Peer-review policies

The journal follows a structured peer-review process designed to ensure the quality, transparency, and academic rigor of all submitted manuscripts. Manuscripts undergo several stages of evaluation, beginning with the initial editorial screening and ending with the final publication decision.

Contents

Initial Submission

After submission through the journal’s online system, the manuscript is assigned to a member of the Editorial Board for an initial assessment.

During this stage, the editor evaluates whether the manuscript falls within the scope of the journal and whether it demonstrates sufficient academic quality to proceed to external peer review.

Manuscripts that meet these criteria are sent to independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant research field.

Authors should also provide copies of any related manuscripts that are under consideration or in press in other journals.

Peer Review Process

Reviewers access submitted manuscripts through the journal’s secure online system while maintaining reviewer anonymity.

At the submission stage, authors may:

  • Suggest potential reviewers who have appropriate expertise.
  • Indicate a limited number of researchers who should not review the manuscript.

The final selection of reviewers remains at the discretion of the Editorial Board. Reviewer identities are not disclosed to authors unless the reviewer requests to reveal their identity.

Decision After Review

After considering the reviewers’ reports, the handling editor makes one of the following editorial decisions:

  • Accept the manuscript for publication.
  • Request minor revisions.
  • Request major revisions.
  • Reject the manuscript.

Authors receive the editorial decision together with anonymized reviewer comments.

Revisions

When revisions are requested, authors are invited to submit a revised version of their manuscript within the timeframe specified in the editorial decision.

The revised submission should include:

  • A revised manuscript.
  • A detailed response explaining how each reviewer comment has been addressed.

Revised manuscripts may be sent back to the original reviewers or to new reviewers at the discretion of the Editorial Board.

Final Submission and Acceptance

Once all editorial issues have been addressed and the manuscript satisfies the journal's submission criteria, it may be formally accepted for publication. The received date reflects the date when the manuscript successfully passed the initial submission checks, while the accepted date corresponds to the date on which the final editorial decision was issued. After acceptance, authors may receive proofs of their manuscript for final verification. At this stage, only minor corrections such as typographical errors or small factual corrections are permitted.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors who believe that a rejection decision resulted from a misunderstanding or an error in the review process may submit an appeal to the Editorial Board.

Appeals should clearly explain the reasons why the decision should be reconsidered. Typically, only one appeal is allowed per manuscript.

The Editorial Board evaluates the appeal and may either uphold the original decision or request additional review. The final decision rests with the editor responsible for handling the manuscript.