Peer Review Process

All submitted manuscripts undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure academic quality, originality, and methodological soundness. The review policy follows these stages and criteria:

1. Initial Screening (Desk Review)

• Every manuscript is initially screened by the Managing/Section Editor for scope relevance, compliance with the journal’s template, structural integrity, and basic language quality.

• Manuscripts are checked for originality using Turnitin. The maximum acceptable similarity index is 25%.

• Manuscripts that fail to meet the scope, template requirements, or similarity threshold will be rejected at this stage without peer review (Desk Reject), and authors will be notified via email and the OJS portal.

2. Peer Review Policy

• The journal employs a double-blind peer review system, where both the reviewers' and authors' identities remain anonymous throughout the process.

• Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers.

• Reviewers are selected based on their academic expertise and proven publication records in accredited national or international peer-reviewed journals within relevant fields.

3. Review Timeline & Guidelines

• Reviewers are expected to evaluate manuscripts objectively using the standard Manuscript Review Form and provide constructive annotations directly within the text.

• The review process is allocated 2 to 8 weeks from the date the reviewer accepts the invitation.

• If a reviewer requires an extension, they must notify the Section Editor in advance. An extension of up to 7 days may be granted.

4. Reviewer Recommendations & Editorial Decision Based on the review reports, the reviewer provides one of the following recommendations:

• Accept Submission: The manuscript is accepted as is or with minor typographical edits.

• Revisions Required: The manuscript is acceptable subject to minor revisions as specified.

• Resubmit for Review: The manuscript requires major revisions and must undergo a second round of peer review after resubmission.

• Decline Submission: The manuscript is rejected due to severe conceptual, methodological, or ethical flaws.

In the event of conflicting decisions between the two primary reviewers, a third reviewer will be appointed to provide a tie-breaking evaluation. The final decision regarding publication rests entirely with the Editor-in-Chief / Section Editor.