1. Submission of Manuscript
The corresponding author submits the manuscript through the journal’s Open Journal System (OJS). Upon submission, the system automatically sends an acknowledgment email to the author and notifies the Editor-in-Chief (EiC).
2. Initial Editorial Assessment
All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial assessment before being considered for external peer review. This stage is conducted by the Editor-in-Chief or the editorial team and consists of two main components:
a. Submission & Technical Compliance
At this stage, the editorial team examines whether the manuscript complies with the journal’s Author Guidelines and Submission Preparation Checklist. This includes, but is not limited to:
- completeness of submission files;
- conformity with the official journal template;
- completeness of author metadata in OJS;
- manuscript formatting and technical presentation;
- quality and readability of figures, tables, and visual materials;
- citation and reference consistency;
- compliance with the required reference style;
- similarity check requirements;
- completeness of required statements or supporting documents.
Manuscripts that do not meet the technical and administrative requirements may be returned to the author for revision before further consideration.
b. Journal Scope & Scholarly Assessment
Manuscripts that pass the technical compliance check proceed to an editorial assessment of their academic suitability. At this stage, the Editor-in-Chief evaluates the manuscript in relation to:
- relevance to the journal’s aims and scope;
- clarity of the research problem and objectives;
- appropriateness of the methodology or design approach;
- scholarly contribution;
- originality and relevance of the topic;
- overall suitability for peer review.
Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s academic, editorial, or scope requirements may be declined at this stage without being sent to external reviewers.
Estimated time for Initial Editorial Assessment: 14 days.
If revision is required during the Initial Editorial Assessment stage, whether related to Submission & Technical Compliance or Journal Scope & Scholarly Assessment, the author must submit the revised manuscript within 7 days of the revision notification. Failure to submit the revised manuscript within this period may result in the submission being declined.
3. Assignment of Section Editor and Reviewer Invitation
For manuscripts that pass the Initial Editorial Assessment, the Editor-in-Chief assigns a Section Editor. The Section Editor identifies and invites reviewers whose expertise is relevant to the subject matter of the manuscript.
The journal applies a double-blind peer review system, in which the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from one another.
Estimated time: 7 days.
4. Response to Reviewer Invitation
Invited reviewers are expected to respond to the invitation based on their expertise, availability, and any potential conflicts of interest. If an invited reviewer declines or does not respond within the specified period, the Section Editor may invite another reviewer.
Estimated time: 7 days.
5. Review Process
Once the invitation is accepted, reviewers are given time to complete their evaluation. Each reviewer is expected to provide a substantive and constructive assessment through the Peer Review Evaluation Form and to submit a recommendation.
Possible reviewer recommendations may include:
- Accept Submission;
- Revision Required;
- Resubmit for Review;
- Decline Submission.
Estimated time: 28 days.
6. Evaluation of Review Reports
The Section Editor evaluates the reviewers’ reports and recommendations. Where the reviews present substantially differing judgments, the Section Editor may consult the Editor-in-Chief or the Editorial Advisory Board before an editorial decision is reached.
Estimated time: 7 days.
7. Communication of Editorial Decision
The editorial decision is communicated to the author by the Section Editor or Editor-in-Chief together with the anonymized reviewer comments.
Possible editorial decisions include:
- Accept Submission;
- Revision Required;
- Resubmit for Review;
- Decline Submission.
Where revision is required after peer review, the following timelines apply:
Revision Required
For manuscripts receiving a Revision Required decision, the revised manuscript must be submitted within 14 days of the editorial decision notification.
If the author does not submit the revised manuscript within 14 days, the journal may send a second reminder. Failure to submit the revised manuscript after the reminder may result in the submission being declined. Depending on the editorial schedule, late revisions may also be considered for a subsequent issue rather than the current issue.
Resubmit for Review
For manuscripts receiving a Resubmit for Review decision, the revised manuscript must be submitted within 30 days of the editorial decision notification.
The author must respond to each reviewer comment and clearly indicate the changes made in the revised manuscript. The resubmitted manuscript may be sent for another round of peer review.
Submission of a revised manuscript does not guarantee acceptance for publication.
8. Post-Review Revision Process
For manuscripts requiring revision, the author must revise the manuscript in accordance with the reviewer comments and editorial recommendations.
The author is required to submit:
- the revised manuscript;
- a response to reviewers;
- any additional files required by the editorial team.
Minor revisions may be assessed directly by the Section Editor or Editor-in-Chief. Major revisions or manuscripts submitted under the Resubmit for Review decision may be returned to the reviewers for further evaluation.
Failure to submit the revised manuscript within the required revision period may result in the submission being declined.
9. Final Decision
The final decision on the manuscript is made by the Editor-in-Chief based on the reviewers’ evaluations, the revised manuscript, and the recommendation of the Section Editor.
Before final acceptance, manuscripts recommended for acceptance may be subject to a final similarity check, technical check, and editorial verification.
Upon final acceptance, the author will receive an official Letter of Acceptance (LoA), together with information regarding the Article Processing Charge (APC), where applicable.
Where an APC applies, payment must be completed within 14 days of the issuance of the LoA or invoice. Failure to complete the payment within this period may result in a delay in the production and publication process.
10. Copyediting and Layout Editing
After final acceptance and, where applicable, confirmation of APC payment, the manuscript proceeds to the copyediting and layout editing stages prior to publication.
During copyediting, the manuscript may be edited for clarity, consistency, grammar, citation style, and journal formatting. During layout editing, the manuscript is prepared in the journal’s publication format.
Estimated time for copyediting: 14 days.
Estimated time for layout editing: 14 days.
11. Author Proofreading of Galley Proofs
Once layout editing has been completed, the galley proof is sent to the author for final proofreading.
At this stage, the author is expected to review the final layout carefully and provide feedback only on typographical errors, formatting issues, author information, figure/table placement, or other minor corrections. Substantive changes to the manuscript are generally not permitted at the proofreading stage.
The proofreading feedback must be returned within 7 days of the galley proof notification.
Estimated time: 7 days.
12. Online Publication
After the author’s proofreading feedback has been received and the final corrections have been incorporated, the article will be published online as part of the journal issue.
Publication scheduling is determined by the editorial team based on the journal’s production schedule, issue availability, and completion of all editorial, technical, and administrative requirements.
