Editorial Policies

The Journal of Kyrgyzstan Studies (JKS) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal devoted to scholarly work on Kyrgyzstan and the wider Central Asian region. The journal accepts articles in Turkish, English, Kyrgyz, and Russian, and is published three times a year — in April, August, and December.

Scope. JKS welcomes contributions in the history, language, literature, culture, politics, economy, sociology, education, law, and international relations of Kyrgyzstan, as well as comparative and interdisciplinary studies on Central Asia. While the journal maintains a regional focus, it gives priority to work that also contributes to broader academic conversations.

Review process. All submitted articles first undergo an editorial pre-screening in which scope fit, formal requirements, language quality, and originality are assessed. Manuscripts that pass pre-screening enter double-blind peer review; the identities of authors and reviewers are kept confidential from one another. Each manuscript receives the opinion of at least two independent reviewers. Where reviewer opinions diverge, a third opinion may be sought. On the basis of reviewer reports, the editor issues one of four decisions: accept, request minor revisions, request major revisions and resubmit for review, or reject.

Review timeline. The target review period is six weeks. Authors receive an initial decision on average within eight to twelve weeks of submission. When revisions are requested, authors are given thirty days to respond; justified requests for extension are considered.

Publication ethics. JKS adheres to the Core Practices document of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The journal investigates all allegations of ethical misconduct in accordance with COPE flowcharts. Where misconduct is established, the manuscript is rejected or, if already published, retracted.

Open access. All articles published in JKS are made freely and openly available on the day of publication. Articles are released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license. No fees are charged to authors for submission, review, or publication.

Languages and citation style. Articles may be submitted in any of the journal's four languages. Abstracts and keywords in each language are required for all articles. Citations and references follow the APA 7 style. In-text citations, footnotes, and the reference list must be formatted accordingly.