The Portuguese Journal of Political Studies is a peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to the study of contemporary political phenomena, with a primary focus on Political Science and International Relations. It provides a platform for high-quality research that explores the dynamics of both domestic and international politics, with a particular emphasis on political security issues and the global challenges that shape the modern world.

The journal is committed to publishing original research that engages with key political topics and their implications across various national and international contexts. It covers, but is not limited to, the following areas:

• International Politics and Foreign Policy: Analysis of the interactions between states, international organizations, and non-state actors in global governance, diplomacy, and foreign policy decision-making.

• Geopolitics and Strategy: Studies on the evolving patterns of global power, strategic interests, and the role of major and regional powers in shaping international relations.

• Security Studies: Research on the various dimensions of international and domestic security, including conflict, peacebuilding, terrorism, and the impact of security policy on global stability.

• Democratic Studies: Examining the state of democracy, democratic backsliding, the challenges facing liberal democracies, and the impact of globalisation on democratic systems.

• Political Theory: Theoretical contributions to the understanding of political ideologies, governance structures, and political philosophy in both historical and contemporary contexts.

• Comparative Politics: Comparative analyses of political systems, regimes, and policies, focusing on the political dynamics and governance challenges across different regions.

• Political Sociology: Investigating the relationships between society and politics, including identity, political movements, public opinion, and the social foundations of political power.

• International Law: Analysis of the role of international law in regulating state behaviour, addressing global governance issues, and resolving international disputes.

• International Political Economy: Research on global economic issues, including trade, financial systems, development, and the political-economic interactions between states and markets.

The Portuguese Journal of Political Studies welcomes a wide range of submissions, including empirical research articles, theoretical contributions, policy analyses, and interdisciplinary studies that explore the political, economic, and social challenges facing both states and societies. We are particularly interested in work that addresses contemporary political phenomena and the interactions between domestic and international political structures, drawing connections between theory, practice, and policy.

The Portuguese Journal of Political Studies seeks to contribute to the academic and professional understanding of contemporary political phenomena through the publication of high-quality, peer-reviewed research in the fields of Political Science and International Relations. The journal aims to advance scholarly discourse by exploring the dynamic and evolving nature of political systems, international relations, security issues, and governance structures in a globalised world.

Our mission is to foster a deeper understanding of the political, economic, and security challenges shaping modern societies. The journal provides an interdisciplinary platform for the exchange of ideas and research, facilitating dialogue between political science, international law, economics, sociology, and other related fields. We aim to support innovative research that addresses pressing global issues and contributes to the development of theory, policy, and practice in political studies.

We strive to promote the dissemination of knowledge that not only enriches academic scholarship but also informs public debate and policymaking. Our goal is to bridge the gap between academia and the real-world challenges faced by political systems, institutions, and societies around the globe.

Are our objectives:

• Advancing Research: To publish high-quality research that deepens understanding of contemporary political issues, including international relations, governance, security, political theory, and comparative politics.

• Fostering Interdisciplinary Dialogue: To encourage interdisciplinary research by inviting contributions from a range of disciplines, such as political science, economics, international law, sociology, and political philosophy.

• Promoting Policy-Relevant Insights: To provide policymakers, diplomats, and practitioners with research-based insights and recommendations that can inform decision-making processes in both domestic and international contexts.

• Supporting Emerging Scholars: To offer a platform for emerging scholars and researchers to publish their work, contributing to the growth and development of the next generation of political analysts, academics, and professionals.

• Engaging with Contemporary Issues: To address and publish research on current and emerging political issues, such as global security challenges, democratic backsliding, international cooperation, and the impact of technology and social media on politics.

• Fostering Global Discourse: To facilitate global academic discourse by promoting international collaboration and exchanging ideas with scholars, institutions, and research networks worldwide.

The Portuguese Journal of Political Studies is an online-only, biannual journal with continuous publication. Two issues are published each year, in April and October.

The Portuguese Journal of Political Studies publishes research articles, bibliographical and methodological essays, and book reviews. All submissions undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the highest academic standards and relevance to the field of International Relations.

Submitted articles undergo an initial evaluation by the editorial team to ensure they meet the journal's criteria and align with its scope and focus. Once accepted for review, articles enter a double-blind peer review process, in which they are assessed by two external reviewers who are experts in the field and remain anonymous throughout the process. In cases where the reviews conflict, a third reviewer will be consulted.

Reviewers may make one of three recommendations: accept, accept with revisions, or reject. The editorial team will communicate the outcome to the authors via email. The peer review process is entirely anonymous, with neither the reviewers knowing the identities of the authors nor the authors knowing the identities of the reviewers. If a reviewer identifies a conflict of interest, they must recuse themselves from evaluating the manuscript.

The evaluation criteria include the relevance of the topic, the originality of the contribution, the clarity of the writing, the appropriateness of the bibliography, the structure, the theoretical development, the methodology, the conclusions, and the overall contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the field.

The Portuguese Journal of Political Studies is committed to providing open access to all of its published content. All articles are freely available online immediately upon publication, allowing for wide dissemination and greater visibility of research in the field of International Relations.

