Policies and Submission Guidelines | Journal of Global South Sport Studies | University of Massachusetts Boston
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Policies and Submission Guidelines

Contents

Philosophy of Journal of Global South Sport Studies

For more information, please see Journal of Global South Sport Studies Aims and Scope page.

Who Can Submit?

Anyone may submit an original article to be considered for publication in Journal of Global South Sport Studies provided he or she owns the copyright to the work being submitted or is authorized by the copyright owner or owners to submit the article. Authors are the initial owners of the copyrights to their works (an exception in the non-academic world to this might exist if the authors have, as a condition of employment, agreed to transfer copyright to their employer). All submissions to the Journal of Global South Sport Studies are entirely free of cost, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for authors worldwide. Therefore, we do not charge any fees for article submission, processing, or publication. This policy ensures that all authors, regardless of their financial circumstances, can contribute to and disseminate their research widely.

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General Submission Rules

Submitted articles cannot have been previously published, nor be forthcoming in an archival journal or book (print or electronic). Please note: "publication" in a working-paper series does not constitute prior publication. In addition, by submitting material to Journal of Global South Sport Studies, the author is stipulating that the material is not currently under review at another journal (electronic or print) and that he or she will not submit the material to another journal (electronic or print) until the completion of the editorial decision process at Journal of Global South Sport Studies. If you have concerns about the submission terms for Journal of Global South Sport Studies, please contact the editors.

Submission Types

  • Research Articles: Empirical studies, theoretical analyses, methodological studies, and literature reviews that offer novel insights. (Typically ranging from 7,500 to 9,000 words)
  • Creative Expressions: Poems, short stories, or narratives that encapsulate experiences, critiques, or reflections in sport. (Typically ranging from 1,000 to 3,500 words)
  • Visual and Audio Media: Documentaries, interviews, songs, photovoice, digital content, or artistic representations related to sport themes.(Varied length, typically accompanied by a 500 to 1,500-word contextual analysis or artist statement)
  • Case Studies: In-depth analyses of specific sport issues or events within the Global South context or associated with Global South sportspersons in diverse geopolitical contexts. (Typically ranging from 7,500 to 10,000 words)
  • Book Reviews: Critical assessments of recent book publications related to sport, the Global South, colonialism, racial capitalism, globalization, and other intersecting issues. Reviews should evaluate the book’s contributions, relevance, and potential impact on the field. (Typically ranging from 1,500 to 3,000 words)

Submission Guidelines

  • Ensure originality and relevance to the journal's decolonization focus.
  • Adhere to academic rigor and ethical standards.
  • Provide a brief description outlining the work's academic relevance for non-traditional formats.

Formatting Requirements

Journal of Global South Sport Studies has no general rules about the formatting of articles upon initial submission. There are, however, rules governing the formatting of the final submission. See Final Manuscript Preparation Guidelines for details. Although bepress can provide limited technical support, it is ultimately the responsibility of the author to produce an electronic version of the article as a high-quality PDF (Adobe's Portable Document Format) file, or a Microsoft Word, WordPerfect or RTF file that can be converted to a PDF file.

It is understood that the current state of technology of Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) is such that there are no, and can be no, guarantees that documents in PDF will work perfectly with all possible hardware and software configurations that readers may have.

Authors may use any formatting style; however, the same format should be consistently followed throughout the paper. For example, if APA 7 (American Psychological Association, 7th Edition) is chosen, all citations and references must strictly adhere to APA 7 guidelines. Similarly, authors may opt for Chicago Style (Author-Date or Notes and Bibliography), MLA (Modern Language Association, 9th Edition), or Harvard Referencing Style, provided they maintain consistency across the document.

For instance, if APA 7 is used, an in-text citation would appear as:

(Smith, 2020), and the reference entry would be:

Smith, J. (2020). The impact of globalization on sports studies. Academic Press.

Authors should ensure that once a particular formatting style is chosen, it is applied consistently throughout the paper, including citations, references, headings, and overall structure.

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Review Process

All submissions undergo a rigorous peer-review process, ensuring scholarly excellence and diverse viewpoints.

