At this initial stage, a Junior Editor formats the manuscript according to the journal’s template and uses software to check for grammar issues and plagiarism. Manuscripts failing to meet these criteria may face immediate rejection.
Key considerations during this review include:
- Does the manuscript align with the journal’s scope?
- Is it consistent with the journal’s mission and evaluation criteria?
- Does it adhere to the journal’s language and formatting standards?
A Sub Editor evaluates whether the manuscript’s topic and research contributions align with the journal's focus.
Considerations at this stage include:
- How does the manuscript’s novelty compare to the journal’s readership expectations and impact?
- Does it provide sufficient detail for readers to comprehend, replicate, and validate the analysis and experiments?
- Are there issues with poorly presented data or an excessive number of self-references?
The Chief Editor conducts an in-depth review of the manuscript to assess:
- Whether the sample size is adequate or if it lacks necessary controls.
- The appropriateness of statistical tests used, or if statistical analysis is deficient.
- Whether the methodology is outdated or if there are more advanced, effective methods available that could yield more robust results.
- The clarity and scientific validity of the hypothesis, and whether it addresses the research questions effectively.
- Whether the conclusions are drawn from solid data or are based on assumptions.
- After this preliminary assessment, only about 20% of the submissions proceed to the peer review stage.
There are three prevalent methods of peer review for journal publication:
- Single Blind Review: The reviewers know the identity of the authors, but the authors do not know the reviewers' identities.
- Double Blind Review:Both the authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other.
- Open Peer Review: Both the authors and reviewers know each other's identities.
At least two experts are selected to review the manuscript. The peer review process concludes when all reviewers submit a comprehensive report with their feedback and recommendations to the journal.
