the respective area of specialization. Reviewers look, in particular, for originality, usefulness, and theoretical and analytical rigor. The editors aim to reach a final decision based on the advice of the reviewers within six months from the date of submission. Authors can track the status of their submission online throughout the article processing period.

  1. Ethics and Consent

Plagiarism

All kinds of plagiarism (including self-plagiarism) is subject to an outright rejection of the manuscript. Where authors are drawing on previous work of their own, citation must be provided.

Third Party Content

It is the responsibility of the author(s) to obtain permission for any copyrighted material to be re-used in the article. While some materials like short excerpts for scholarly criticism and review may be exempt from this requirement, it is the responsibility of the authors to ascertain this. Any material subject to copyright, however, must be accompanied by prior written permission from the copyright owner.

Conflict of Interest

All submissions must be accompanied by a conflict-of-interest declaration.

Simultaneous Submission

PJAS does not accept articles that are under review or in process of publication elsewhere.

Corrections and Retractions

Once the article is in peer review, retractions will not be possible. Besides, corrections must be submitted within a maximum of 1 month for the article to be considered for publication in the next issue.

  1. Processing & Submission Charges

Currently, there are no article processing or submission charges. However, starting in Fall 2022, the journal will charge a processing fee of Rs. 15,000, and a publication fee of Rs. 10,000 per article. Both fees shall be payable at the time of the acceptance of the article.

  1. Funding

Currently, the journal has no external source of funding and is being funded by the Area Study Centre for Africa, North and South America, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.