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Peer Review Policy

Every manuscript undergoes rigorous double-blind peer review. This page documents the process, the timelines, and the editorial standards we hold reviewers and authors to.

The Five-Step Process

From the moment your manuscript arrives to the moment a decision is made, here is exactly what happens:

  1. 01

    Submission Received

    Manuscript uploaded via the online form. Acknowledgement email sent within 24 hours.

  2. 02

    Editorial Check

    Scope, format and plagiarism screening. Out-of-scope or non-compliant submissions are returned without review.

  3. 03

    Double-Blind Review

    Two independent reviewers evaluate methodology, novelty, and rigour. Identities are mutually anonymised.

  4. 04

    Author Revision

    Authors receive consolidated feedback. A point-by-point response letter is required with the revised manuscript.

  5. 05

    Final Decision

    Editor reviews revisions and reviewer concurrence. Decision: Accept, Minor Revisions, Major Revisions, or Reject.

Possible Decisions

Accept (no revisions), Accept with Minor Revisions, Major Revisions Required (resubmit for re-review), or Reject. All decisions are accompanied by anonymised reviewer reports.

Editorial Standards

The policies below govern every decision we make on a manuscript. Any breach should be reported to the editorial office immediately.

Double-Blind Review

Reviewers do not know the authors' identities, and authors do not know who reviewed their manuscript. This minimises bias around institution, gender, geography, and career stage — judging the work on its merit alone.

3–4 Week Turnaround

Our target time from submission to first decision is 3–4 weeks. Reviewers commit to returning evaluations within 7–10 days. Authors are kept informed at every stage by automated email.

COPE Compliance

We follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct on authorship, peer review, conflicts of interest, redundant publication, plagiarism, and corrections.

Plagiarism Screening

Every submission is screened with industry-standard similarity detection tools. Manuscripts with similarity above 15 percent (excluding cited quotations and reference lists) are returned without review.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must declare all financial, professional, and personal interests at submission. Reviewers and editors recuse themselves from any manuscript where a conflict exists.

Reviewer Confidentiality

Manuscripts under review are confidential documents. Reviewers may not share, cite, or build upon any unpublished work received for evaluation.

Author Rights & Appeals

If you disagree with a decision or believe a review was unfair, you have the right to appeal in writing within 30 days of the decision. Appeals are reviewed by an independent editorial-board member who was not involved in the original decision.

  • You will receive at least two reviewer reports per submission.
  • Reviewer comments are forwarded verbatim — only their names are anonymised.
  • You may suggest preferred or non-preferred reviewers at submission (advisory, not binding).
  • Decisions are final after appeal review; rejected manuscripts may not be resubmitted in identical form.

Ready to start the process?

Once your manuscript meets our publication guidelines, submit it for double-blind review. You will hear back within 3–4 weeks.

Submit Your Manuscript