Article Review Process

Manuscript Submission

Authors submit their manuscripts through the submission channel designated by the journal and provide the required manuscript files and information.

• Follow the journal's author guidelines.
• Include the required manuscript sections, figures, tables and references.
• Provide accurate author details and any required declarations.

Incomplete submissions may be returned to authors for correction before screening.

Initial Editorial Screening

The editorial team conducts a preliminary assessment to determine whether the submission is suitable to proceed to peer review.

• Check relevance to the journal's aims and scope.
• Assess completeness and compliance with submission requirements.
• Consider the manuscript's basic scholarly suitability and presentation.

Manuscripts may be returned for corrections or declined at this stage if they do not meet the journal's requirements.

Plagiarism and Research Integrity Checks

Where applicable, manuscripts undergo originality screening and editorial checks for potential concerns relating to research integrity.

• Review similarity reports alongside the manuscript's context.
• Identify potential citation or attribution issues.
• Examine concerns that may require clarification from the authors.

Similarity scores are not, by themselves, proof of plagiarism. Findings require appropriate editorial assessment.

Reviewer Selection

Manuscripts considered suitable for review may be assigned to independent reviewers with relevant subject knowledge.

• Identify reviewers whose expertise aligns with the manuscript's topic.
• Consider relevant expertise and potential conflicts of interest.
• Provide the material needed for a fair scholarly assessment.

Double-Blind Peer Review

Under the journal's double-blind review model, author identities are concealed from reviewers and reviewer identities are concealed from authors during the review process, subject to the practical limitations of anonymisation.

• Reviewers assess originality and contribution.
• They evaluate the methodology, evidence, analysis and interpretation where relevant.
• They consider clarity, references and the manuscript's academic significance.

Authors should remove identifying information from the anonymised manuscript where required by the journal's submission guidelines.

Review Reports and Editorial Assessment

Reviewer comments and recommendations are considered by the editor, who evaluates the manuscript and determines the appropriate next step.

• Consider the substance of reviewer feedback.
• Identify revisions or clarifications that may be necessary.
• Reach an editorial decision based on the available evidence and journal policy.

Reviewer recommendations inform editorial decisions but do not automatically determine the outcome.

Editorial Decision

Authors are informed of the editorial outcome. Depending on the manuscript and journal policy, possible decisions may include:

• Accept: The manuscript is accepted for publication, subject to any remaining requirements.
• Minor revision: Limited changes or clarifications are requested.
• Major revision: Substantial changes are required for further consideration.
• Reject: The manuscript is not accepted for publication.

The available decision categories and procedures may vary by journal.

Author Revision and Re-evaluation

When revisions are requested, authors should respond to the editorial comments and submit the revised manuscript within the communicated deadline, where applicable.

• Address comments point by point.
• Explain any recommendations that cannot be adopted and provide a reasoned response.
• Identify changes made in the revised manuscript.

Revised manuscripts may be returned to reviewers or assessed by the editor before another decision is made.

Final Acceptance and Publication

Once the manuscript has received final acceptance, it proceeds through the journal's applicable publication workflow.

• Complete any outstanding editorial requirements.
• Prepare the final files and typeset the article, where these services are provided.
• Complete final quality checks and author proof corrections, where applicable.
• Complete required publication administration, including applicable APC arrangements.

Following completion of the required steps, the article is published online. DOI registration is completed where available and applicable.