JCPA Journal Submission Guidelines

Summary of Guidelines

 

1. Review Submission Guidelines

The JCPA has specific requests that can vary based on your chosen topic. Following these journal submission guidelines will lead you towards a successful submission in an efficient manner.

 

2. Review Publisher's Guidelines

In addition to the journal, our publisher Taylor & Francis has their own style guide and set of submission policies that affect your manuscript, from formatting to graphic standards.

 

3. Submit Your Completed Manuscript

Once ready, your manuscript is uploaded to our 3rd party service for our double-blind review, which involves its own set of rules and reccomendations.

 

Guidelines for all JCPA Authors

The Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis is committed to publishing outstanding scholarly manuscripts in all areas of Public Policy. The papers submitted should be of the highest scholarly standard and adhere to the JCPA readership's expectations as outlined in the JCPA's Comparative Aims and Scope (see www.comparativepolicy.org). The JCPA is also the primary publishing outlet for innovative research on all facets of comparative policy analysis. In submitting the manuscript, please consider the following:

  • Does the article clearly address the comparative Aims and Scope of the JCPA? Note the seven criteria of comparative work – which goes beyond the narrow perception of comparisons between nations or institutions.
  • Does the article make a contribution to the ongoing scholarly dialogue on comparative policy analysis?
  • Does it advance the domain of comparative policy studies? How?
  • Does the article contribute to the development and testing of comparative methodology, theory, or their practice implications?
  • Is its methodology sufficient and appropriate for its topical subject?
  • Is it well-written?
  • Does the manuscript include appropriate documentation and sufficient references to relevant literature?
  • Could sections of the manuscript be reduced, or, if tables are included, can they be eliminated?
  • Is its argumentation sound?

Please Note the Following Stipulations

  • Papers must be cleaned of all identifying author information from the file properties, the body of the paper and from all footnotes and references; otherwise the paper will be returned to you for your attention to this important feature of the anonymous blindfold reviewing process
  • Manuscripts should not be longer than 8,000 words (inclusive of references, footnotes, abstracts and figures/tables, and appendix), including an abstract of 100 words and 4-7 keywords, double-spaced and in 12-point type. The electronic version should be in MS Word. British or American spelling is acceptable provided usage is consistent. Authors should also consult the most recent volume of the Journal for style. Supplementary material - not essential to the article but that provides greater depth and background – is accepted.  It is hosted online, and appears without editing or typesetting. It may include tables, figures, videos, datasets.
  • Title, abstract inclusive of contribution statement, and keywords are required on the first page of manuscript
  • The abstract must state the object of inquiry, the main results, and make a compelling argument about the contribution of your paper to comparative public policy theory, methodology and/or their practice implications.
  • Please ensure your keywords section contains the term “comparative,” the field of study, and the methodology used.