1. Initial Submission and Editorial Assessment

  • Manuscripts are submitted through an online portal.
  • The editorial team conducts an initial assessment for scope, relevance, originality, and adherence to submission guidelines.
  • Manuscripts not meeting basic standards or outside the journal’s scope are declined for further review with feedback provided to the authors at this stage.

2. Assignment to Reviewers

  • Suitable manuscripts are assigned to at least two peer reviewers selected for their relevant expertise.
  • Efforts are made to include reviewers from diverse geographical regions, especially from the Global South, to ensure a variety of perspectives.

3. Double-Blind Review Process

  • The peer review is double-blind: both the reviewers and authors are anonymous to each other.
  • Reviewers evaluate the manuscript on originality, methodology, theoretical contribution, ethical considerations, and relevance to the field.

4. Reviewer Recommendations

  • Reviewers provide one of the following recommendations: Accept, Minor Revisions, Major Revisions, or Non-Acceptance.
  • Detailed feedback is provided to help authors improve their work, especially focusing on enhancing their scholarship.

5. Editorial Decision

  • Based on the reviewers’ feedback, the editorial team makes a decision.
  • The decision, along with reviewers’ comments, is communicated to the authors.

6. Revision and Re-submission

  • If revisions are required, authors are given a specific timeframe (typically 30 days) to submit the revised manuscript.
  • Revised manuscripts undergo a second round of review, which may involve the original or new reviewers.

7. Final Decision and Publication

  • Once the manuscript meets all criteria, a final acceptance decision is made.
  • Accepted papers undergo copyediting and typesetting before publication.

8. Post-Publication Review

  • Published articles are open for post-publication comments and critiques, fostering ongoing scholarly dialogue while being vetted for any inappropriate content (i.e., hate speech).
  • Authors may respond to these comments, further enriching the academic discussion.

9. Ethical Considerations

  • Throughout the process, ethical considerations, particularly sensitivity to cultural and regional differences, are paramount.
  • Issues of plagiarism, data falsification, or ethical misconduct may lead to immediate non-acceptance.

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Rights for Authors and ScholarWorks at UMass Boston

As further described in our submission agreement (the Submission Agreement), in consideration for publication of the article, the authors assign to ScholarWorks at UMass Boston all copyright in the article, subject to the expansive personal--use exceptions described below.

Attribution and Usage Policies

Reproduction, posting, transmission or other distribution or use of the article or any material therein, in any medium as permitted by a personal-use exemption or by written agreement of ScholarWorks at UMass Boston, requires credit to ScholarWorks at UMass Boston as copyright holder (e.g., ScholarWorks at UMass Boston © 2025).

Personal-use Exceptions

The following uses are always permitted to the author(s) and do not require further permission from ScholarWorks at UMass Boston provided the author does not alter the format or content of the articles, including the copyright notification:

  • Storage and back-up of the article on the author's computer(s) and digital media (e.g., diskettes, back-up servers, Zip disks, etc.), provided that the article stored on these computers and media is not readily accessible by persons other than the author(s);
  • Posting of the article on the author(s) personal website, provided that the website is non-commercial;
  • Posting of the article on the internet as part of a non-commercial open access institutional repository or other non-commercial open access publication site affiliated with the author(s)'s place of employment (e.g., a Phrenology professor at the University of Southern North Dakota can have her article appear in the University of Southern North Dakota's Department of Phrenology online publication series); and
  • Posting of the article on a non-commercial course website for a course being taught by the author at the university or college employing the author.

People seeking an exception, or who have questions about use, should contact the editors.

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General Terms and Conditions of Use

Users of the ScholarWorks at UMass Boston website and/or software agree not to misuse the ScholarWorks at UMass Boston service or software in any way.

The failure of ScholarWorks at UMass Boston to exercise or enforce any right or provision in the policies or the Submission Agreement does not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. If any term of the Submission Agreement or these policies is found to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavor to give effect to the parties' intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions of the Submission Agreement and these policies remain in full force and effect. These policies and the Submission Agreement constitute the entire agreement between ScholarWorks at UMass Boston and the Author(s) regarding submission of the Article.

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