Author’s Guidelines
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Before You Submit
3. Article Types
4. Manuscript Preparation
5. Figures, Tables, Images, Figure Legends, Permissions, and Multimedia
6. References and Citation Style
7. Reporting Guidelines
8. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-Assisted Technologies in Manuscript Preparation
9. Supplementary Material and Research Data
10. Peer Review, Editorial Decision, and Revision
11. Submission Preparation Checklist
1. Introduction
The Journal of Illicit Trade, Financial Crime, and Compliance (JITFCC), an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal, welcomes contributions from researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and professionals whose work enhances understanding of emerging challenges and practical solutions within the areas of illicit trade, financial crime, anti-money laundering, corruption, sanctions, regulatory compliance, financial integrity, corporate governance, and related interdisciplinary fields.
These Author Guidelines are intended to assist authors in preparing manuscripts that meet the journal's editorial and publication standards. Careful adherence to these instructions will facilitate efficient editorial assessment, peer review, and production processes while improving the clarity, transparency, and reproducibility of published research.
The journal welcomes manuscripts that present original research findings, critical reviews of existing literature, innovative perspectives, policy analyses, methodological advances, and other scholarly contributions that are scientifically rigorous and relevant to the journal's scope. Submissions should demonstrate intellectual originality, methodological soundness, ethical integrity, and clear significance for researchers, practitioners, regulators, or policymakers.
Authors are expected to prepare manuscripts in accordance with internationally accepted standards of scholarly publishing and responsible research conduct. All submitted manuscripts should present accurate and honest accounts of the work performed, supported by appropriate evidence and complete citations of relevant literature. Authors bear full responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, and originality of the content submitted for publication.
The journal operates a rigorous double-blind peer review process designed to ensure fairness, confidentiality, and academic quality. Editorial decisions are based exclusively on scientific merit, originality, methodological quality, relevance to the journal's aims and scope, and the significance of the findings. The journal does not discriminate on the basis of nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs.
Authors are strongly encouraged to read these guidelines in their entirety before submitting a manuscript. Manuscripts that substantially depart from the journal's requirements may be returned to the authors for revision before entering the peer review process.
Unless otherwise stated, all correspondence regarding manuscript submission, peer review, revision, acceptance, and publication will be conducted through the journal's online editorial system or the editorial office.
2. Before You Submit
Authors are encouraged to ensure that their manuscripts fully comply with the journal's requirements before submission to help minimize delays resulting from incomplete or non-compliant submissions.
· Originality and Exclusive Submission
The journal publishes only original scholarly work that has not been previously published and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. By submitting a manuscript, the corresponding author confirms on behalf of all co-authors that the work is original, has been approved by all authors, and has not been submitted simultaneously to another journal or publisher.
Submission of substantially similar manuscripts to multiple journals, duplicate publication, redundant publication, or salami publication is considered unethical and may result in rejection of the manuscript or other editorial action in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies.
Where portions of the manuscript have been published previously, including conference proceedings, preprints, dissertations, or institutional repositories, authors should clearly disclose this information at the time of submission and explain how the submitted work differs from the earlier publication. The editorial office will assess such submissions in accordance with accepted scholarly publishing practices.
· Authorship and Author Responsibilities
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the conception or design of the study, acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data, drafting of the manuscript, or critical revision of its intellectual content. All authors should have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the published work.
Individuals who contributed to the research but do not satisfy the criteria for authorship should not be listed as authors. Their contributions may instead be recognized in the Acknowledgements section after obtaining their permission.
The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all authors have approved the manuscript, that author information is accurate at the time of submission, and that all communication with the journal is shared appropriately with co-authors throughout the editorial and publication process.
Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors after submission may be considered only in exceptional circumstances and must be supported by a written explanation and the written consent of all authors. Such requests remain subject to editorial approval.
· Publication Ethics
All submitted manuscripts must be prepared and conducted in accordance with internationally accepted principles of responsible research and publication ethics. Authors are expected to ensure that their work complies with the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Policy, including the principles relating to honesty, transparency, accountability, responsible authorship, and ethical reporting of research.
