Purpose of Peer Review
Peer review provides an independent assessment of the quality, clarity, relevance, and scholarly contribution of submitted work.
It helps the editors decide whether a manuscript is suitable for publication and, where appropriate, identifies improvements needed before publication.
Initial Editorial Screening
Every submission is first examined by the editorial office to confirm that it falls within the journal's scope, is complete, and meets basic presentation and ethical standards.
All submissions are checked for plagiarism. Manuscripts with a similarity index above 20%, excluding references and properly quoted material, may be returned to the author or rejected.
Manuscripts may also be returned before review if essential information is missing, the work is outside scope, or ethical concerns must first be addressed.
Typical screening time: Initial editorial screening is normally completed within 1–2 business days.
Double-Blind Review
Each manuscript that passes editorial screening is reviewed by at least two independent external reviewers with relevant subject expertise.
Neither authors nor reviewers know each other's identities. Authors must therefore remove names, affiliations, acknowledgements, and other identifying information from the manuscript file.
Author information should instead be provided on a separate title page where requested by the submission system.
Reviewer Selection and Independence
P247JMR selects reviewers for their subject expertise, research experience, and independence.
Most reviewers hold doctoral degrees. Others may hold master's degrees with significant research or professional experience in their field, or be advanced doctoral candidates with a record of scholarly work.
Selection Criteria
- relevant subject expertise and knowledge of the research methods used;
- academic qualifications and research or publication record;
- professional experience where relevant to the topic;
- independence from the authors and manuscript.
Independence
Reviewers should not be from the author's institution, have co-authored with the author in recent years, or have any personal, financial, or professional interest in the manuscript.
Reviewers must declare any potential conflict of interest and decline the review where their independence could reasonably be questioned.
Author Suggestions
Authors may suggest potential reviewers or request the exclusion of particular reviewers, with reasons. Final reviewer selection remains the responsibility of the journal's editors.
Minimum Reviewer Qualifications
Reviewer qualifications are considered according to the type and academic level of the submitted work.
| Type of Submission | Minimum Reviewer Qualification |
|---|---|
| Journal Article | At least one of the two reviewers holds a doctoral degree |
| Bachelor's Long Essay | Master's degree or higher |
| Master's Thesis | Doctoral degree preferred; master's degree with substantial research experience acceptable |
| PhD Dissertation | Doctoral degree required |
Reviewer Panel
P247JMR maintains a Reviewer Panel of qualified scholars and professionals from institutions and organizations in different countries.
With their permission, reviewers may be listed on the journal's website by name, affiliation, country, and area of expertise.
Reviewers are never publicly linked to specific manuscripts they have reviewed.
Reviewer recognition: Reviewers receive a Peer Reviewer Certificate for their service, and outstanding reviewers may be recognized annually. Recognition does not depend on the recommendation a reviewer makes.
Review Process
- Submission received: The manuscript is received through the journal's online submission system.
- Editorial screening: The submission is reviewed for scope, completeness, presentation, ethical concerns, and plagiarism. This normally takes 1–2 business days.
- Reviewer assignment: The handling editor invites at least two qualified, independent reviewers in accordance with the journal's qualification requirements.
- Double-blind review: The reviewers assess the manuscript and submit their reports and recommendations.
- Editorial decision: The outcome may be acceptance, a revision request, or rejection based on reviewer reports and the complete editorial record.
- Revision where required: Revised manuscripts are reassessed by the handling editor and may be returned to reviewers before a final decision.
Review Tracks
First Decision Normally Within 4–6 Weeks
Manuscripts proceed through normal editorial screening and full double-blind peer review.
First Decision Normally Within 7 Days
Fast-Track must be selected at submission and remains subject to reviewer availability.
Fast-Track manuscripts receive the same full double-blind review by at least two independent reviewers who meet the same qualification standards. Selecting Fast-Track does not affect the editorial outcome.
Review times may vary according to subject area, reviewer availability, and manuscript complexity.
Editorial History
Each published article displays its principal editorial and publication dates.
Reviewer Responsibilities
Reviewers are expected to:
- provide fair, constructive, and academically relevant assessments;
- comment on the work rather than the author;
- clearly identify significant strengths and weaknesses;
- base recommendations on scholarly considerations;
- complete reviews within the agreed timeframe or notify the journal promptly where this is not possible;
- inform the journal where they lack the necessary expertise or have a conflict of interest.
Confidentiality
Manuscripts under review are confidential scholarly material.
Reviewers and editors must not share, reproduce, or use unpublished manuscript content for personal advantage.
Reviewers must not upload manuscripts, manuscript excerpts, or review reports into public artificial intelligence tools.
Conflicts of Interest
Reviewers and editors must declare any relationship or interest that could affect impartial assessment.
Where independence cannot reasonably be maintained, the journal will reassign the manuscript or reviewer as necessary.
Manuscripts authored by the Editor-in-Chief or members of the Editorial Board are handled by a different editor under the same double-blind review process.
The author-editor has no access to the review file or reviewer identities.
Editorial Decisions
Editorial decisions may include acceptance, revision, or rejection.
Reviewer recommendations inform the decision but do not automatically determine the outcome.
A request for revision does not guarantee eventual acceptance.
Editorial independence: Editorial decisions are made independently of publication fees, waiver requests, discounts, membership status, or payment status.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Authors must disclose any use of artificial intelligence tools in preparing their manuscript.
AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, originality, and appropriate attribution of their submitted work.
Appeals and Complaints
Authors may appeal an editorial decision by writing to the editorial office within 30 days and clearly explaining the reasons for the appeal.
Appeals are considered by an editor who was not involved in the original editorial decision.
Complaints relating to the journal's editorial or review processes may also be sent to the editorial office.
Editorial Office
Withdrawal and Preprints
Authors may withdraw a manuscript at any time before acceptance by notifying the editorial office in writing.
Posting a preprint before or during review is permitted. Authors should inform the journal and, after publication, update the preprint with a link to the published version.
Final Decision and Publication
Acceptance occurs only when all editorial requirements have been satisfied.
After acceptance, authors complete licensing and publication requirements.
Publication includes creation of the article record, citation metadata, permanent PDF access, and DOI assignment through Zenodo.
Articles are normally published within 24–48 hours after licensing and publication requirements are complete.
Preparing a Manuscript?
Review the Author Guidelines, manuscript template, and submission requirements before submitting.