Reviewing Procedure
All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure quality, originality, and adherence to ethical publishing standards.
1. Initial Editorial Screening
- Each submission is checked for scope alignment, formatting, and ethical compliance, including plagiarism screening with reliable detection tools.
- Manuscripts that do not meet basic requirements may be returned without external review.
2. Reviewer Selection and Assignment
- Submissions that pass initial checks are assigned to at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise and no conflicts of interest.
- The process is double-blind; identities of authors and reviewers remain concealed.
3. Evaluation Criteria
- Originality, relevance, and contribution to the field;
- Methodological rigor and soundness of analysis;
- Clarity of presentation, organization, and academic writing;
- Proper referencing and engagement with relevant literature;
- Compliance with ethical standards in research and publication.
4. Classification of Papers
- Original Research Articles – new empirical or theoretical contributions;
- Review Papers – critical syntheses of existing knowledge;
- Conceptual Papers – theoretical developments or frameworks;
- Case Studies / Reports – applied analyses and practical insights;
- Other Contributions – editorials, book reviews, professional reflections (if applicable).
5. Review Timeline
- Reviewers normally submit reports within 2–3 weeks.
- Authors are expected to respond to reviewers’ comments within the specified timeframe, depending on the type of revision required: minor revisions: up to 3 weeks (21 days) and major revisions: up to 6 weeks (45 days).
6. Handling Disagreements
- When reviewer recommendations diverge significantly, the Editor-in-Chief may invite a third independent review.
- The final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief and is binding.
7. Possible Editorial Outcomes
- Accept without revisions,
- Accept with minor revisions,
- Accept with major revisions (re-review required),
- Reject, but encourage resubmission after substantial revision,
- Reject.
8. Post-Acceptance Process
- Accepted manuscripts undergo copyediting, XML/JATS formatting, layout design, and proofreading; final proofs are shared with authors prior to publication.
- Articles are published open access under CC BY 4.0 and assigned a DOI for permanent accessibility.
9. Ethics and Confidentiality
- The journal follows COPE principles; reviewers must maintain confidentiality and disclose conflicts of interest.
- Ethical breaches (e.g., plagiarism, duplicate submission, fabricated data) result in immediate rejection.