Research involving human participants, confidential information, or sensitive data should comply with all applicable ethical and legal requirements. Where appropriate, authors should state that the necessary ethical approvals, informed consent, and institutional permissions were obtained before conducting the research.
· Plagiarism and Research Integrity
The JITFCC maintains a strict policy against plagiarism and all forms of research misconduct. Submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before peer review and again prior to publication, where necessary.
Plagiarism includes the unacknowledged use of another person's ideas, text, figures, tables, data, or other intellectual property, whether copied directly or paraphrased without appropriate attribution. The journal also considers fabrication, falsification, image manipulation, citation manipulation, inappropriate authorship practices, and undisclosed use of third-party content to constitute serious breaches of publication ethics.
Manuscripts found to contain evidence of research misconduct may be rejected or withdrawn at any stage of the editorial process, and appropriate corrective actions may be taken in accordance with the journal's editorial policies.
· Language Quality
Manuscripts should be written in clear, concise, and grammatically correct English. Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to have their manuscripts carefully reviewed by a qualified colleague or a professional language-editing service before submission. The use of such services is optional and does not guarantee acceptance; responsibility for the scientific content and language quality of the manuscript remains entirely with the authors.
Authors should write in a precise and objective academic style, avoiding unnecessary jargon, colloquial expressions, or ambiguous language. Abbreviations should be introduced only when necessary and defined at their first occurrence in the text.
· Data Availability
Authors of JITFCC are expected to maintain accurate records of the data supporting their research and retain such data for a reasonable period after publication. Where appropriate, authors are encouraged to deposit datasets in recognized public repositories or provide access to supporting data in accordance with disciplinary norms, ethical obligations, and legal requirements.
Any restrictions on data sharing arising from confidentiality, privacy, national security, contractual obligations, or legal considerations should be clearly explained in an appropriate Data Availability Statement within the manuscript.
· Conflict of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial interests, relationships, affiliations, or activities that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the conduct, interpretation, or reporting of the research. Such disclosures enable editors, reviewers, and readers to evaluate the work with appropriate transparency.
If no competing interests exist, authors should include a statement indicating that they have no conflicts of interest to declare.
· Funding
All financial support received for the research, manuscript preparation, or publication should be fully disclosed. Authors should identify the names of funding organizations together with grant or award numbers where applicable. Where funding agencies had any involvement in the design of the study, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or the decision to publish, this should be clearly stated.
· Acknowledgements
The Acknowledgements section should recognize individuals, institutions, organizations, or agencies that provided technical assistance, administrative support, editorial assistance, laboratory facilities, or other contributions that do not meet the criteria for authorship. Authors should ensure that all individuals acknowledged have agreed to be identified in the published manuscript.
· Copyright Permissions
Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission to reproduce or adapt any copyrighted material, including figures, tables, photographs, illustrations, questionnaires, maps, or substantial portions of previously published text, unless such material is clearly in the public domain or its use is otherwise permitted by law or license.
Appropriate acknowledgement of the original source must accompany all reproduced or adapted material. Authors remain solely responsible for any copyright infringement arising from the unauthorized use of third-party content.
3. Article Types
The Journal of Illicit Trade, Financial Crime, and Compliance publishes several categories of scholarly contributions that collectively promote the advancement of research, policy, and professional practice within the fields of illicit trade, financial crime, anti-money laundering, corruption, sanctions, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, financial integrity, and related interdisciplinary disciplines.
Authors should select the article type that most accurately reflects the objectives, scope, and depth of their work. Regardless of article category, all submissions should demonstrate originality, methodological rigor, ethical integrity, and relevance to the journal's aims and scope.
The Editorial Office reserves the right to recommend a different article category where appropriate.
Research Articles
Research Articles present original scientific investigations that contribute substantially to existing knowledge. They should describe well-designed studies supported by appropriate methodology, rigorous analysis, and evidence-based conclusions. The manuscript should clearly explain the significance of the findings and their contribution to theory, policy, professional practice, or future research.
