About the Journal

Focus and Scope

The Informal: South Asian Journal of Human Rights and Social Justice is a peer-reviewed research journal dedicated to human rights and social justice, offering a South Asian perspective. As this is the debut issue, we would like to share our vision, mission, article submission process, review process, and guidelines for article structure and format with our readers.

Vision
The vision of the journal is to become the leading international platform for research in human rights and social justice, known for its high standards, innovative approach, and impact on policymakers, civil society, and the learning community.

Mission
The journal will strive to create a platform where scholars, experts, thinkers, and activists exchange informed, critical, and respectful discourses on civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights across South Asia.

Publication Frequency

The Informal: South Asian Journal of Human Rights and Social Justice is published annually.

Open Access Policy

The Informal: South Asian Journal of Human Rights and Social Justice provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Articles published in The Informal are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.

Copyright

All the published articles are the property of the respective author/s.

Peer Review Process

The journal employs a rigorous peer-review process, led by experts within and outside Nepal, to ensure the high quality and impact of published research. Articles undergo initial editorial screening followed by a double-blind peer review. The initial review process will be completed within 30 to 45 days. The review process entails the following steps:

  1. The Editorial Board conducts an initial screening. If the article meets the journal's requirements, it is sent to two reviewers. Authors are notified of the status, even if the article is rejected during this initial screening.
  2. The article is sent to reviewers with a review template specifying a review time of two weeks. Reviewer comments are then sent back to the author.
  3. Authors are expected to revise their articles based on feedback from reviewers and the Editorial Board within the stipulated time.
  4. The Editorial Board makes a final decision based on the revised article. If necessary, the revised article may be sent back to reviewers for verification before a final decision is made.

Each journal issue will publish 8 to 10 research-based articles from South Asian countries. A university professor will serve as the Editor-in-Chief, with a focal person from the INSEC staff as the editorial subordinate. The INSEC will seek resources to provide appropriate remuneration for research-based articles in each issue. Essential expenditures will be managed from an endowment fund established for The Informal by the INSEC. A working procedure, including the Terms of Reference for the Editor-in-Chief, will ensure a smooth workflow.

Sources of Support and Publisher

The Informal: South Asian Journal of Human Rights and Social Justice is published by the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), Nagarjun Municipality-10, Syuchatar, Kathmandu, Nepal.