A strong JPOII submission presents a clear question about public oversight or institutional integrity, supports its claims with appropriate evidence and explains the limits of its conclusions.

Before submission

Confirm the manuscript’s fit with the journal’s scope and identify its article type. The work must be original and must not be under consideration by another journal. All authors must approve the submission and accept responsibility for the contribution attributed to them. Disclose related papers, working papers, preprints, reports and any overlap with previously disseminated material.

Write in clear English and explain jurisdiction-specific institutions and terminology for an international readership. A manuscript should engage relevant scholarship, identify its contribution and distinguish descriptive evidence, causal claims and normative recommendations.

Files for double-anonymous review

• Separate title page: manuscript title, author names and affiliations, corresponding author details, available ORCID identifiers, funding, contributions and competing interests.
• Anonymized manuscript: title, abstract, keywords, main text, references, tables and figure captions. Remove author names, identifying acknowledgements and identifying document properties. Cite your own work neutrally. The maximum abstract length is 300 words. For Perspectives and Policy Analyses, the maximum is 150 words. The abstract in the submission metadata must match the manuscript.
• Supporting materials: appendices, research instruments, search strategies, code, data documentation and reporting checklists appropriate to the design.
• Cover letter: explain the contribution and scope fit, identify related dissemination and disclose matters requiring confidential editorial consideration.

Do not conceal an ethical approval or an evidentiary limitation merely to anonymize the paper. Provide necessary identifying documentation separately for the editor when appropriate.

Evidence and responsible reporting

Describe research design, case or participant selection, sources, analytical procedures and limitations sufficiently for critical assessment. For empirical work, report missing data, exclusions, uncertainty and the distinction between prespecified and exploratory analysis. For legal or institutional analysis, identify the jurisdiction, relevant dates and source hierarchy.

Research involving interviews, whistleblowers, employees or sensitive administrative records requires a clear explanation of ethical review, consent or another appropriate basis for the work, and measures protecting participants and third parties. Do not upload unredacted evidence merely to demonstrate transparency. Every research article must include a data and materials availability statement.

Declarations and revision

Provide statements on funding and sponsor roles, competing interests, author contributions, ethical review and consent where relevant, data availability and material AI use. Explain any statement of “Not applicable.” A revised submission should include a point-by-point response to the editor and reviewers and identify substantive changes. Disputed requests may be addressed through a reasoned explanation supported by evidence.

Charges, rights and submission

The standard APC is USD 400 per accepted article; submission and peer review are free. Authors retain copyright and published articles use CC BY 4.0. See APCs, Waivers & Discounts and Copyright & Licensing. Consult Manuscript Preparation, Reporting Standards and the Submission Checklist before using the official submission page.

Annual issue and rolling publication

The journal publishes one annual issue, formally released on 15 December each year. Accepted articles are published online on a rolling basis after editorial acceptance, production and author proof checks. Authors do not have to wait until December for their completed article to appear online. Each article retains its online publication date when included in the annual issue.

The annual issue date is a publication schedule, not a submission deadline or a guarantee that a particular manuscript will be accepted or published by that date.

Editorial review targets

These are editorial service targets, not measured performance statistics or guaranteed deadlines. Reviewer availability, manuscript complexity, additional review and research-integrity checks may extend assessment. The revision target excludes the time authors spend preparing their response. A first decision may request revision or decline the manuscript; it is not necessarily an acceptance decision. The journal does not promise a fixed submission-to-acceptance interval.

Updated 5 October 2026 · Questions: JPOII Editorial Office