Critical Reflections: Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences is a double-blind peer-reviewed scientific journal dedicated to the study of philosophy, social sciences, and the humanities in the broadest sense. The journal publishes original scientific papers in the fields of philosophy, sociology, political science, anthropology, ethnology, religion and religious studies, history, psychology, cultural studies, ethics, aesthetics, as well as all other areas relevant to the understanding of human society, culture, and thought. Special attention is given to an interdisciplinary approach that connects philosophical analysis with sociological research, political theory, critical social theory, the study of religious systems, and epistemological examinations of contemporary social phenomena. Critical Reflections brings together researchers from diverse academic environments who contribute to the understanding of complex relationships between philosophical concepts, social structures, religious traditions, cultural patterns, and political processes. The journal fosters methodological pluralism, equally valuing theoretical examinations, empirical research, comparative analyses, hermeneutic studies, and critical reviews that bridge the boundaries between philosophy, religious studies, and the social sciences. Through a rigorous double-blind peer review process, the journal strives for the highest standards of academic excellence and contributes to the deepening of scientific discourse on fundamental questions of human existence, social order, spiritual tradition, and intellectual heritage. More information about the journal, the editorial board, and author guidelines is available on the Critical Reflections page.
Journal Title: Critical Reflections: Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences
ISSN (Print): 3126-3879
ISSN (Online): 3126-3887
Publisher: Society for Ancient Philosophy, Cosmology, Religion, Anthropology and Astrobiology - SAPCRAA
Contact: info@sapcraa.com Phone: +38765471075
Adress: Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Publication Frequency: The journal publishes two regular issues per year (June and December). In addition, special thematic issues devoted to specific topics in military sciences may be published throughout the year, subject to editorial approval.
Language: English, Serbian.
Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Dr. Snežana Ivanković, University “MB”, Republic of Serbia
AIMS & SCOPE
Aims
Critical Reflections: Journal for Philosophy and Social Sciences aims to foster the critical and theoretical analysis of society, culture, and thought. Published by SAPCRAA, the journal seeks to provide an international, double-blind peer-reviewed forum where classical philosophical traditions and contemporary social-scientific debates meet, and where conceptual rigor is brought to bear on the relationships between ideas, social structures, and institutions. It is committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and publication ethics and to making scholarship accessible to a global audience.
Scope
The journal publishes original research articles, review articles, and critical essays in philosophy and the social sciences. Its core areas are philosophy (including ethics, social and political philosophy, aesthetics, metaphysics and epistemology), sociology, political science, and anthropology, together with closely related work in the study of religion, cultural studies, and the history of ideas where it advances social-theoretical or philosophical inquiry. The journal welcomes theoretical, hermeneutic, comparative, and empirically grounded studies that illuminate the relationships between ideas, social structures, and institutions. All articles are published in English and Serbian with full abstracts.
Types of Contributions
The journal welcomes the following types of submissions
Original research articles,
Review articles and theoretical essays,
Case studies and comparative analyses,
Research notes and commentaries,
Book reviews.
All submissions except book reviews undergo double-blind peer review.
PUBLICATION ETHICS
This journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. Please see our [Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement] for more information.
PEER REVIEW PROCESS
All manuscripts submitted to Critical Reflections: Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure the highest standards of academic quality and integrity. Each submission is initially assessed by the Editor-in-Chief for scope and quality before being sent to at least two independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant field. For complete details on our review procedures, criteria, and timelines, please refer to our [Peer Review Process].
AUTHOR GUIDELINES
Critical Reflections: Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences welcomes submissions from researchers, academics, and practitioners in the field of military sciences and related disciplines. Before submitting a manuscript, authors are kindly requested to carefully review our formatting requirements, citation style, and submission procedures. Complete instructions for preparing and submitting your manuscript are available in our [Author Guidelines].
ARCHIVE AND ACCESS
Critical Reflections: Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences is committed to the principles of open scholarship. As a fully open-access journal, we provide immediate and unrestricted access to all published research. Full-text versions of all issues are available in our [Archive]. To ensure permanence and citability, each article is assigned a unique Digital Object Identifier (DOI). All content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are properly credited.
INDEXING AND ABSTRACTING
Critical Reflections: Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences is committed to ensuring global visibility and accessibility of published research. The journal is currently indexed in the following databases: COBISS.
COPYRIGHT POLICY
Authors who publish in Critical Reflections: Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences retain full copyright of their work. By submitting a manuscript, authors grant the journal the right of first publication. All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This means that anyone may freely read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles, provided that proper attribution is given to the original authors and source.
Authors are permitted to:
Share and distribute their published work through any medium,
Deposit their work in institutional or subject repositories,
Reuse their work in subsequent publications,
Retain patent and trademark rights,
Gender and diversity in armed forces,
No formal copyright transfer is required.
