About the Journal

Editorial and Publication Policies for The Lumbini Journal of Business and Economics (LJBE)

Editorial Policy

Journal Scope and Aim

Scope: LJBE publishes original research, theoretical frameworks, and empirical studies in business, finance, accountancy, management, marketing, economics and sustainable development.

Aim: To advance evidence-based policy and practice in the context of business and economics in Nepal, South Asia and globally, with a focus on emerging economies.

Mission: To encourage interdisciplinary discussion and support researchers in business and economics.

Peer Review Process;

Double-Blind Review: Authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the process. For this, the following stages will be followed.

Stage 1: Initial screening by the Editor-in-Chief for scope, quality, and adherence to guidelines (1 week).

Stage 2: Eligible manuscripts are assigned to an Editor (member of editorial board) and sent to external reviewers with domain expertise.

Stage 3: Reviewers evaluate manuscripts for originality, methodology, clarity, and relevance (2–4 weeks).

Stage 4: Editorial decision (accept, revise) communicated to authors with anonymized reviewer comments.

Reviewer Criteria: Experts with M. Phil, PhDs, no conflicts of interest, and prior publishing experience in the field.

Ethical Standards

  • Adherence: Follows The Lumbini Journal of Business and Economics guidelines and recommendations.
  • Plagiarism: All submissions screened via authentic software [ex: Turnitin (threshold <10% similarity)].
  • Authorship: Authors retain copyright of their work, but grant the journal the right to publish and distribute the content under a Creative Commons License.
  • Conflicts of Interest: Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose competing interests.

Editorial Independence

  • Decisions are based solely on academic merit. The publisher will not influence content.
  • Editors recuse themselves from handling manuscripts with personal/professional ties.

Appeals and Corrections

  • Appeals: Authors may request reconsideration with a point-by-point rebuttal within a week of decision.
  • Corrections: Errors in published articles are addressed via errata; retractions follow Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.

Inclusivity

  • The journal will include the maximum 60% research articles from the researchers outside the campus and 40% research articles from the researchers inside the campus.

Publication Policy

Submission Guidelines

Papers must be submitted as a Word document in English, following APA 7th edition guidelines, with a length of 3,000–6,000 words (excluding references), via LJBE’s Open Journal Systems (OJS) portal or by email at <research@lbc.edu.np>.

Open Access

The Journal follows an open-access policy, making all published articles freely available to the public to promote widespread dissemination of knowledge.

Publication Frequency

The journal publishes two issues every year, in June and December, ensuring a regular and timely dissemination of research work.

Fees

Publication of research article under LJBE does not need to submit publication fee.

Data Transparency

Authors must submit datasets as per demanded by editorial board.

Concerns and Resolution

For ethical concerns or disputes, contact the Editor-in-Chief at [research@lbc.edu.np], with resolutions guided by COPE flowcharts.

Price for Hard Copies

Hard copies are charged for NPR 550/- or USD 20 (for outside Nepal).

Peer-Review Process

When a manuscript is submitted to LJBE, it is assessed to see if it meets the criteria for submission. If it does, the editorial team select potential peer reviewers within the field of research to peer-review the manuscript and make recommendations. Double-blind peer-review is used whereby the authors are blinded to the identity of the reviewers and editors.

Review Process

Submission & Initial Screening

Authors submit manuscripts via the journal’s online system or given email address. Then Editorial Office checks the submitted article as per given checklist:

  • Confirm manuscript adheres to formatting guidelines (anonymized, structured abstract, keywords).
  • Verify no author identification (e.g., names, contact, affiliations, acknowledgments) in the text/file properties.
  • Screen for plagiarism using software (e.g., Turnitin).
  • Submissions that are unethical, out of scope, or poorly formatted may not be considered for review.

Assignment to Handling Editor

  • The Editor-in-Chief (EIC) assigns the manuscript to an Editor with relevant expertise.
  • Editor evaluates suitability for peer review; may desk-reject if lacking originality, methodology, clarity, and relevance.

Reviewer Selection

Editor selects independent reviewers from the roster as per need based on the following:

  • Expertise in the manuscript’s topic/methodology.
  • No conflicts of interest (COIs) with authors (e.g., institutional affiliation, collaboration in the past 3 years).
  • Diversity in geography, gender, and career stage.
  • Invitations include a deadline (typically 3–4 weeks) and a request to decline if unable to review objectively.

Peer Review

Reviewers evaluate the manuscript using the journal’s evaluation criteria provided and submit a confidential report. Editor synthesizes reviews, makes a recommendation to the EIC, and ensures consistency in feedback.

Decision

Possible Decisions:

  • Accept: Rare; requires minor edits.
  • Minor/Major Revisions: Address specific concerns.
  • Reject: Due to irreparable flaws (e.g., unsound methodology, lack of novelty and originality).
  • Authors receive anonymized reviewer comments and the editor’s decision.

Revisions & Re-Review

Revised submissions are re-evaluated by the original reviewers or editor. Maximum two rounds of revisions permitted; manuscripts failing to address critiques are rejected.

Ethical Guidelines for Reviewers

Confidentiality
Reviewers must not share, discuss, or use any part of the manuscript for personal/professional gain. Destroy/delete manuscripts after submission of the review.

Conflict of Interest
Reviewers must disclose COIs (e.g., prior knowledge of the work, personal relationships) and rescues themselves if necessary.

Objectivity & Constructiveness
Evaluate manuscripts based on scholarly merit, not personal opinions. Avoid hostile, dismissive, or discriminatory language. Provide clear, evidence-based critiques (e.g., “Section 3 lacks recent citations to support the framework”).

Timeliness
Notify the editor immediately if unable to meet the deadline. Delays compromise the journal’s reputation.

Originality & Ethics
Alert the editor to suspected plagiarism, data fabrication, or unethical research practices.

Reviewer Responsibilities
Reviewers must assess:

  • Originality: Contribution to theory/practice.
  • Methodology: Rigor and appropriateness of design.
  • Clarity: Logical flow, readability for academics/practitioners.
  • References: Relevance, currency, and inclusion of key works.
  • Ethics: Compliance with standards (e.g., informed consent, data transparency).
  • Inappropriate Conduct
  • Unacceptable Actions:

Attempting to identify authors. Prolonged delays without justification. Undisclosed COIs. Unprofessional/inflammatory comments.

Consequences: Removal from the reviewer database and notification to the author’s institution in severe cases.

Appeals

Authors may appeal decisions with a point-by-point rebuttal. The EIC and editor will re-examine the case.

Reviewer Remuneration

Reviewers will be provided monetary reward as per the policy of Lumbini Banijya Campus.         

Publisher

The Lumbini Journal of Business and Economics is supported and published by the Research Management Cell of Lumbini Banijya Campus, Butwal, Nepal