Research Articles generally follow the conventional structure of Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions, although Discussion, and Conclusions may be combined as a single heading. Authors are encouraged to propose directions for future research in the field of research at which the article is focused.
Review Articles
Review Articles provide comprehensive, balanced, and critical evaluations of published research relating to a specific topic within the journal's scope. Rather than merely summarizing previous studies, review papers should critically analyze existing evidence, identify current knowledge gaps, evaluate emerging trends, and propose directions for future research.
Systematic reviews, scoping reviews, meta-analyses, and narrative reviews are all welcomed, provided the review methodology is clearly described and appropriate reporting standards are followed where applicable.
Perspective Articles
Perspective Articles present scholarly opinions, innovative concepts, or emerging viewpoints on important issues affecting research, policy, regulation, or professional practice. These articles are intended to stimulate academic discussion by offering informed interpretations, proposing new conceptual frameworks, or highlighting future research priorities.
Perspectives should be evidence-based, well-reasoned, and supported by relevant literature while allowing authors greater flexibility in presenting informed scholarly opinions than traditional research articles.
Short Communications
Short Communications provide concise reports of original research findings, preliminary observations, novel methodologies, pilot studies, or innovative approaches that are of immediate scientific interest. Although shorter than full Research Articles, these manuscripts should present complete and scientifically sound studies with sufficient methodological detail to allow readers to evaluate the validity of the findings.
The journal encourages the submission of Short Communications describing innovative ideas or early-stage discoveries that have the potential to stimulate further investigation.
Comments
Comments provide concise scholarly discussions relating to recently published research, significant policy developments, emerging issues, or topics of current importance within the journal's scope. Comments should contribute constructively to scientific discourse by presenting evidence-based observations, reasoned critiques, or alternative interpretations.
Comments are expected to maintain a professional and objective tone and should support all arguments with appropriate references.
Editorials (Invited Only)
Editorials are generally commissioned by the Editor-in-Chief or members of the Editorial Board. They provide expert commentary on important developments, policy issues, thematic collections, or matters relating to scholarly publishing and the journal's scope.
Unsolicited editorials may be considered only under exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.
Article Specifications:
The following table provides general guidance regarding manuscript length and presentation requirements. These limits are intended as recommendations rather than absolute restrictions. Authors should ensure that manuscripts are sufficiently detailed to communicate their research effectively while remaining concise and focused.
|
Article Type |
Typical Length* |
Abstract |
Figures/Tables |
|
Research Article |
3,500–6,000 words |
Up to 200 words |
Up to 8 |
|
Review Article |
6,000–10,000 words |
Up to 200 words |
Up to 30 |
|
Mini Review |
Up to 5,000 words |
Up to 200 words |
Up to 15 |
|
Perspective |
2,500–4,000 words |
Up to 200 words |
Up to 4 |
|
Short Communication |
2,000–3,000 words |
Up to 150 words |
Up to 4 |
|
Comment |
Up to 1,500 words |
Up to 50 words |
Up to 2 |
|
Editorial |
Normally by invitation |
Not required |
As appropriate |
*Word counts exclude the abstract, references, tables, figure captions, and supplementary material unless otherwise specified.
The Editor-in-Chief may exercise discretion in accepting manuscripts that reasonably exceed these recommendations where the scientific content justifies additional length.
4. Manuscript Preparation
Manuscripts should be prepared in a clear, logical, and scholarly manner that enables readers and reviewers to understand the objectives, methodology, results, and significance of the research. Although the journal does not require strict formatting for initial submissions, manuscripts should be presented in a consistent style and organized according to internationally accepted standards of scientific writing. Authors are encouraged to write concisely, avoid unnecessary repetition, and ensure that all sections contribute meaningfully to the overall presentation of the research.
The journal reserves the right to request revisions to the organization, formatting, or presentation of manuscripts where necessary to improve clarity, consistency, or compliance with the journal's publication standards.
4.1. General Formatting
The journal accepts manuscripts prepared in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or LaTeX. There are no rigid formatting requirements for initial submissions; however, manuscripts should be presented in a clear and readable format using a standard font, consistent spacing, and consecutively numbered pages.