PLAGIARISM POLICY
Critical Reflections: Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity. All submitted manuscripts are screened for plagiarism and originality using iThenticate prior to peer review. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarised content, including self-plagiarism, will be rejected immediately. If plagiarism is detected after publication, the journal will follow the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and may retract the article. Authors are expected to ensure that their work is entirely original and that any use of others' ideas, words, or data is properly cited.
RETRACTION POLICY
Critical Reflections: Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences follows the retraction guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Articles may be retracted in the following circumstances:
Clear evidence of unreliable findings due to misconduct or honest error,
Plagiarism or redundant publication,
Fabrication or falsification of data,
Failure to disclose major conflicts of interest,
Ethical violations involving human or animal subjects,
Copyright infringement.
Retraction notices will be published and linked to the original article, which will remain accessible but clearly marked as retracted. Retractions may be initiated by the authors, the Editor-in-Chief, or the publisher upon verified evidence of misconduct.
APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS
Critical Reflections: Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences is committed to fair and transparent editorial processes. Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision or file a complaint may do so by following the procedures outlined below.
Appeals: Authors may submit an appeal if they believe a rejection decision was made in error. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days of the decision and should include a detailed response to the reviewers' comments and a clear justification for reconsideration. Appeals will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and, if necessary, by an independent member of the Editorial Board. The decision on the appeal is final.
Complaints: Complaints regarding editorial conduct, peer review process, or publication ethics should be addressed in writing to the Editor-in-Chief at editor.cr@sapcraa.com All complaints will be investigated promptly and handled in accordance with COPE guidelines.
AI POLICY
Critical Reflections follows current guidelines of COPE, WAME, and ICMJE concerning the use of artificial intelligence in scholarly publishing. AI tools, including large language models and generative systems such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot, cannot be listed as authors, since authorship entails intellectual accountability that AI systems cannot bear. Full responsibility for every aspect of a submitted manuscript — including any content produced, drafted, edited, translated, or otherwise assisted by AI — rests entirely with the human authors, who remain accountable for the accuracy of all claims, the integrity of all citations, and the originality of all arguments. Authors must disclose any substantive use of AI tools in the methods section or in a dedicated acknowledgments statement, identifying the tool, its version, and the function performed (text generation, idea development, literature search, code or statistical analysis, image generation, translation, and similar). Routine language polishing does not require detailed itemisation but should be acknowledged in general terms. The fabrication of citations, quotations, or data — whether by AI or otherwise — constitutes a serious breach of research integrity and will result in rejection, retraction, and, in cases of bad faith, notification of the authors' institutions. Reviewers and editors are prohibited from uploading submitted manuscripts to public or third-party AI systems, as this violates the confidentiality of peer review. AI-generated images and figures must be clearly labelled as such and may not represent empirical, archival, or ethnographic material without explicit methodological justification. The Editorial Board reserves the right to request further information about AI use at any stage, to require revision, and to reject or retract work where AI use has not been properly disclosed. The policy is reviewed periodically and updated to reflect evolving standards in scholarly publishing.
PRIVACY POLICY
Critical Reflections: Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences is committed to protecting the privacy of all users, authors, reviewers and readers.
Data Collection: We collect personal information (such as names, email addresses, and institutional affiliations) only when voluntarily provided during manuscript submission, registration, or correspondence. This information is used solely for editorial and publishing purposes.
Data Usage: Personal data is used to manage the submission and peer review process, communicate with authors and reviewers, and improve our services. We do not share personal information with third parties except as necessary for publishing operations or when required by law.
Cookies: Our website may use cookies to enhance user experience and analyse site traffic. Users may disable cookies through their browser settings.
Data Security: We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure.
Rights: Users have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of their personal data. For any privacy-related inquiries, please contact us at [email].
This policy is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
ARTICLE PROCESSING CHARGES
Critical Reflections: Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences is primarily funded through donations, institutional support, and the resources of the Society for Ancient Philosophy, Cosmology, Religion, Anthropology and Astrobiology. As a result, the journal strives to minimise financial barriers for authors and does not routinely charge Article Processing Charges (APCs). Submission and peer review are always free of charge. However, in exceptional circumstances, a modest APC may be applied to support the costs of publication. Authors will be informed of any applicable charges upon acceptance of their manuscript. For further information, please contact the editorial office at info@sapcraa.com
SUBMISSION
Critical Reflections: Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences welcomes original submissions from researchers, academics, and practitioners worldwide. Manuscripts may be submitted through one of the following methods:
Option 1: Submit via our online submission form [here].
Option 2: Submit via email to info@sapcraa.com with “Manuscript Submission” in the subject line. Authors will receive confirmation of receipt within 5 business days. Before submitting, please ensure that your manuscript complies with the formatting and style requirements outlined in our [Author Guidelines].