QUALITY CONTROL
Peer Review Policy
Review model: double-blind peer review
Minimum reviewers: three independent reviewers for every research article
Editorial screening
Each submission is first assessed by an editor for scope, scholarly relevance, originality, ethical compliance, authorship information, reporting quality, and basic presentation. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's requirements may be declined before external review.
External review
Manuscripts that pass screening are evaluated by at least three independent reviewers with relevant subject expertise. Authors and reviewers do not know one another's identities. Reviewers assess originality, methodological soundness, ethical integrity, clarity, significance, interpretation, and the adequacy of references.
Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential, declare competing interests, decline assignments outside their expertise, and provide objective and constructive reports. Editors select reviewers independently of the authors.
Editorial decisions
Possible decisions are accept, minor revision, major revision, resubmit for review, or decline. Authors must respond point by point to reviewer and editor comments. Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers. The Editor-in-Chief or delegated editor makes the final decision based on the manuscript, reviewer reports, author responses, and journal policy.
Editorial independence and conflicts
An editor or board member who is an author, collaborator, close associate, or otherwise has a conflict of interest takes no part in the review or decision. Another qualified editor manages the manuscript. Articles submitted by editorial board members follow the same review standard.
Special issues
Special-issue submissions, if any, follow the same double-blind review, minimum-reviewer requirement, ethics standards, and editorial-independence safeguards as regular submissions. Guest editors cannot make decisions on their own articles.
Appeals
Authors may submit a reasoned appeal to the editorial office. Appeals are considered by an editor who was not involved in the original decision whenever practicable. An appeal does not guarantee reversal of the decision.