The International Journal of Euro-Mediterranean Studies (IJEMS) is an open-access peer-reviewed journal for the study of the Euro-Mediterranean region. It aims to promote engagement with the realities and ideas in the Euro-Mediterranean region, thereby developing scholarly capital and improving intercultural understanding among scholars. It publishes articles on contemporary affairs or past aspects using a variety of methodologies and approaches, representing the full geographical range wherever it is published.

The International Journal of Euro-Mediterranean Studies (IJEMS) is an open-access peer-reviewed journal for the study of the Euro-Mediterranean region. It aims to promote engagement with the realities and ideas in the Euro-Mediterranean region, thereby developing scholarly capital and improving intercultural understanding among scholars. It publishes articles on contemporary affairs or past aspects using a variety of methodologies and approaches, representing the full geographical range wherever it is published.

The IJEMS was initiated in 2008 upon the establishment of the Euro-Mediterranean University to encourage scholarly exploration of the region and critical reflections of practices, discourses and ideas. Since then, the journal has covered a number of areas and has continually reinforced, but also challenged, the notion of the Mediterranean as a geographical and political space, reinventing the meaning of Euro-Mediterranean studies.

Today, IJEMS is open to both established and emerging scholars publishing on any of the aspects related to the Euro-Mediterranean region, and regional cooperation in particular. IJEMS has a broad disciplinary focus open to contributions covering a wide range of topics of relevance to regional diversity and collaboration, spanning both academic and professional spheres.

IJEMS is published by the Euro-Mediterranean University.

Publishing is free of charge for authors.

Keywords

Euro-Mediterranean region, Mediterranean Sea, international cooperation, cultural diversity, tolerance, sustainable development, regional politics, management, entrepreneurship, economics and political economy, cultural heritage, environmental protection, science and innovation.

This journal enables authors and readers full open access without payment. In addition, there are 200 copies printed of each issue. The cost of publishing is covered by the publisher, the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI).

ISSN 1855-3362 (printed) 2232-6022 (online)

Editor-in-Chief:

Jaka Vadnjal, Euro-Mediterranean University, Slovenia,
E-mail: editor.ijems@emuni.si

Associate Editors

• Barbara Gornik, Science and Research Centre Koper, Slovenia
• Karim Moustaghfir, Al Akhawayn University, Morocco
• Chahir Zaki, Cairo University, Egypt

Editorial Advisory Board

• Abeer Refky, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, Egypt
• Francesco Martinico, University of Catania, Italy
• Mona Esam Othman Fayed, University of Cairo, Egypt
• Claudio Cressati, University of Udine, Italy
• Lola Banon Castellón, University of Valencia, Spain
• Nataša Urošević, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Croatia
• Boštjan Udovič, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Maysoun Ibrahim, Palestinian Syndicate for Information Sciences and Technology, Palestine
• Péter Kacziba, University of Pécs, Hungary
• Lotfi Ben Romdhane, University of Sousse, Tunisia
• Mejjad Nezha, University Hassan II of Casablanca, Morocco

We publish the following types of articles.

Original articles

We accept work by single or multiple authors that has not been published before and that is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Articles should be between 6,000 and 8,000 words.

Review articles 

We are open to articles that survey and summarize previously published studies, rather than report new facts or analysis. Review articles should provide a comprehensive foundation on a topic, present the current state of knowledge on a topic, or identify gaps in existing studies and potential for future research. Review articles should be between 6,000 and 8,000 words.

Event/book reviews

We consider analytical commentaries of significant events, conferences or symposia, and book reviews. In addition, we will consider for review, books sent directly to us. The section can include one contribution or engage various authors in the form of a dialogue.  All reviews should be between 1000 and 1,500 words.

Impression

To cherish the richness of the Mediterranean world, we invite submissions of photographs that represent Mediterranean heritage or reflect modern social or natural landscapes in the region. The editors retain the discretion of selecting a photograph to appear on the inner side of the cover. The authors are invited, but not required, to write a one sentence caption describing the photograph. The title, place and date of the photo are however requested.

Special issues

A ‘Special Issue’ is a collection of papers focused on a specific topic. It may also be a collection of papers from a conference associated with the journal or linked association. We welcome proposals for special issues falling within the scope and aim of the journal. Please indicate your intent using this this form and send it to the submission e-mail address: ijems@emuni.si.

Language

While conscious of the linguistic diversity of the region, IJEMS publishes articles in the English language. The authors are expected to submit well-structured and comprehensible manuscripts, even if English is not their first language. It is the authors’ responsibility to ensure that grammar and spelling are correct. For those authors who do not have a strong command of the English language, we offer a proofreading service for a fee.

To make a submission, please follow the link. We have just transitioned to the online submission system (8 June 2021). After submitting your manuscript online, please send a query about the status of your article to ijems@emuni.si. 

Preparation of the manuscript

Title Page

The title page should contain the following elements:

Title

A short informative title containing the major key words, without abbreviations if possible.

Authorship

The full names of the authors and institutional affiliation should be provided (if the author’s present address is different from where the work was conducted, this should be annotated). The list of authors should accurately illustrate who contributed to the work and how. You are free to use any existing standard to determine authorship.

Submitting authors should verify that all authors agree to the final version of the submitted manuscript and be accountable for all aspects by ensuring the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work.

Acknowledgments

Contributions from anyone who does not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in this section.

Funding Statement

Financial and material support for research should be mentioned.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors will be asked to provide a conflict of interest statement during the submission process. Conflict of interest can occur when authors (or author’s employer or sponsor) have a financial, commercial, legal, or professional relationship with other organizations or individuals, that could influence the research. If you have no conflict of interest to disclose, please do so explicitly.

