About the Journal

Focus and Scope

Politicon: Jurnal Ilmu Politik is an open-access, peer-reviewed academic journal that seeks to foster critical engagement and scholarly contributions in the field of political science. The journal serves as a platform for disseminating high-quality research that offers theoretical insights and empirical analysis of contemporary political phenomena. Politicon welcomes interdisciplinary approaches and aims to encourage dialogue between academics, researchers, policymakers, and the broader intellectual community.

The journal specifically focuses on four key areas of political science that reflect pressing issues and dynamic developments in local, national, and global contexts:

1. Electoral Politics

This focus area explores the structures, processes, and behavior surrounding democratic elections. It includes studies on electoral systems, political parties, candidate selection, voting behavior, campaign strategies, and electoral reforms. Research in this field may examine both emerging and established democracies, providing comparative insights into how elections shape governance, legitimacy, and citizen representation. Politicon encourages submissions that analyze the dynamics of power, voter mobilization, electoral integrity, and the impact of electoral outcomes on policy-making and institutional change.

2. Political Culture and Media

In this area, Politicon seeks to publish research that investigates how cultural values, norms, identities, and belief systems influence political behavior and institutions. Topics include civic engagement, political socialization, populism, nationalism, and the symbolic dimensions of politics. Furthermore, this focus addresses the growing influence of traditional and digital media on political communication, public opinion formation, and agenda-setting. Articles may explore the role of social media in elections, political branding, misinformation, digital activism, and the transformation of political discourse in the digital age.

3. Environmental Politics

This section invites scholarly work that analyzes the relationship between politics and the environment. Politicon encourages critical studies on environmental governance, climate change policy, sustainability initiatives, environmental justice, and the politics of natural resources. Articles may focus on how political actors, institutions, and civil society respond to ecological crises at the local, national, and international levels. Contributions in this area highlight the political challenges of achieving environmental goals, the role of environmental movements, and the interaction between ecological knowledge and political decision-making.

4. Politics and Religion

This thematic focus investigates how religious beliefs, institutions, and actors intersect with political systems, ideologies, and policymaking processes. It covers a wide range of topics such as the role of religion in public policy, religious pluralism, political theology, identity politics, and church-state relations. Politicon invites comparative and contextual studies that examine how religion shapes political legitimacy, social movements, conflict, and peacebuilding. Special attention is given to how religious discourse interacts with democratic governance, human rights, and secularism.

By concentrating on these four core themes—Electoral Politics, Political Culture and Media, Environmental Politics, and Politics and Religion—Politicon strives to contribute meaningfully to the academic development of political science. The journal welcomes both theoretical and empirical research that provides fresh perspectives, challenges conventional paradigms, and promotes inclusive, critical, and globally relevant political scholarship.

Peer Review Process

Politicon: Journal of Political Science upholds a rigorous peer-review standard to ensure the academic quality and integrity of all published research articles. Each submitted manuscript undergoes a thorough review process, starting with an initial screening by the Editor-in-Chief and Editors. Book review papers and review articles are subjected to editorial review conducted by the Editor-in-Chief and/or Editors before publication.

The peer-review process for submitted articles typically takes around three months to complete. The review process in Politicon follows these steps:

  1. Submitted manuscripts that adhere to the journal's guidelines, template, and review criteria will be assigned to reviewers for evaluation.
  2. Politicon employs a double-blind peer-review process, ensuring that the identities of both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the review.
  3. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two qualified reviewers, selected by the Editor-in-Chief, to assess the manuscript's scholarly quality and adherence to academic standards.
  4. Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on key elements, including title, abstract, introduction, methodology, findings, and conclusion. Additionally, they assess the manuscript's originality, contribution to the field, plagiarism risks, and ethical considerations in academic publishing.
  5. Reviewers provide detailed feedback using the Review Form, which includes recommendations on whether the article should be accepted, rejected, or revised (minor or major revisions).
  6. Members of the International Editorial Board offer guidance, expertise, and recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief, assisting in decision-making on submitted manuscripts.
  7. The Managing Editor ensures the smooth administration of the review process, maintaining the integrity of peer review while optimizing efficiency for authors, reviewers, and editors.
  8. Based on reviewers' evaluations, the Editors will decide whether to accept, reject, or request revisions of the manuscript. If necessary, additional reviews may be requested, and authors will be notified accordingly.
  9. The Editor-in-Chief holds the final authority on all publication decisions, taking into account the reviewers' recommendations and ensuring that only high-quality research is published in Politicon.

