Submission Guidelines

1. Scope of the Journal

The journal focuses on research and practices related to green development and rural governance, including rural revitalization, ecological management, digital villages, carbon neutrality, and policy analysis. Original theoretical and empirical studies are welcomed.

2. Types of Manuscripts

  • Original Research Articles: Original empirical studies or theoretical contributions
  • Review Articles & Theoretical Advances: Literature reviews and theoretical developments
  • Policy Insights & Case Studies: Local governance practices and policy evaluations
  • Green Technologies & Digital Applications: Technological innovations and digital governance tools
  • Governance Methods & Toolkits: Methods, participatory tools, simulations, or system modeling
  • Young Scholars Forum: Short papers or research notes by early-career researchers
  • Global Comparative Studies: Cross-country comparisons and global perspectives
  • Book Reviews: Critical reviews of recent academic books relevant to rural governance or green development
  • Special Issues & Thematic Topics: Themed collections and editor-invited contributions For an announced special issue or themed collection, identify the collection in the cover letter and follow its call for papers alongside these guidelines. Guest editors coordinate the collection under journal-editor oversight. An independent editor handles conflicts of interest, and journal editors retain responsibility for publication decisions. Invitations do not imply acceptance.

3. General Requirements

  • Language: Manuscripts may be in Chinese or English. Submissions must include both English and Chinese titles and abstracts.
  • Length: Research articles should be between 6,000 and 9,000 words. Shorter papers (e.g., research notes) may be 3,000 to 5,000 words.
  • Abstract and Keywords: Both Chinese and English abstracts (up to 300 words each) and 3–6 keywords are required. For 青年学者论坛（Young Scholar Forum）; 国际视野与比较研究（Global Perspectives & Comparative Studies）; 书评（Book Reviews）, the maximum is 150 words. The abstract entered in OJS must match the manuscript.
  • Format: Use author-date citation style (APA). Figures and tables must be clear, numbered, and embedded in-text with captions.

4. Submission Requirements

Submissions must be original and not under review elsewhere. Remove identifying information from the manuscript for double-blind peer review. Include a cover letter detailing the manuscript type, contribution, relevance to the journal, and any ethical declarations. Supplementary files (data, figures, appendices) may be uploaded separately. The following sections receive editorial assessment rather than external peer review: 书评（Book Reviews）.

5. Peer Review Process

All submissions undergo double-blind peer review. After an initial check by the section editor, manuscripts are reviewed by at least two anonymous reviewers. Decisions include: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject. Feedback is typically returned within 4–8 weeks.

6. Copyright and Open Access

Accepted authors sign a copyright agreement. The journal operates under an open-access model. Articles are published under a CC BY 4.0 license. Authors retain copyright while granting first publication rights to the journal.

7. Ethical and Editorial Standards

Plagiarism, duplication, and unethical research are not tolerated. Authors are encouraged to share data and code. Revisions for language clarity may be requested.

Text Similarity and Plagiarism Check:

All submissions are screened using tools like iThenticate or Turnitin. Overall similarity should not exceed 15–20%, with no more than 5% from a single source. Properly cited content is excluded. Authors must avoid self-plagiarism and cite previous work appropriately. Excessive overlap may lead to revision or rejection.

8. Submission Instructions

  1. Register and log in to the journal's submission system.
  2. Upload manuscript, cover letter, and supplementary materials.
  3. Ensure formatting and anonymization compliance.
  4. Await editorial acknowledgment and manuscript ID.

Questions? Contact us at: [email protected]