Scholarly scope
IJP welcomes research on political institutions, political behaviour, governance, public policy, international affairs, conflict and peace, political economy, development and related fields.
Information for Contributors
Author Guidelines
Guidelines for preparing and submitting original scholarly manuscripts to the Ife Journal of Politics. Please review the requirements and publication policies before submitting your work.
Department of Political Science|Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Before you submit
About the Journal
Ife Journal of Politics (IJP) is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal published by the Department of Political Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. It publishes original theoretical, conceptual, empirical, comparative, methodological and policy-oriented scholarship across Political Science.
Geographical reach
The journal welcomes scholarship addressing Nigeria, Africa and the wider international community, including comparative and cross-national studies.
Originality
Submissions must make a clear scholarly contribution. Submission confirms that the manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration elsewhere.
Choose your manuscript category
Article Types and Word Limits
Select the appropriate manuscript category before preparing your submission. The word limits below include the abstract and references.
Original Research Articles
6,000–8,000 words
Original theoretical, empirical, comparative or methodological research.
Review Articles
6,000–8,000 words
Critical and scholarly reviews of research, debates and developments.
Theoretical / Conceptual Articles
5,000–8,000 words
Contributions advancing political theory, concepts or analytical frameworks.
Research / Policy Notes
2,000–3,000 words
Focused research findings, policy analysis or concise scholarly contributions.
Book Reviews
1,000 words or less
Critical assessments of relevant scholarly publications.
Editorials / Special-Issue Introductions
1,500–3,000 words
Editorial contributions introducing themes, debates or special issues.
Note: Word limits are inclusive of the abstract and references.
Prepare your manuscript
Submission Requirements
Check each applicable requirement before submitting your manuscript to the editorial office.
- ✓Submit manuscripts in Microsoft Word (.docx) format.
- ✓Use APA 7th edition for citations and references.
- ✓Provide an abstract of approximately 150–200 words.
- ✓Provide 5–7 keywords.
- ✓Use clear heading levels and include page numbers.
- ✓Number and title all tables and figures.
- ✓Ensure every in-text citation appears in the reference list, and vice versa.
- ✓Include DOI information for references where available.
- ✓Include funding, conflict-of-interest, ethics and data-availability statements where applicable.
- ✓Remove author-identifying information from the manuscript file for double-anonymized review.
- ✓Disclose substantive use of generative AI in accordance with the journal's AI policy.
Organise your paper
Manuscript Structure
Research manuscripts should generally follow the structure below. Qualitative, theoretical, historical and interpretive manuscripts may use a different structure appropriate to their research design.
1
Title
2
Abstract
3
Keywords
4
Introduction
5
Literature Review and/or Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
6
Research Questions and/or Hypotheses, where applicable
7
Methodology / Research Design
8
Results / Findings
9
Discussion
10
Conclusion and Implications
11
References
12
Tables, Figures and Supplementary Materials, where applicable
Citations and references
APA 7th Edition
IJP uses the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition, for author–date citations, references and general scholarly presentation.
Authors are responsible for checking the accuracy of all citations and references. Include DOI information wherever available and consult current APA Style guidance when a manuscript-specific question is not addressed by the journal's instructions.
What happens after submission
Peer Review Process
IJP uses double-anonymized peer review for research articles. Authors and reviewers are not identified to one another during the review process.
Independent assessment
Each research manuscript normally receives at least two independent external reviews. Reviewers should have relevant subject expertise, declare conflicts of interest and maintain the confidentiality of review materials.
Editorial decision
Editors assess the reviews and make the final publication decision. Review reports are confidential. Acceptance is not guaranteed, and the journal does not promise a fixed review time.
Possible Editorial Decisions
AcceptMinor revisionsMajor revisions / revise and resubmitReject and resubmit as a substantially new manuscriptReject
Research integrity
Publication Ethics and Author Responsibilities
Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted research is original, ethically conducted, properly documented and compliant with the journal's publication policies.
Authorship and contributor responsibilities
Authorship must reflect substantial intellectual contribution to the conception, design, conduct, analysis or interpretation of the research. All authors must approve the submitted manuscript and accept responsibility for its integrity. Authorship changes after submission require a documented request and appropriate agreement from affected authors.
Conflicts of interest
Authors must disclose financial or non-financial relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing their research. Editors with a conflict must not make the final decision on the affected manuscript.
Research ethics and informed consent
Research involving human participants must comply with applicable institutional, national and international ethical requirements. Where approval is required, authors should identify the approving body and approval information. Participant privacy, confidentiality and dignity must be protected, and informed consent obtained where required.
Plagiarism and similarity screening
The journal's stated similarity-screening threshold is less than 20% using an appropriate system such as Turnitin. Similarity scores are indicators for editorial assessment and are not, by themselves, proof of plagiarism. Substantial unattributed copying, fabricated references or other evidence of misconduct may lead to rejection or investigation.
Generative artificial intelligence
The journal states that AI use must not exceed 10%. AI systems cannot be listed as authors. Substantive use of generative AI must be disclosed, and authors remain responsible for verifying claims, references, quotations, data interpretations and other outputs. AI must not be used to fabricate evidence, sources, data or research results. Confidential manuscripts, reviewer reports and personal data must not be entered into public AI systems.
Data availability
Authors are encouraged to share research data, materials, instruments and code where ethically, legally and practically possible. Include a data-availability statement where applicable, identify publicly available datasets using stable links or identifiers, and explain restrictions where data cannot be shared.
Author Declaration
At submission, the corresponding author confirms that the manuscript is original and not under simultaneous consideration elsewhere; all authors have approved it; sources have been appropriately acknowledged; relevant ethics, funding and conflicts have been disclosed; and the manuscript complies with IJP policies.
After acceptance
Publication, Access and Fees
Please consider the journal's publication arrangements before submitting your manuscript.
Open access and licensing
The journal describes itself as an open scholarly publication and identifies Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) for articles, with authors retaining copyright. Please confirm the applicable licence terms with the editorial office where clarification is needed.
Article processing charges
The journal's documentation states that article processing charges apply to manuscripts accepted for publication. The document does not specify the amount, so authors should contact the editorial office for current fee details before proceeding.
Publication schedule
IJP plans to publish two issues per calendar year, with one calendar year constituting one volume.
Corrections and the scholarly record
The journal may issue corrections, retractions or expressions of concern where appropriate. Material changes affecting the scholarly record should not be made silently.
Submission enquiries
Ready to Submit Your Manuscript?
For manuscript submission instructions, article processing charges or questions about the journal's policies, contact the editorial office.
Editorial Office
Department of Political Science
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria