Section Policies

DESA: Journal of Rural Development and Governance is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing practices. All submissions undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure originality, scholarly quality, and relevance to the journal’s focus and scope. The journal applies a double-blind peer-review system, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers are anonymised to guarantee an objective and unbiased evaluation.

The journal accepts only original manuscripts that have not been previously published and are not under consideration by other journals or publishers. Authors are required to ensure that their submissions are free from plagiarism, fabricated data, and unethical research practices. DESA employs plagiarism detection tools as part of its editorial screening process, and manuscripts that do not meet ethical or academic standards may be rejected at any stage of review.

DESA upholds strict ethical principles in research involving Indigenous peoples and customary communities. Authors are expected to demonstrate respect for Indigenous knowledge systems, cultural values, and community autonomy, including appropriate acknowledgment of sources of knowledge, informed consent where applicable, and adherence to ethical research standards. The journal discourages extractive research practices and supports scholarship that is accountable, reflexive, and community-sensitive.

The journal is committed to editorial independence and academic freedom. Editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, relevance, and contribution to knowledge, without discrimination based on institutional affiliation, nationality, gender, ethnicity, or ideological perspective. Conflicts of interest involving authors, reviewers, or editors must be disclosed and will be managed in accordance with best publishing practices.

DESA supports open scholarly communication and provides free access to its published content. The journal does not charge submission or publication fees, ensuring equitable access for authors and readers. All published articles are made available in accordance with the journal’s open-access policy, allowing research to be widely disseminated and engaged by academic and non-academic audiences.