Iustitia Criminal Science is a peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal published Biannually, with two regular issues per volume: Issue 1 — January–June period, Issue 2 — July–December period, The journal is dedicated to advancing scholarship in criminal law and criminal justice studies through doctrinal, socio-legal, comparative, and interdisciplinary approaches. This biannual schedule allows for a consistent and predictable release of articles to the readership while preserving sufficient time for the rigorous, substantive peer review that legal scholarship requires. Accepted and fully copyedited articles are published online progressively within the period of the corresponding issue, and the issue is closed at the end of that period. Each article receives its final bibliographic details (volume, issue, year, page range, and DOI) upon assignment to the issue of record.

Articles in Press

Articles in press are peer reviewed, accepted articles to be published in this publication. When the final article is assigned to volumes/issues of the publication, the article in press version will be removed and the final version will appear in the associated published volumes/issues of the publication. The date an article was first made available online will be carried over.

Please be aware that, although articles in press do not have all bibliographic details available yet, they can already be cited using the year of online publication and the DOI, as follows: author(s), article title, Publication (year), DOI.

Please consult the journal's reference style (APA 7th edition) for the exact appearance of these elements, abbreviation of journal names, and use of punctuation.

There are three types of Articles in Press:

1. Journal pre-proofs: versions of an article that have undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but are not yet definitive versions of record. These versions will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting, and review before being published in final form, but are provided to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
2. Uncorrected proofs: articles that have been copy edited and formatted, but have not been finalized yet. They still need to be proof-read and corrected by the author(s) and the text could still change before final publication.
3. Corrected proofs: articles that contain the authors' corrections. Final citation details, e.g. volume and/or issue number, publication year and page numbers, still need to be added and the text might change before final publication.

In Progress Articles

Iustitia Criminal Science adopts the "In Progress" policy for certain journal issues that are currently under development. Despite being in progress, these issues contain articles that have reached the final stage and are fully citable, including the full list of authors, article title, journal name, volume, issue, year, page numbers, and DOI.

Manuscript Security and Confidentiality

Iustitia Criminal Science is committed to maintaining the confidentiality and security of submitted manuscripts. The journal operates a double-blind peer review process; the identities of authors and reviewers are not disclosed to one another at any stage.

Editors and reviewers involved in the review process are required to adhere to strict ethical guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Submitted manuscripts are treated as privileged communications and must not be shown to, discussed with, or used by any party outside the editorial process without the written permission of the Editor-in-Chief. Any breach of confidentiality or misconduct will be treated seriously and investigated thoroughly.

Particular care is exercised where manuscripts contain sensitive empirical material — including case files, investigative data, or information concerning victims, suspects, and other identifiable individuals. Authors are expected to have anonymised such material and to have secured any institutional or ethical clearance required before submission.

Timeliness of Publication

Iustitia Criminal Science is dedicated to ensuring the timely publication of accepted articles. The editorial team will make every effort to adhere to the predetermined publication schedule. Authors can expect their articles to be published within a reasonable timeframe after acceptance, enabling timely dissemination of their research findings.

As an indicative guide, the editorial workflow proceeds as follows:

Stage	Indicative duration
Initial editorial and similarity screening	7–14 days from submission
Double-blind peer review	4–8 weeks
Author revision	2–4 weeks
Final decision and acceptance	1–2 weeks after revision
Copyediting, layout, and online publication	2–4 weeks after acceptance

These durations are indicative rather than contractual, and may vary according to the availability of qualified reviewers and the complexity of the manuscript. Authors are notified through the journal's Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform at each stage of the process.

Author Awareness and Consent

Authors submitting articles to Iustitia Criminal Science are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the publishing policies, including the Articles in Press and In Progress Article formats. By submitting their work, authors implicitly consent to the publication practices outlined in this policy.

Policy Review

This publishing schedule policy will be periodically reviewed by the Iustitia Criminal Science editorial board to ensure its effectiveness and alignment with evolving best practices in scholarly publishing. Any necessary updates or modifications will be implemented to maintain the journal's commitment to integrity and quality.

Note: This policy is based on the guidelines provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and has been tailored specifically for Iustitia Criminal Science.