BALKANISTIC WORLDS

ISSN 3033-134X (Print)

ISSN 3033-1358 (Online)

TO AUTHORS

Instructions for Authors

  1. Aims and Scope

Balkanistic Worlds is an international, peer-reviewed journal devoted to research in the humanities and social sciences related to the Balkan region. The journal welcomes original studies, critical essays, and comparative analyses in areas such as literature, history, linguistics, philosophy, cultural studies, sociology, anthropology, art, and related interdisciplinary fields.

The mission of Balkanistic Worlds is to promote scholarly dialogue and cross-cultural understanding by providing a platform for innovative and high-quality research about the Balkans and its global connections.

  1. Types of Submissions

The journal accepts the following categories of manuscripts:

Research Articles: up to 50,000 characters (with spaces) including references.

Book Reviews: up to 20,000 characters (with spaces) including references.

Research Notes or Reports: up to 10,000 characters (with spaces) including references.

All submissions must be original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere.

  1. Submission Procedure

Manuscripts should be submitted electronically via email to the Editorial Office at bf@balkanistica.com

Each submission must include:

A cover letter confirming originality, authorship, and relevance to the journal’s aims.

A separate title page containing:

Article title

Full names and institutional affiliations of all authors

ORCID iD (if available)

Corresponding author’s name, email, and postal address

Acknowledgments (if applicable)

The main manuscript file must be anonymized for double-blind peer review.

  1. Manuscript Preparation

4.1. Format

File type: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx).

Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt.

Line spacing: 1.5.

Margins: 2.5 cm on all sides.

The pages are not numbered.

4.2. Structure of the Article

Title

Abstract (200–250 words)

Keywords (3–7)

Introduction

Theoretical Background / Literature Review

Methodology (if applicable)

Analysis and Discussion

Conclusions

Acknowledgments (optional)

References

4.3. Abstract and Keywords

The abstract should provide a concise summary of the article’s objectives, methods, main findings, and conclusions. Keywords should accurately reflect the content and scope of the paper.

4.4. References and Citation Style

Balkanistic Worlds follows the APA (7th edition) citation style.

All references cited in the text must appear in the reference list and vice versa.

Include DOIs where available.

Example:

Petrović, M. (2023). Cultural memory and post-conflict narratives in the Balkans. Balkanistic Worlds, 5(2), 121–138. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/bw.2023.05207

  1. Figures and Tables

Figures and tables must be clearly numbered and cited in the text in order.

Each should include a descriptive caption and, if applicable, the source of the data or image.

Images must be high resolution (minimum 300 dpi).

Tables must be editable (not inserted as images).

  1. Peer Review Process

All manuscripts are subject to double-blind peer review by at least two independent experts.

Submissions are first evaluated by the editorial team for relevance, academic quality, and compliance with journal guidelines.

The average review period is 8–12 weeks.

Possible editorial decisions:

Accept

Minor Revision

Major Revision

Reject

Authors receiving revision requests should return the revised manuscript within 30 days accompanied by a point-by-point response letter.

  1. Publication Ethics and Integrity

Balkanistic Worlds adheres to the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.

Authors are required to ensure that:

The work is original and free of plagiarism or self-plagiarism.

All sources and data are properly cited.

No data manipulation, falsification, or fabrication has occurred.

Any potential conflicts of interest are disclosed.

The journal reserves the right to retract published papers in cases of confirmed research misconduct.

  1. Copyright and Licensing

Upon acceptance, authors must sign a copyright agreement or open access license CC BY 4.0.
The journal permits authors to archive the accepted manuscript in institutional or subject repositories with proper citation of the published version.

Copyrights for articles published in Balkanistic Worlds are retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. The publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work.

The journal ensures digital preservation of all published content through long-term archiving services.

The journal does not charge any fees to authors.

  1. Open Access Policy

Balkanistic Worlds provides immediate open access to all published content, based on the principle that free availability of research fosters the exchange of scholarly knowledge and supports academic collaboration worldwide.

  1. Author Contributions and Funding Disclosure

Authors must include a statement specifying individual contributions, e.g.:

Conceptualization, Writing – Original Draft, Methodology, Editing, Supervision, Funding Acquisition, etc.

All sources of financial or institutional support must be disclosed in the Funding section.

  1. Data Availability

Authors are encouraged to make data, materials, or supplementary files publicly accessible in an institutional or subject repository.

A Data Availability Statement must be included, e.g.:

“The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.”

  1. Contact Information

Editorial Office – Balkanistic Worlds

Editor-in-Chief Assoc. Prof. Petar Vodenicharov

Email: bf@balkanistica.com

Website: www.balkanistica.com