Authors should use a single-column layout and avoid excessive formatting, embedded text boxes, decorative elements, or automatic numbering styles that may interfere with the production process. Line numbering is encouraged for initial submissions as it facilitates peer review but is not mandatory.
All pages should be arranged in the following general order unless the selected article type requires a different structure:
- Title Page
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Main Text
- Acknowledgements (where applicable)
- Funding Statement
- Conflict of Interest Statement
- Data Availability Statement (where applicable)
- References
- Tables
- Figure Legends
- Supplementary Material (if any)
This sequence may be modified for article types such as Comments, Editorials, or Perspectives where appropriate.
4.2. Language and Writing Style
Manuscripts must be written in clear, concise, and grammatically correct English. Authors should use formal academic language that is precise, objective, and easily understood by an international readership. Technical terminology should be used where necessary but should remain consistent throughout the manuscript.
Authors are encouraged to write in the active voice whenever appropriate and to avoid unnecessary jargon, colloquial expressions, or overly complex sentence structures. Consistency in spelling should be maintained throughout the manuscript using either British English or American English, but the two styles should not be mixed within the same paper.
Abbreviations should be introduced only when they improve readability and should be defined in full at their first appearance in both the abstract and the main text. Standard abbreviations that are widely recognized within the discipline need not be defined repeatedly.
Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to have their manuscripts reviewed by a proficient English speaker or a professional language-editing service before submission. Such services improve language quality but do not influence editorial decisions.
4.3. Title Page
The title page should contain all information necessary to identify the manuscript and its authors while ensuring accurate indexing after publication.
The title should be concise, informative, and accurately reflect the content of the study without the use of unexplained abbreviations, formulas, or promotional language.
The title page should include the full names of all authors, their institutional affiliations, complete postal addresses, and the email address of the corresponding author. Authors are strongly encouraged to provide their ORCID IDs to facilitate accurate identification and attribution of scholarly work.
Where authors have multiple institutional affiliations, these should be clearly indicated using superscript numbering or another consistent method.
Any changes to authorship after submission must comply with the journal's Authorship Policy.
4.4. Abstract
Every manuscript, except where otherwise specified, should include a concise and informative abstract that accurately summarizes the study.
The abstract should briefly describe the background of the research, its objectives, methodology, principal findings, and main conclusions. It should clearly communicate the novelty and significance of the work while remaining understandable to readers who have not yet consulted the full manuscript.
For Research Articles, authors are encouraged to organize the abstract by briefly addressing the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. Review Articles, Perspectives, and other article types may adopt a structure appropriate to their content.
Reference citations should generally not be included in the abstract. Non-standard abbreviations should be avoided wherever possible or defined when first introduced.
4.5. Keywords
Authors should provide six to seven keywords immediately following the abstract.
Keywords should accurately represent the principal concepts investigated in the manuscript and should assist readers, bibliographic databases, and search engines in identifying the published work. Authors are encouraged to select terms commonly used within their discipline rather than overly broad or highly specialized expressions that may reduce discoverability.
Whenever appropriate, keywords should complement rather than duplicate words already appearing in the article title.
4.6. Main Text Organization
The organization of the manuscript should reflect the nature of the research being reported. For original research, authors are encouraged to follow the conventional structure consisting of Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions.
The Introduction should explain the research problem, summarize relevant literature, identify existing knowledge gaps, and clearly state the objectives or hypotheses of the study.
The Materials and Methods section should provide sufficient detail to enable other researchers to understand, evaluate, and, where appropriate, reproduce the study. Previously published methods should be properly cited, and any modifications should be clearly described. If the study involves human participants, a statement mentioning the obtaining of informed consent should be included in Method section.
The Results section should present the findings objectively and logically without unnecessary interpretation or repetition of data already presented in tables or figures.
The Discussion should interpret the findings in the context of existing literature, explain their scientific or practical significance, acknowledge limitations where appropriate, and identify opportunities for future research. The length of the discussion must be coherent with the length of introduction section.
