Peer Review Process

Peer Review Process

All submissions undergo double-blind peer review by at least two independent reviewers.

Timeline

1. Day 0 — Submission: Initial desk check by the editorial office (format, scope fit, ethics, plagiarism screening). Decision within 24 hours.
2. Day 1–7 — Peer review: Two qualified reviewers evaluate originality, methodology, clarity and contribution. Reviewer identities are not disclosed to authors.
3. Day 8 — Decision: Editor consolidates reports and issues one of: Accept, Minor Revisions, Major Revisions, Reject.
4. Day 8–10 — Revision: Authors address comments. Minor revisions are validated by the editor; major revisions return to reviewers.
5. Day 10–14 — Publication: Copy editing, DOI assignment, online publication under CC-BY 4.0.

Reviewer selection

Reviewers are selected from the editorial board, external expert pool and (when needed) recommended by the corresponding author. The handling editor confirms no conflicts of interest exist before assigning a review.

Reviewer report

Reviewers complete a structured report covering: novelty, methodological rigour, presentation clarity, ethical compliance, and a recommended editorial decision.

Author rebuttal

Authors may submit a point-by-point rebuttal to reviewer comments. Substantive disagreements are mediated by the editor-in-chief.

Confidentiality

All manuscripts and reviewer reports are confidential until publication. Reviewers may not share, cite or use unpublished material.