Submission Guidelines
The Association of Rural Planning (ARP)
Enacted on May 22, 1982
Last revised on August 2, 2022
The submission guidelines apply to articles and reports submitted for publication in Journalof Rural Planning Studies. The guidelines for the submission of articles and reports, drafting
manuscripts, etc. will be established separately.
1．Outline
Journal of Rural Planning Studies invites the submission of articles and reports on academic
and technical matters related to rural planning. Both articles and reports will be accepted
based on peer review and reviewer evaluation.
2．Qualification for the submission
The lead author and corresponding author of an article or a report must be a member of theAssociation (a regular member, an associate member, or a prospective member who will apply
for membership at the time of the submission) in order to submit to Journal of Rural PlanningStudies. However, the co-authors can include non-members.
3．Types and categories of manuscripts
Article: articles of academic values
Reports: reports on case studies and investigations concerning planning/designs/projects
with findings that will contribute to the development of rural planning.
Manuscripts in both categories can be submitted in Japanese as well as in English.
4．Evaluation procedure(1) Method of evaluation
The acceptance of articles and reports will be decided by the review committee based on theresult of peer reviews by two or more reviewers selected by the review committee.
(2) Evaluation criteria(a) Content: the accuracy and validity of the thesis, the originality of the task setting and theresearch method, the validity of the survey method and the analysis method, the reliability ofthe data, the originality of the result and its pioneering and innovative nature on ruralplanning.
(b) Representation: the appropriateness of the title, the clarity of the description, theappropriateness of terms and expressions, the clarity of the diagrams/tables and theappropriateness of their titles, and the appropriateness of the citations.
(3) The date received and the date accepted
The date received is the day when the manuscript has been confirmed as appropriate in termsof format and other elements by the review committee and the evaluation starts.
The date accepted is the day when the review committee accepts the manuscript for
publication in Journal of Rural Planning Studies as a result of the evaluation.
5．Prohibitions(1) Prohibition of double submission
In principle, the articles and reports must not have been published before. The following are
not permitted: double submission with articles that have been peer reviewed by otheracademic societies.
However, the following points (a)‒(e) can be rewritten in terms of the content, the structure,etc. and submitted.
(a) Articles/reports presented without being reviewed at a Spring Conference, etc.
Articles/reports published in the Journal of Rural Planning as a “Discussion”, a “Review”, etc.
(b) Articles/reports published as theses without peer review or reviews for other academicsocieties.
(c) Articles/reports presented as summaries or materials at a symposium, a researchpresentation, an international conference, etc.
(d) Articles/reports internally published in university bulletins and for research institutions,etc.
(e) Reports on the result of research commissioned by local governments, organizations, etc.
(2) Prohibition of serial form
Both articles and reports must be prepared as an independent manuscript for each article.
Manuscripts composed of divided parts of a long article submitted in serial form are notconsidered as independent articles.
(3) Notes on authorship
The authors of articles/reports must satisfy all of the following criteria (a)‒(d).1)(a) Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition,analysis, or interpretation of data for the work;(b) Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content;(c) Final approval of the version to be published;(d) Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related
to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

In regard to the names of the authors, the order, and the corresponding author at the time ofsubmission, it is not permitted to add or delete names or change the order after the manuscript
has been revised or accepted for the publication.
6．Others(1) Objections
If there is an objection to the evaluation result of “not accepted,” the authors can appeal thedecision within 4 weeks of the date of the notification of the result by submitting a documentspecifying the reason to the "Proofreading Committee” of the Association.
(2) CopyrightThe copyright for the articles and reports published in Journal of Rural Planning Studies
belongs to the authors. Also, the ARP will manage the copyright on their behalf. However,this is not the case when the authors use their works published in Journal of Rural PlanningStudies for other purposes.
7．Additional rules
These rules will become effective from August 2, 2022.
References
1) Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Editing Committee (2016) "For the sounddevelopment of science̶the attitude of a conscientious scientist (Text Version)” Maruzen
Publishing, Tokyo, p. 50.