Peer-review
Policy
All
the manuscripts submitted to the journal will be subjected to a double-blinded
peer-review process. In this model reviewers, and the authors both do not know
the identities of each other. We believe this process is the best way to ensure
the fairest reviews and opinions on papers.
Initial
Evaluation/Technical Review
The
Editor(s) first evaluates all the manuscripts. Manuscripts rejected at this
stage are insufficiently original, have serious scientific flaws, have poor
grammar or English language, or are outside the aims and scope of the journal,
or not written as per the journal's guidelines. Those that meet the minimum
criteria are forwarded to at least 2 experts for review.
Peer-review
- Generally, all the
manuscripts are reviewed by a minimum of two suitable external experts in
the respective subject area. The reports of all the reviewers will be
considered while deciding on acceptance/revision or rejection of a
manuscript, but the ultimate responsibility for acceptance or rejection
lies with the Editor. Editor-In-Chief makes the final decision.
- EIC can ask one or more
advisory board members for their suggestions on a manuscript, before
making the final decision.
- Associate editor and review
editors provide administrative support to maintain the integrity of the
peer-review process.
- In accordance with COPE
recommendations on ethical editing for Editors, Editors will assign any
submissions they cannot handle (e.g. if they are the author of an article
submitted to their own journal) to a member of the Editorial Board or a
guest editor.
- The reviewers are expected to
maintain the integrity of the double-blind peer-review. The reviewers
should read the 'Guidelines to
the peer reviewers' before accepting a review invitation.
Author's
suggestion for the reviewer
The
authors can suggest the peer reviewers as per the following criteria;
- The suggested reviewers
should have higher academic standing in the subject area of the submitted
article and the same should be reflected in terms of their publications.
- The suggested reviewers
should not be from the authors' own institute or from past affiliations.
- Authors must provide the
institutional/academic email addresses of the suggested reviewers.
- Authors must provide the web
links to the academic profile pages of the suggested reviewers.
- The journal reserves the
right NOT to choose any reviewer from the suggested list.
In
case, the authors challenge the editor's negative decision with suitable
arguments, the manuscript can be sent to two more reviewers and the final
decision will be made based upon their recommendations.