Editorial Policy

 Focus and Scope

International Journal of Racket Sports Science (IJRSS) is an international publication in English covering all areas related to racket sports. The journal includes research in biomechanics, physiology, training and coaching, engineering and technology, ergonomics, sports medicine and injuries, notational analysis, nutrition, psychology, rehabilitation, youth development, as well as other scientific branches linked to racket sports.

 Publication Frequency

Each year, the International Journal of Racket Sports Science publishes a single volume in electronic version, consisting of two bi-annual issues. The publication dates for each issue are as follows:

  • No. 1 – January - June
  • No. 2 – July - December

It is important to note that receipt of a manuscript does not imply a commitment to publish on the part of the journal.

 Journal Sections

Requirement of Originality: The journal is committed to maintaining high standards of quality and originality in the works it publishes. Therefore, only original and unpublished works will be accepted. All manuscripts must be submitted through the online management system (OJS), strictly following the author guidelines. These guidelines can be consulted in the “Submissions” section under “Author Guidelines”.

Furthermore, as a general policy, the publication of articles by the same author in consecutive issues of the journal will not be allowed, unless exceptional circumstances justify such a decision.

Publication Type Open Submissions Indexed Peer Review
Editorial ✘ ✔ ✘
Articles ✔ ✔ ✔

 

 Article Processing and Submission Charges

International Journal of Racket Sports Science (IJRSS) does not charge any fees for the submission or processing of articles submitted for consideration. We invite all scholars to present their original works, knowing that in our journal they will find a space that values the exchange of ideas and scientific quality at no cost.

 Research Funding

International Journal of Racket Sports Science (IJRSS) is sponsored by the following institutions:

This support allows the journal to offer free, open access, thereby eliminating any processing or submission charges for manuscripts.

 Peer Review Process

International Journal of Racket Sports Science (IJRSS) follows a double-blind peer review process to ensure the impartiality and confidentiality of each manuscript. All received articles will be sent to a minimum of two ad hoc selected scientific reviewers. These reviewers will be responsible for evaluating and assessing the originality, novelty, relevance, and methodological quality of the manuscripts. Evaluation reports will be submitted to the Editorial Board via a specific form. At least 50% of the reviewers will be external to the editorial team and the publishing entity. Information for Reviewers.

Editorial Process

1. Receipt and initial confirmation: Upon receiving the manuscript, a confirmation email is sent to the author.

2. Preliminary evaluation: The Editor-in-Chief or Associate Editor verifies that the manuscript complies with the journal's scope, formatting, and ethical standards. If it fails basic requirements, a structured email explaining the reasons is sent. If it meets the journal's requests, it proceeds to peer review.

3. Assignment of reviewers: The Section Editor selects 2 expert reviewers in the core topic of the manuscript. A formal request is sent with defined deadlines, evaluation guidelines, an anonymized manuscript, and an evaluation form. If a reviewer declines, the process is repeated until the panel is complete.

4. Peer review process: Reviewers submit their reports through a standardized form (originality, rigor, contribution, suggestions). In case of delays, the editorial team will send reminders to the reviewers.

5. Editorial decision-making: The Editor-in-Chief analyzes the reports and determines the decision:

  • Acceptance without changes.
  • Minor/Major revision: request for specific corrections. In this case, a document is sent to the author with the reviewers' comments (anonymized), specifying how to proceed and the deadlines for resubmitting the manuscript with the requested adjustments.
  • Rejection: based on the observations made by the reviewers.

6. Resubmission process (if applicable): The author sends the revised version and (if desired) a response letter to the comments. The editor evaluates whether the corrections are satisfactory or if a new peer review is required. Steps 4–6 are repeated until a final decision is reached. Note: in the event of a tie in the reviews, a third reviewer will be assigned to assist in making specific decisions.

7. Final Decision

  • Acceptance: A notification is made to the author, detailing next steps: metadata translation (if applicable), sending to layout design, and proofreading layout versions.
  • Rejection: A clear and constructive communication is provided, with no option for resubmission (except upon appeal).

