Peer Review Policy

Peer review in all its structures plays an essential role in ensuring the quality of scientific output. Peer review is a process of evaluating scientific work by other scholars in the same field. The procedure depends to a large extent on trust and requires that everyone involved behaves responsibly and ethically.

Initial Editorial Assessment

When the editorial team receives an original article, the Managing Editor or Section Editor will first decide whether the article meets the formal criteria indicated in the Author Guidelines and whether it fits within the aims and scope of the journal.

Double-Blind Peer Review Process

All manuscripts will undergo a double-blind peer-review process, where the authors and reviewers do not know each other's identity to ensure the highest quality of the journal. This process ensures objectivity and impartiality in the evaluation of scholarly work.

Reviewer Selection

The Article Handling Editor will select potential reviewers for each article and must ensure that reviewers:

• Have not co-authored publications with the author(s)
• Are not affiliated with the same institution as the author(s)
• Possess relevant expertise in the manuscript's subject area

All articles except Editorials will be sent out for peer review process, and at least two reviewer comments per manuscript will be collected. Reviewers will be asked to complete their review within two weeks; however, they are allowed to extend the review period to complete and submit their report.

Reviewer Recommendations

Peer reviewers can make one of the following recommendations for the editors to consider:

Editorial Decisions

When all reviewers have submitted their reports, the Editor can make one of the following editorial recommendations:

• Accept - Manuscript approved for publication
• Revision Required - Minor or major revisions requested
• Reject - Manuscript declined for publication

Revision Process

Formal revision may be required if the language or style is sub-standard. To facilitate rapid publication, authors are given:

• Two weeks for minor revisions
• Four weeks for major revisions

Number of revisions depends upon the need for changes/edits needed in the article as per the instructions from the editor/reviewers to ensure quality before publication.

Publication Process

If the manuscript is accepted, the author will be sent a galley proof to make any final corrections. Once completed, the manuscript will appear in the Articles in Press section of the journal's website. All accepted peer-reviewed manuscripts will be published online and are citable by the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) assigned at the time of online publication.