Peer Review Process

The submitted articles undergo a double-blind peer review process. Therefore, the authors need to ensure that their manuscripts are prepared in a way that does not give away their identity. The authors must submit the Title Page containing the authors’ details and the Blinded Manuscript with no author details as two separate files.

The peer review process can be summed up into a number of steps

  • Article Submission

The corresponding or submitting author submits the paper to the journal via the online system.

  • Editorial Office Appraisal

The journal checks the article against the Author Guidelines to make sure it includes the required sections and stylizations.

  • Editor-in-Chief Appraisal

The Editor-in-Chief checks that the article is appropriate for the journal and is sufficiently original and interesting. The article may be rejected without further review.

  • The Editor-in-Chief Assigns an Editor
  • Invitation to Reviewers

The editor sends invitations to appropriate reviewers. Invitations are issued, until the required number of acceptances (usually 2) is obtained.

  • Reviewers’ Response to Invitations

Potential reviewers consider the invitation against their own expertise, conflicts of interest and availability. They then accept or decline.

  • Review is Performed

The reviewer builds a detailed point-by-point review. The review is then submitted to the journal, with a recommendation to accept, reject it, or with a request for revision.

  • Reviews Evaluations by the Editor

The editor analyses all the returned reviews before making a decision. If the reviews differ significantly, the editor may invite an additional reviewer before making a decision.

  • Decision Communication

The editor sends a decision email to the author including reviewer comments.

  • Final Steps

If accepted, the article is sent to production. If the article is rejected or sent back for revision, the editor includes comments from the reviewers. Reviewers are also sent an email containing the outcome of their review. If the paper was sent back for revision, the reviewers will receive a new version. Minor requested changes might be done by the editor.