The Conclusions should summarize the principal findings without merely repeating earlier sections and should clearly explain the contribution of the study to the existing body of knowledge.
All manuscripts should end with separate sections for Funding (if applicable), Conflict of Interest, Data Availability (if applicable), Acknowledgements (if applicable), and References.
4.7. Headings and Numbering
Manuscripts should be divided into clearly identified sections using informative headings that improve readability and logical organization. The JITFCC recommends a numbered heading system using no more than three hierarchical levels, for example:
1.
1.1.
1.1.1.
Each heading should accurately describe the content of the section that follows. Excessive subdivision should be avoided where it does not improve clarity.
Appendices should be identified using capital letters, such as Appendix A, Appendix B, and so forth.
4.8. Abbreviations
Only abbreviations that improve readability should be used. Each abbreviation should be defined in full when first introduced in both the abstract and the main text unless it represents an internationally recognized standard abbreviation.
4.9. Footnotes
The use of footnotes should be kept to a minimum. Information essential to understanding the manuscript should normally be incorporated into the main text rather than presented in footnotes.
Where footnotes are necessary, they should be numbered consecutively and used only for brief explanatory information.
4.10. Appendices
Supporting information that is important to the understanding of the manuscript but would interrupt the flow of the main text may be presented as appendices.
Appendices may include detailed questionnaires, legal instruments, technical specifications, supplementary methodological information, or other material that is directly relevant to the study.
Each appendix should begin on a separate page and should be identified sequentially using capital letters. Figures, tables, and equations appearing within appendices should be numbered independently from those in the main text.
5. Figures, Tables, Images, Figure Legends, Permissions, and Multimedia
5.1. Figures and Illustrations
Figures should be prepared to a high professional standard and submitted in a quality suitable for publication. Images should be clear, legible, and of sufficient resolution to ensure accurate reproduction in electronic format. Text, symbols, labels, and graphical elements should remain readable after reduction to publication size.
Each figure should be cited in the text in consecutive numerical order and placed as close as practical to its first citation or uploaded as separate files. Figures consisting of multiple panels should be clearly identified using lowercase letters (e.g., Figure 2a, Figure 2b, Figure 2c) and referenced accordingly within the manuscript.
Photographs, micrographs, screenshots, maps, and graphical representations should accurately reflect the original data and must not be manipulated in a manner that could mislead readers or alter the scholarly interpretation of the results. Adjustments to brightness, contrast, or colour balance are acceptable only when applied uniformly to the entire image and when they do not obscure, remove, or introduce information.
Where artificial intelligence or image-processing software has been used to generate, enhance, or modify figures beyond routine adjustments, authors should disclose this use in accordance with the journal's policy on artificial intelligence in manuscript preparation.
5.2. Tables
Tables should be designed to present information clearly, concisely, and without unnecessary complexity. Each table should contain sufficient information to be understood independently of the main text while avoiding duplication of data already presented elsewhere in the manuscript.
Tables should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals according to their order of appearance in the text. Every table should have a concise and informative title placed above the table. Explanatory notes, abbreviations, statistical information, or symbols should appear below the table as footnotes where necessary.
Authors should use tables only when they improve the presentation of the results. Extremely large or highly detailed datasets that interrupt the flow of the manuscript may be submitted as supplementary material.
5.3. Figure Legends and Table Notes
Every figure should be accompanied by a concise yet sufficiently descriptive legend that enables readers to understand the content without repeatedly consulting the main text. Figure legends should explain all symbols, abbreviations, scale bars, statistical indicators, colours, and graphical elements used within the figure unless these have already been defined elsewhere in the manuscript.
Similarly, tables should include explanatory notes where necessary to clarify abbreviations, symbols, statistical tests, significance levels, or other information essential for interpretation.
Figure legends should be included in the main manuscript file rather than embedded within the image itself whenever possible.
5.4. Permissions for Copyrighted Material
Authors are solely responsible for obtaining written permission to reproduce or adapt any copyrighted material that is not their own. This includes, but is not limited to, figures, tables, photographs, illustrations, questionnaires, maps, diagrams, and substantial portions of previously published text.