Publication Frequency

Politicon follows a biannual publication schedule, with issues released in March and August. The peer-review process is conducted two months prior to publication, ensuring that all submitted manuscripts undergo rigorous evaluation through a double-blind peer-review system. This process upholds high academic standards and guarantees the quality of published research in contemporary political studies.

Open Access Policy

Politicon is an open-access journal, committed to the principle that making research freely available enhances global knowledge exchange. By providing direct access to its content, the journal supports the widespread dissemination of political science research without barriers.

All content published in Politicon is freely available to users and institutions without any charges. Readers are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full-text articles without requiring prior permission from the publisher or authors. This policy aligns with the principles of the  Budapest Open Access Initiative., ensuring unrestricted access to scholarly knowledge for the broader academic and research community.

Screening Plagiarism

All submitted manuscripts to Politicon undergo plagiarism screening using Turnitin to ensure originality and uphold academic integrity. The maximum similarity index allowed is 25%; any submission exceeding this threshold will be rejected. Authors are advised to thoroughly check and revise their manuscripts to meet this requirement before submission.

Reference Management

Politicon: Jurnal Ilmu Politik requires authors to use Mendeley Reference Management Software for managing citations and bibliography, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and adherence to the journal's referencing standards.

Publication Ethics

Politicon: Jurnal Ilmu Politik, e-ISSN 2685-6670 (Online), is a peer-reviewed journal published by the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung. This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, the Editor-in-Chief, the Editorial Board, peer reviewers, and the publisher. The ethical guidelines follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

The publication of an article in Politicon: Jurnal Ilmu Politik represents a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge and academic discourse. Peer-reviewed articles play a crucial role in the development of a respected and coherent body of knowledge and reflect the quality of the research conducted by authors and their supporting institutions. It is, therefore, essential that all stakeholders in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher, adhere to ethical standards and best practices.

The Department of Political Science, FISIP, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, as the publisher of Politicon: Jurnal Ilmu Politik, is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards throughout all stages of the publication process. The publisher ensures that editorial decisions remain independent and are not influenced by commercial interests. Additionally, the Editorial Board collaborates with other journals and publishers when necessary to uphold publication ethics and integrity.

Publication Decisions

The Editor-in-Chief of Politicon: Jurnal Ilmu Politik holds the final authority in deciding which manuscripts will be published. The decision is based on the manuscript's relevance, originality, and contribution to political science research. The editor may consult with the Editorial Board and reviewers while adhering to legal standards regarding defamation, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.

Fair Play

Manuscripts are evaluated solely on their intellectual merit, without regard to the author’s race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnicity, nationality, or political ideology.

Confidentiality

The editorial team must maintain confidentiality regarding all submitted manuscripts, sharing information only with the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher as necessary.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s research without the explicit written consent of the author.

Duties of Reviewers

  1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions : Peer reviewers assist the editor in making publication decisions and provide constructive feedback to help authors improve their manuscripts.
  2. Promptness : Reviewers who feel unqualified to evaluate a manuscript or who cannot complete the review in a timely manner should inform the editor and decline the review request.
  3. Confidentiality : Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and should not be shared or discussed with others without authorization from the editor.

Standards of Objectivity

Reviews should be conducted objectively, with constructive criticism and well-supported arguments. Personal attacks on the author are inappropriate.

  1. Acknowledgment of Sources : Reviewers should identify relevant sources that have not been cited by the author and report any substantial similarity between the manuscript and other published works.
  2. Disclosure and Conflict of Interest : Reviewers must maintain confidentiality regarding privileged information or ideas obtained through the review process and must not review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.

Duties of Authors

  1. Reporting Standards : Authors must present accurate accounts of their research and provide sufficient detail for replication. Fraudulent or intentionally misleading statements are considered unethical and are unacceptable.
  2. Data Access and Retention : Authors should provide access to raw data when requested for editorial review and should retain such data for a reasonable period after publication.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. If they use the work or words of others, proper citations and references must be provided. Plagiarism in any form is unethical and unacceptable.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors should not submit the same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently, as this constitutes unethical publishing behavior.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Proper acknowledgment of sources and contributions must always be given. Authors should cite influential publications that have shaped their research.

Authorship of the Paper

Authorship should be limited to those who have significantly contributed to the research. All contributors should be listed as co-authors, and all co-authors must approve the final manuscript before submission.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are obligated to promptly inform the journal editor or publisher and cooperate in retracting or correcting the article.