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 prior to consideration for external peer review. This stage consists of two sequential components:
a. Compliance Check
At this stage, the Editor-in-Chief examines whether the manuscript complies with the journal’s Author Guidelines and Submission Preparation Checklist. This includes administrative completeness, conformity with the journal template, technical presentation, visual quality, citation-reference consistency, and reference compliance. Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements may be returned to the author for technical revision before further consideration.
Estimated time: 14 days
b. Desk Review
Manuscripts that pass the Compliance Check proceed to Desk Review. At this stage, the Editor-in-Chief evaluates the manuscript in terms of its relevance to the journal’s aims and scope, clarity of the research problem and objectives, methodological adequacy, scholarly contribution, and overall suitability for peer review. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s academic and editorial standards may be declined at this stage.
Estimated time: 14 days
3. Assignment of Section Editor and Reviewer Invitation
For manuscripts that pass the Initial Editorial Assessment, the Editor-in-Chief assigns a Section Editor (SE). 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 on the basis of 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 will 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, such as acceptance, revision required, resubmission for review, or rejection.
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 a decision is reached.
Estimated time: 7 days
7. Communication of Editorial Decision
The editorial decision is communicated to the author by the Section Editor together with the anonymized reviewer comments. Possible decisions include: accept, revision required, resubmit for review, or reject.
Where revision is required, the following timelines apply:
- Revision Required: the revised manuscript must be submitted within 14 days.
- Resubmit for Review: the revised manuscript must be submitted within 30 days.
8. Post-Review Revision Process
For manuscripts requiring revision, the author must revise the manuscript in accordance with the reviewer comments and editorial recommendations. Revised manuscripts may be returned to the reviewers for further evaluation where necessary. Minor revisions may be assessed directly by the Section Editor.
9. Final Decision
The final decision on the manuscript is made by the Editor-in-Chief on the basis of the reviewers’ evaluations, the revised manuscript, and the recommendation of the Section Editor. Before final acceptance, manuscripts recommended for acceptance are subject to a final similarity check. 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.
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 on typographical errors, formatting issues, or other minor corrections. 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.