Where permission is required, it should be obtained before submission of the manuscript. Appropriate acknowledgement of the original source must accompany all reproduced or adapted material in accordance with the requirements of the copyright holder.
Submission of a manuscript constitutes confirmation that the authors have obtained all necessary permissions for third-party content. The JITFCC accepts no responsibility for copyright infringements arising from unauthorized use of protected material.
Colour figures are welcomed where they improve scientific communication; however, authors should ensure that colour choices remain distinguishable when viewed by readers with colour vision deficiencies and that essential information is not conveyed solely through colour differences.
Before submission, authors should carefully verify that all figures and tables are correctly numbered, cited within the manuscript, and accompanied by appropriate titles, legends, or explanatory notes. Any discrepancies between the text and accompanying visual materials should be corrected prior to submission to avoid delays during editorial assessment.
6. References and Citation Style
Accurate and complete referencing is an essential component of scholarly communication. Authors are responsible for ensuring that all citations are accurate, complete, and consistent throughout the manuscript. The Journal of Illicit Trade, Financial Crime, and Compliance follows the Vancouver referencing style. Authors should ensure that both in-text citations and the reference list are prepared in accordance with this style before submitting the manuscript.
6.1. In-Text Citations
References should be cited sequentially in the order in which they first appear in the manuscript using Arabic numerals enclosed in square brackets. Once assigned, the same reference number should be used consistently throughout the manuscript whenever that source is cited again.
Multiple references may be cited together where appropriate. Consecutive references should be indicated as a range, while non-consecutive references should be separated by commas.
Reference numbers should normally be placed after punctuation marks unless grammatical structure requires otherwise.
6.2. Reference List
The reference list should appear at the end of the manuscript and include only works that have been cited in the text. References should be listed in the same numerical order in which they first appear in the manuscript rather than alphabetically.
Authors should ensure that every in-text citation corresponds to a reference in the reference list and that every reference listed has been cited in the manuscript.
Each reference should contain sufficient bibliographic information to enable readers to identify and locate the original source. Authors should carefully verify the spelling of author names, article titles, journal titles, publication years, volume and issue numbers, page ranges, and digital object identifiers (DOIs) in standard format, where available.
6.3. Accuracy and Completeness of references:
Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy of all references cited in their manuscript. Incorrect, incomplete, or inconsistent references may delay editorial processing and publication.
Before submission, authors should carefully verify that:
- Every citation is complete and correctly formatted;
- Publication details are accurate;
- URLs and DOIs are functional where applicable; and
- References cited within tables, figures, appendices, or supplementary material are also included in the reference list where appropriate.
The Editorial Office may return manuscripts for correction if significant referencing errors are identified.
6.4. Selection of References
Authors should cite literature that is directly relevant to the study and reflects the current state of knowledge within the field. Authors should ensure that every reference included in the manuscript corresponds to an authentic and verifiable published source. References should be selected on the basis of relevance rather than convenience or personal preference.
Whenever possible, authors are encouraged to cite original research articles rather than relying excessively on secondary sources or review papers. Recent literature should be incorporated where appropriate to demonstrate awareness of current developments while also acknowledging seminal publications that have made significant contributions to the field.
The JITFCC encourages balanced citation practices and discourages excessive citation of a single author, research group, institution, or journal unless appropriately justified.
6.5. Self-Citation
Authors should avoid unnecessary self-citation. References to the authors' previously published work should be included only where they are directly relevant to the research being reported.
As a general guideline, self-citations should normally not exceed 10% of the total references unless higher levels are scientifically justified by the nature of the research or the continuity of a research program.
The JITFCC also discourages inappropriate citation practices intended solely to increase citation counts or manipulate bibliometric indicators.
6.6. Artificial Intelligence use in references:
Artificial intelligence tools may generate inaccurate, incomplete, or entirely fictitious references. Authors are therefore responsible for independently verifying every citation included in the manuscript. References generated solely by artificial intelligence without verification must not be included. Similarly, authors should not cite AI-generated text as a primary scholarly source. The Editorial Office may request revisions where references do not conform to the journal's citation style or where significant inconsistencies are identified.
