Policies, Ethics & Review
The journal is committed to the highest standards of scholarly integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct in all aspects of publication.
The Review Process
All submissions undergo rigorous double-blind peer review. The identity of authors and reviewers remains confidential throughout the process.
Upon submission, manuscripts are assessed by the Editor-in-Chief for scope and quality. Suitable manuscripts are sent to two Associate Editors or, if needed, an independent specialist reviewer. Reviewers are asked to assess originality, scholarly rigour, engagement with the relevant literature, and the quality of argumentation.
Authors will normally receive a decision within eight weeks of submission. The editors are committed to providing constructive feedback to all authors regardless of outcome.
Revised manuscripts are assessed by the original reviewers where possible. The Editor-in-Chief holds final responsibility for all publication decisions.
Ethical Considerations
The journal follows the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expects all parties — authors, reviewers, and editors — to adhere to these standards.
For Authors
Submitted work must be original and must not be under consideration elsewhere. Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest. Authorship should reflect genuine intellectual contribution. If the material of an analysand is referred to, such as dreams or active imagination, the author must provide a signed approval by the analysand to use the material. If the material is anonymised to hide the identity of the analysand, the covering letter must contain a statement by the author that there is nothing in the manuscript by which the subject could be identified.
The journal treats plagiarism, data fabrication, and undisclosed duplicate publication as serious misconduct. Submissions are screened using standard plagiarism detection software.
For Reviewers
Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest and must maintain strict confidentiality regarding the manuscripts they assess. Reviewers should not use unpublished material from submitted manuscripts in their own research.
For Editors
Editors must recuse themselves from editorial decisions concerning manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest. Decisions are made on intellectual merit alone.
Style & Language Policy
The journal publishes in English and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional). Authors are responsible for the linguistic quality of submissions. Papers showing insufficient command of the language of submission may be returned prior to review.
Citations: All manuscripts in English should follow APA Style.
Transliteration: Pinyin romanisation is used for Mandarin terms throughout the journal. Wade-Giles may be used in quotations from historical sources where appropriate, with Pinyin equivalents provided in brackets on first use.
Chinese characters: Chinese terms should be accompanied by characters on first use in English-language papers. Authors may use either Simplified or Traditional characters; the journal will not alter the author's choice.
Inclusive language: Authors are encouraged to use language that is inclusive with respect to gender, culture, and tradition throughout their manuscripts.
Open Access Policy
Individuation — East and West is a fully open-access journal. All articles are freely available to any reader worldwide at the point of publication. There are no author processing charges (APCs) and no subscription fees.
Articles are published online in PDF format. In accordance with our hosting agreement and intellectual property policy, articles may be read online but may not be downloaded, printed, or reproduced without the express permission of the author and the editorial board.
Authors retain copyright in their work until such time as it is published by Chiron Publications in the form of a book series, when the copyright is assigned under agreement.
The Journal is hosted by ISAPZURICH, a non-profit organization registered in Switzerland.