Peer Review Process

This journal operates a single-blind review process. All contributions will be initially assessed by the editor for suitability for the journal. Papers deemed suitable are then typically sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. The Editor's decision is final.

Initial assessment of submissions:

We are committed to publishing high-quality new work that makes a significant contribution within the scope of the journal. To meet this aim, submitted manuscripts undergo initial evaluation by an editor to ensure that they meet essential criteria for publication in the journal. Only those manuscripts that pass this initial review process will be forwarded to reviewers for further consideration. After checking to see if the submission is complete and we have all the files we need, the manuscript may be returned to the author(s) without external review if, in the opinion of the editor(s), one or more of the following apply:

  • The manuscript clearly falls outside the scope of the journal.
  • The work is of poor scientific quality such that it is clearly not suitable for publication in a scientific journal.
  • The manuscript is of insufficient general interest for the journal and would be better suited to a more specialized journal.
  • The novelty of the work falls below that required for the journal.
  • The manuscript contains redundant information or significant amounts of material that has already been published elsewhere or is under consideration by another journal.
  • The quality of the English in the manuscript is so poor as to render the science presented unclear.
  • The conclusions drawn by the manuscript are well known or have been published previously.

Review process

This journal operates a single-blind review process. All contributions will be initially assessed by the editor for suitability for the journal. Papers deemed suitable are then typically sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. The Editor's decision is final.

Revised manuscripts

If the manuscript has reports from reviewers, then the author will be asked to resubmit the revised files. These files should include a summary of any new work added and a point-by-point response to the reviewers’ comments. Authors should be aware that the reviewers’ comments are transferred to the editor of the journal together with the manuscript files. When a revision is requested, authors must submit the revised manuscript promptly.

After acceptance:

The corresponding author will receive an email with the formatted manuscript for proofreading and preparing any necessary edits/changes. All instructions for proofing will be given in the email we send to authors.