7. Reporting Guidelines
The JITFCC encourages authors to prepare and report their research in accordance with internationally recognized reporting guidelines appropriate to the study design. Adherence to established reporting standards improves the transparency, completeness, reproducibility, and scientific quality of published research while facilitating objective peer review and critical evaluation by readers.
Authors should select the internationally recognized reporting guideline that best corresponds to the methodology of their study. Depending on the nature of the research, this may include reporting standards for observational studies, systematic reviews, qualitative research, case studies, economic evaluations, survey research, or other recognized methodological frameworks. Where a relevant reporting guideline exists, authors are encouraged to follow it and provide any associated checklists when requested by the Editorial Office.
Compliance with reporting guidelines does not guarantee acceptance of a manuscript; however, manuscripts that omit essential methodological or reporting information may be returned for revision before peer review or during the review process. Authors are therefore encouraged to consult the appropriate reporting guideline at the beginning of manuscript preparation rather than after the study has been completed.
8. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-Assisted Technologies in Manuscript Preparation
The journal recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies are increasingly used in academic writing and scholarly publishing. Such technologies may assist authors in improving grammar, spelling, language quality, readability, formatting, or organizational aspects of a manuscript. However, AI tools should support—not replace—the authors' intellectual contribution, scientific reasoning, critical analysis, interpretation of findings, or scholarly judgment.
Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and completeness of all material submitted for publication, regardless of whether AI-assisted technologies have been used during manuscript preparation. The use of AI does not diminish the authors' responsibility for ensuring that the manuscript accurately represents the research conducted and complies with accepted standards.
Artificial intelligence systems do not satisfy internationally accepted criteria for authorship and therefore must not be listed as authors or co-authors. Responsibility for the content of a manuscript rests solely with the human authors.
Where AI-assisted technologies have been used beyond routine language editing or formatting, authors should disclose their use in an appropriate statement within the manuscript, identifying the tool used and briefly describing how it contributed to manuscript preparation. Such disclosure promotes transparency without implying endorsement of the technology by the journal.
Authors should carefully verify all text, references, tables, figures, and other content generated or modified using AI-assisted technologies. AI systems may produce inaccurate, fabricated, incomplete, or biased information, and authors are solely responsible for correcting such errors before submission.
The use of artificial intelligence to fabricate research data, manipulate images in a misleading manner, generate fictitious references, falsify results, or otherwise compromise research integrity is considered unacceptable at JITFCC and may constitute research misconduct.
9. Supplementary Material and Research Data Availability
Authors are encouraged to provide supplementary material and research data that enhance the transparency, reproducibility, and long-term value of their published research. Supplementary files enable authors to present supporting information that would otherwise interrupt the flow of the main manuscript while allowing readers’ access to additional evidence relevant to the study.
Supplementary material may include, but is not limited to, extended datasets, detailed methodologies, statistical analyses, questionnaires, interview guides, software code, algorithms, multimedia files, technical appendices, additional tables, figures, or other supporting documents. Such material should be directly relevant to the manuscript and clearly cited within the main text.
Where appropriate, authors are encouraged to deposit research data in recognized public or institutional repositories that provide persistent identifiers and long-term preservation. Data availability enhances research transparency and facilitates verification, reuse, and future scientific collaboration.
If research data cannot be made publicly available because of legal, ethical, confidentiality, security, contractual, or privacy restrictions, authors should clearly explain these limitations in a Data Availability Statement included in the manuscript. Such restrictions will not necessarily prevent publication provided that the reasons are appropriately justified.
Supplementary files submitted for publication should be complete, clearly labelled, and prepared in commonly accessible file formats. As supplementary material is generally published substantially as submitted, authors are responsible for ensuring its accuracy, readability, and consistency with the main manuscript.
