Review Process

Step by step

1. Submission and reference number. Each manuscript received through the online submission system gets its own reference number, used in all correspondence.
2. Editorial screening (about 7 days). The editors check that the manuscript fits the journal's scope, follows the Author Guidelines, is complete, and passes the similarity (plagiarism) check. Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements are returned to the authors without review.
3. Anonymisation. All information that could identify the authors is removed from the files.
4. Review by two external specialists (about 20 days). The manuscript is sent to at least two reviewers chosen for their expertise. They assess originality, relevance, methodology, use of sources, clarity and contribution to the field.
5. Recommendation. Each reviewer recommends one of: accept, minor revisions, major revisions, or reject, with a written report. When the two opinions differ strongly, a third reviewer may be invited.
6. Editorial decision. The editors take the final decision based on the reports and inform the authors, sharing the reviewers' comments anonymously.
7. Revision. When revisions are requested, authors send a revised version with a short note explaining how each comment was addressed. Major revisions may be sent back to the reviewers.

What reviewers evaluate

Timeline and status

A first decision is usually sent within 6 to 8 weeks of submission. Authors can follow the status of their manuscript at any time from their dashboard. Reviewers' reports and identities remain confidential, as described in our Ethics Statement.