Main Text File

The main text file should not include any information that might identify the authors to ensure a smooth double-blind peer reviewed process.

The main text file should be presented in the following order:

• Title
• Abstract of 150-250 words;
• Up to 6 key words. These keywords should not include words in the title;
• Main text;
• References;
• Tables; each table should contain a title and footnotes;
• Figure legends.

The text should be prepared according to the following instructions:

• Paper size should be A4. Margins should be set for a 25 mm (1 in.) top, bottom, left, and right.
• The point size should be 12 and the font should be Times New Roman. Italics should be used for emphasis. Put blank lines between paragraphs.
• Headings should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals and so should subheadings (e.g. 2.1., 2.2., 2.3., etc.). Use no more than two levels of heading below the title. Headline style capitalisation and bold font should be used.
• Figures and supporting information should be supplied as separate files.
• Each figure and table should be clearly labelled with number and caption. Where a figure or table is to be inserted in the text, on a separate line write [figure 1 here].
• Line drawings should be submitted as vector EPS files. Bitmap figures should be submitted as JPG or TIFF files; bitmap figures should be least 300 dpi resolution. All figures should be at least 110 mm wide when printed. Graphs should be attached as separate Excel files, the tables with the data should be included.
• Tables, figures and graphs should not be obtained from already published works. The number of figures, graphs and/or tables combined is limited to 7.
• Words in languages using non-Latin scripts (Arabic, Hebrew, etc.) should be given in Latin transcription.

Reference Style

References should be prepared according to The Chicago Manual of Style. In text citations, the author-date method should be followed whereby the author’s last name and the year of publication for the source appears in the text, followed by page number if a direct quotation is given, for example (Barbé and Izquierdo 1997, 129). The complete reference list (titled ‘References’) should appear alphabetically by name at the end of the paper. Ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). Any references cited in the abstract must be given in full.

A sample of the most common entries in reference lists can be found below. A DOI should be provided for all references where available.

• Barbé, E., and F. Izquierdo. ‘Present and Future of Joint Actions for the Mediterranean Region.’ In Common Foreign and Security Policy,ed. M. Holland, 120–35. London and Washington: Pinter.
• Dymond, A. 2003. ‘A Politicized Pastoral: Signac and the Cultural Geography of Mediterranean France.’ The Art Bulletin85 (2): 353–70.
• Ludlow, P., ed. 1994. Europe and the Mediterranean.London and New York: Brassey.
• University of Chicago Press. 2010. The Chicago Manual of Style.16th ed. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.

The Chicago-Style Citation Guide is available at http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html

Review procedure

Reviewers are of paramount importance to the quality of the journal and the build-up of the scholarly community in the Euro-Mediterranean region. We welcome self-nominations as reviewers by sending an email to ijems@emuni.si, indicating name, institution and areas of expertise.

We run a double-blind peer review. We ask all reviewers to abide by guidelines from a Publishing Ethics organization. We ask all our reviewers to follow COPE’s ethical guidelines for peer reviewers (  https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines-new/cope-ethical-guidelines-peer-reviewers), and to perform their review in a timely, confident manner, as well as provide constructive feedback to the authors and editors. As an author in the journal, you will automatically be included in the database of our reviewers.

Data Storage and Documentation

IJEMS encourages data sharing wherever possible, unless this is prevented by ethical, privacy, or confidentiality matters. Authors publishing in the journal are therefore encouraged to make their data, scripts, and other artefacts used to generate the analyses presented in the paper, available via a public data repository. If the study includes original data, at least one author must confirm that he or she has full access to all the data in the study, and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

After Submission

All submitted manuscripts are reviewed by the handling editor. If the editor determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements, the manuscript is sent out to peer review. Except where otherwise stated, manuscripts are double-blind peer reviewed. Reviewers are requested to respond within 45 days. The editorial decision is taken when two reviews are received. The acceptance criteria for all papers are the quality and originality of the research, and its significance to journal readership.

Post-Publication

When the article is published online, the author receives an email alert. The link to the free access to the published article can be shared through social media and other channels. We encourage all the authors to promote their articles in any way they can to increase the impact.

The authors receive 2 free copies of the printed publication, in which their work is published, to the address they indicated. Libraries and institutions interested in promoting the journal are invited to get in touch with the journal manager to discuss the distribution.

This journal submits to the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Manuscripts are accepted on the understanding that they are original and not under simultaneous consideration by any other publication. We use software to detect instances of plagiarism in submitted manuscripts.

We ask the authors to use the following check-list on their submission:

1. Declare to us that your manuscript is not published elsewhere, nor is it considered for publication elsewhere
2. Make sure that you are not recycling your own research
3. Declare any conflicts of interest
4. Check that all co-authors meet criteria for authorship and that all contributors have been credited (ensure appropriate acknowledgement has been made in the manuscript)
5. Include appropriate funding statements in the manuscript
6. If ethical issues are involved in the research, provide assurance that rights have been protected
7. Be alert to bias and follow guidelines for accurate and complete reporting of research
8. Inform the journal if you subsequently find errors in your research
9. Acquaint yourself with the author publishing agreement that you will sign

Articles in IJEMS do not require transfer of copyright as copyright remains with the author. In confirming the publication of your article with open access, you agree to the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0. 

A sample of the Author publishing agreement is accessible here.

IJEMS is indexed in: Scopus, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, Directory of Open Access Journals, Index Islamicus, OCLC, Summon by Serial Solutions.

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Current issue

Past issues