8. Appeals: If the author disagrees, they may appeal by submitting a written justification within 15 days. The Editor-in-Chief evaluates the appeal with a third reviewer or the Editorial Board. A response will be provided within 30 days.

9. Requests for clarification: Authors and readers may request clarifications regarding the editorial process. Requests must be sent to the email address info@racketsportscience.org. A response will be provided as soon as possible. All communications, reports, and manuscript versions will be securely archived. Encrypted platforms will be used, and unnecessary personal data will be removed from all managed files.

* Authors will be kept informed about the status of their manuscript through notifications and emails generated by the platform throughout the editorial process.

 

 Anti-Plagiarism Policy

To ensure the originality of published works,  International Journal of Racket Sports Science (IJRSS) uses anti-plagiarism software to screen all submitted articles before starting the peer review process.

Submitted articles must be original and unpublished. If plagiarism is detected, the article will be immediately excluded from the editorial process. The journal uses Turnitin to analyze text similarity in submitted manuscripts.

Consult the Anti-Plagiarism Policy here.

 Digital Preservation

The journal adheres to the following digital preservation strategies in collaboration with the Editorial Universidad de Granada and through the OJS system:

  • Daily Backup: The EUG performs backups every 24 hours to preserve and archive content, enabling recovery in case of loss.
  • Digital Object Identifier (DOI): Each article receives a DOI managed by Crossref, ensuring persistent identification and preventing location issues caused by URL changes.
  • PKP Preservation Network (PN): Through OJS, the journal uses the PKP Preservation Network, which digitally archives articles in LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) to ensure long-term preservation.
  • LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe): The journal supports LOCKSS to ensure a permanent archive. Archived articles can be consulted in the LOCKSS Publisher Manifest.
    Indexing in Databases: The journal is indexed in several databases, guaranteeing long-term preservation and access to its content.

 Interoperability Protocols

OAI-PMH Interoperability Protocol: The journal implements the OAI-PMH protocol to facilitate access to and transfer of its content via https://revistaseug.ugr.es/index.php/IJRSS/oai.

 Open Access Policy

International Journal of Racket Sports Science (IJRSS) 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. The journal follows the recommendations of Article 37 of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Law on open-access dissemination,  and the BOAI definition of open access.

Consult the rest of the Open Access Policy and Copyright here.

 Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright over their works and grant the journal the right of first publication. In addition, articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which allows others to share the work provided that authorship is acknowledged and initial publication in this journal is cited.

For more information, consult the Open Access Policy and Copyright.

 Self-Archiving and Repository Policy

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post the published version of their work electronically (publisher's post-print version) or, failing that, the author's peer-reviewed and accepted post-print version. This practice can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

 Retraction and Correction of Articles

In case of significant errors or scientific misconduct, International Journal of Racket Sports Science (IJRSS) has a retraction and correction procedure following COPE guidelines to ensure editorial transparency and rigor. You can consult more information in our Code of Ethics.

 Conflicts of Interest

All authors must declare any conflicts of interest when submitting their manuscript. This includes, but is not limited to, financial relationships, personal relationships, or involvement in related studies. A statement must be included in the manuscript indicating whether or not conflicts of interest exist.

Reviewers must also declare any conflicts of interest before accepting to review a manuscript. If a reviewer has a conflict, they must decline the review.

The editorial board will evaluate conflict of interest declarations and make decisions regarding the continuation of the review and publication process. Our journal is committed to maintaining trust in peer review and the integrity of the publishing process. Any situation compromising this integrity will be managed according to our policies.

Failure to declare a conflict of interest may result in the retraction of the article once published, or in the review of the manuscript if the omission is discovered during the evaluation process.

 Code of Ethics

This journal adheres to rigorous ethical standards in publishing manuscripts and declares its commitment to preventing misconduct in all its editorial activities. You can consult the complete code of ethics at the following link: Code of Ethics.

 

If you would like more information about the journal, click here.