Peer Reviewer Process
1. Submission
- Initial Submission: Authors submit their manuscripts through the journal's online submission system. All submissions must adhere to the journal's formatting and submission guidelines.
- Plagiarism Check: All submitted manuscripts undergo a plagiarism check to ensure originality.
2. Preliminary Evaluation
- Editor-in-Chief Review: The Editor-in-Chief performs an initial assessment to ensure the manuscript fits within the journal's scope and meets basic quality standards.
- Desk Rejection: Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria are rejected without external review.
3. Assignment to Associate Editor
- Selection of Associate Editor: Suitable manuscripts are assigned to an Associate Editor (AE) with expertise in the relevant field.
- Preliminary Assessment by AE: The AE conducts a preliminary evaluation to decide whether the manuscript should proceed to peer review.
4. Reviewer Selection
- Identification of Reviewers: The AE selects 2-3 independent reviewers with expertise in the subject matter of the manuscript.
- Invitation to Reviewers: Reviewers are invited to review the manuscript. If they accept, they proceed with the review; if not, alternative reviewers are identified.
5. Review Process
- Reviewer Reports: Reviewers evaluate the manuscript on various criteria, including originality, methodology, significance, clarity, and relevance. They provide detailed comments and recommendations (accept, minor revisions, major revisions, or reject).
- Double-Blind Review: The review process is double-blind, ensuring that the identities of both authors and reviewers are kept confidential.
6. Decision
- AE Decision: Based on the reviewers' reports, the AE makes a recommendation to the Editor-in-Chief (accept, minor revisions, major revisions, or reject).
- Editor-in-Chief Decision: The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on the manuscript, considering the AE's recommendation and the reviewers' comments.
7. Revision
- Author Revisions: If revisions are required, authors are given the reviewers' comments and are asked to submit a revised manuscript.
- Re-Review: The revised manuscript may be sent back to the original reviewers for further evaluation, especially if major revisions were requested.
8. Final Decision
- Final Acceptance: Once the manuscript meets the required standards, it is accepted for publication.
- Copyediting and Proofreading: The accepted manuscript undergoes copyediting and proofreading to ensure it meets the journal's standards.
- Author Proofs: Authors review the final proofs before publication.
9. Publication
- Online Publication: The final version of the manuscript is published online in the next available issue of the journal.
- Print Publication: Depending on the journal's schedule, the manuscript may also be included in the print version.
10. Post-Publication
- Archiving: The published manuscript is archived in the journal's database and relevant indexing services.
- Post-Publication Review: Readers can provide feedback and comments on the published manuscript, which can be considered for future issues or corrections.