Authors should ensure that supplementary material does not contain confidential information, personal data that have not been appropriately anonymized, copyrighted material for which permission has not been obtained, or any content that violates applicable ethical or legal requirements.
10. Peer Review, Editorial Decision, and Revision
The Journal of Illicit Trade, Financial Crime, and Compliance is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publishing through a fair, objective, confidential, and rigorous peer review process. All manuscripts are evaluated solely on their scientific merit, originality, methodological quality, clarity of presentation, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's aims and scope. Editorial decisions are made independently of the authors' nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs.
With the exception of editorials, all submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process in which the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the review process.
10.1. Initial Editorial Assessment
Following submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial assessment by the Editorial Office to determine whether it complies with the journal's submission requirements and falls within the journal's aims and scope. During this stage, the manuscript may also be screened for originality, ethical compliance, completeness of submission, and overall suitability for external peer review.
Manuscripts that are clearly outside the scope of the journal, fail to meet minimum quality standards, or do not comply with the journal's editorial requirements may be returned to the authors for correction or declined without external peer review.
10.2. External Peer Review
Manuscripts that successfully complete the initial editorial assessment are assigned to a Handling Editor, who selects independent experts with appropriate subject knowledge to evaluate the scientific quality of the work.
Reviewers are invited to assess the originality, methodological rigor, validity of the data and analyses, significance of the findings, appropriateness of the conclusions, quality of presentation, and compliance with accepted ethical standards. Reviewers are also encouraged to provide constructive comments that assist authors in improving their manuscripts.
The journal normally seeks double blinded evaluations from at least two independent reviewers. Where reviewer opinions differ substantially or additional expertise is required, the editor may invite one or more additional reviewers before reaching a final decision.
10.3. Editorial Decisions
After careful consideration of the reviewers' reports and the Editor's independent assessment, one of the following editorial decisions may be communicated to the corresponding author:
Accept – The manuscript is accepted for publication with no or only minor editorial amendments.
Minor Revision – The manuscript requires limited revisions before it can be accepted.
Major Revision – The manuscript has scientific merit but requires substantial revision before further consideration.
Reject – The manuscript is not suitable for publication in its current form or does not meet the journal's editorial standards.
The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to make the final publication decision and may reach a decision that differs from individual reviewer recommendations, if justified by the overall scholarly evaluation.
10.4. Revision of Manuscripts
When revisions are requested, authors should submit a revised manuscript within the time specified by the Editorial Office unless an extension has been granted.
Revised submissions should be accompanied by a detailed Response to Reviewers document explaining how each reviewer comment has been addressed. Authors should respond respectfully and provide a clear explanation for any recommendations that have not been adopted. Revised text should be highlighted or identified using tracked changes unless alternative instructions are provided.
Major revisions may be returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation before a final editorial decision is made.
10.5. Acceptance and Proofs
Following acceptance, manuscripts enter the production stage, during which they undergo copyediting, typesetting, proofreading, and final quality checks.
Page proofs/galley proofs will normally be sent to the corresponding author for review before publication. Authors should carefully examine the proofs and return any corrections within the timeframe specified by the publisher. Proof corrections should be limited to typographical, formatting, or factual errors. Substantive changes to the scientific content after acceptance will normally be considered only in exceptional circumstances and with editorial approval.
10.6. Publication
Accepted articles are published online after completion of the production process and assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). Articles are published under the journal's Open Access and Copyright Policies and become permanently available through the journal's website and associated indexing or archiving services where applicable.
11. Submission Preparation Checklist
Before submitting a manuscript, authors are encouraged to conduct a final review to ensure that the submission is complete and complies with the journal's requirements. Careful attention to the following points will facilitate efficient editorial processing and reduce the likelihood of unnecessary delays during the initial assessment.
Please confirm that:
- The manuscript is original, has not been published previously, and is not under consideration by another journal.
- All authors have made substantial scholarly contributions, approved the final manuscript, and agreed to its
submission.
- The manuscript falls within the aims and scope of the Journal of Illicit Trade, Financial Crime, and Compliance.
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details. ORCID iDs have been provided where available.
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