The peer-review process begins with the submission of the manuscript by the author through the journal’s online submission system. After successful registration, the manuscript enters the initial screening stage, which is conducted by the Editor-in-Chief or the Section Editor. At this stage, the manuscript is evaluated in terms of its relevance to the journal’s scope, scientific structure, compliance with the journal’s formatting guidelines, originality, and basic academic standards. The maximum duration of this initial screening is 10 days.
If the manuscript meets the minimum requirements, it receives initial acceptance and proceeds to the scientific peer-review process; otherwise, it is rejected at this stage and the decision is communicated to the author.
Following initial acceptance, the manuscript is presented at a meeting of the Editorial Board, during which at least two qualified expert reviewers are selected. The manuscript is then sent to the reviewers by the journal office without any identifying information about the authors, in accordance with the double-blind peer-review policy.
In the next stage, the manuscript undergoes scientific evaluation by at least two reviewers. The maximum time allocated for this stage is 20 days. Reviewers assess the manuscript based on methodological rigor, originality, scientific coherence, validity of data, adequacy of references, soundness of results, and overall scholarly contribution. Each reviewer submits one of the following recommendations:
Acceptance
Acceptance subject to revisions
Rejection
After receiving the reviewers’ reports, the editorial decision is communicated to the author. If revisions are required, the manuscript, along with reviewers’ comments, is returned to the author through the journal office. The author is required to address the reviewers’ comments and submit the revised version within a maximum of 10 days.
Once the revised manuscript is resubmitted, it is again forwarded to the final reviewers to verify whether the requested revisions have been adequately and accurately implemented. The maximum time for reviewers to provide their final evaluation at this stage is 10 days.
If the revisions are approved, the manuscript proceeds to final acceptance. At this point, one of the following outcomes may occur:
Final acceptance of the manuscript
Request for minor additional revisions
Rejection of the manuscript
Upon final acceptance, the manuscript enters the technical and conformity review stage, conducted by the journal’s managing editor or technical editor. This stage involves final checks for formatting, reference style, language quality, and compliance with journal standards.
After successful completion of this stage, an official acceptance certificate is issued, and the manuscript is placed in the publication queue. Finally, the article is published online and/or in print (if a print version exists), and the peer-review process is concluded.
Initial screening: up to 10 days
Initial scientific peer review: up to 20 days
Author revisions: up to 10 days
Final review of revisions: up to 10 days
Total duration from submission to final acceptance: approximately 4 to 8 weeks