This open access policy ensures that research is accessible to academics, students, policymakers, and the general public, regardless of institutional affiliation or geographic location. The journal adheres to the principle that academic research should be publicly accessible to contribute to the global exchange of knowledge and to foster a deeper understanding of international political issues.

There are no subscription fees or paywalls, and all articles are made available under a Creative Commons licence, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction with proper attribution to the original authors.

Authors who submit articles to the Portuguese Journal of Political Studies retain full copyright of their work. By submitting their manuscripts, authors grant the journal the right to publish the article under a Creative Commons licence, which allows for the unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction of the article, provided that proper attribution is given to the original author(s).

Authors are free to reuse their work in other publications or in their own research, as long as the original publication in the Portuguese Journal of Political Studies is properly acknowledged. The journal encourages authors to share their work in institutional repositories or on personal websites, ensuring proper citation of the original source.

The Portuguese Journal of Political Studies will not claim any ownership of the copyright, and authors are free to enter into separate agreements regarding the use or distribution of their work, provided that such agreements do not conflict with the open access and copyright terms of the journal.

The Portuguese Journal of Political Studies is committed to ensuring the long-term preservation and accessibility of its published content. All articles are hosted on the Zenodo platform, making them freely and immediately accessible worldwide. By being hosted on Zenodo, the journal ensures that all content is securely archived and can be accessed without restrictions, maintaining its availability for future generations of researchers, students, and the general public.

All articles are made available under the Creative Commons 4.0 licence, allowing for open access and the unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction of the content with proper attribution. This policy ensures the ongoing dissemination and accessibility of high-quality research in the field of International Relations, promoting global scholarly communication and knowledge sharing.

The Portuguese Journal of Political Studies follows an open-access model, meaning that all articles are freely available to readers worldwide. In line with this policy, the journal does not charge any submission, processing, or publication fees. Authors are not required to pay any fees for submitting or publishing their work, ensuring that there are no financial barriers to participation in the academic publishing process.

This commitment to no fees aligns with our goal of providing free and open access to high-quality research in the field of International Relations, promoting the widest possible dissemination of knowledge without financial constraints.

The Portuguese Journal of Political Studies is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards and the quality of publications, adhering to internationally recognised standards for scientific publishing. The editors follow the ethical principles and guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Any form of unethical behaviour, including plagiarism, is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated.

Editor Responsibilities:

• Publication Decision: The editor is responsible for deciding which articles submitted to the journal will be published. In making these decisions, the editor is guided by the policies established by the Editorial Board.

• Transparency and Respect: The manuscript evaluation process should be transparent and non-discriminatory.

• Confidentiality: The editor should not disclose any details about a manuscript, except to reviewers and Editorial Board members.

• Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The editor must recuse themselves from evaluating manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest.

• Involvement and Cooperation in Investigations: The editor must take necessary actions when complaints regarding a submitted manuscript or published article are raised.

Reviewer Responsibilities:

• Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers play a crucial role in the journal's decision-making process regarding submitted manuscripts.

• Timeliness: Reviewers commit to respecting the review timelines set by the journal and must notify the editor if they are unable to evaluate the manuscript within the stipulated time.

• Confidentiality: Manuscripts for review must not be shared with others prior to publication.

• Objectivity: Reviews should be objective and based on clear, well-structured arguments.

• Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant works that have not been cited by the authors. Reviewers must also inform the editor if they notice similarities between the manuscript and any previously published article.

• Conflict of Interest and Disclosure: Privileged information obtained through the manuscript review process must remain confidential and not be used for personal gain. Reviewers must recuse themselves from reviewing manuscripts when there is a conflict of interest.

Author Responsibilities:

• General Guidelines: Authors should adhere to the journal's submission guidelines and ethical standards.

• Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure their work is original and properly cite any referenced work, author, or source. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.

• Duplicate or Redundant Publication: Authors should not submit the same manuscript to other publications nor submit work that essentially describes the same research.

• Sources: The work of other authors must be appropriately cited. Authors should acknowledge all sources they have consulted.

• Authorship: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the development of the manuscript. All individuals who made a substantial contribution should be listed as co-authors.

• Conflict of Interest and Disclosure: Authors should disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support should be acknowledged.

• Errors in Published Works: If an author discovers a significant error in their published work, they have an obligation to immediately inform the editor and work to correct the issue.

The Portuguese Journal of Political Studies aims to ensure its inclusion in reputable national and international indexing platforms.

Initially, after securing the ISSN registration, which will occur following the publication of the first issue, the journal will begin the submission process to recognised platforms.

The first step, upon the publication of the inaugural issue, will be the incorporation of the journal into Zenodo, the open-access repository developed by CERN and funded by the European Union.

Following this, the journal aims to be indexed in Google Scholar to enhance the visibility and dissemination of the published works.

Once the journal has published more than ten articles or has been in existence for over a year, we will apply for inclusion in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

Subsequent steps will include applying for inclusion in Latindex and Redalyc. Later, we will aim for indexing in EBSCO, ProQuest, and eventually Scopus and the Web of Science.