Peer Review Process

Peer Review Process is a process where the journal assesses the quality of manuscripts before publication, reviewed by relevant experts in the field to review and comment on accepted manuscripts. This process aims to help the editor determine whether the manuscript should be published in the Interdisciplinary Explorations in Research Journal (IERJ).

Key points in the Peer Review Process:

Manuscripts submitted to the journal first go through an initial screening by the editorial team.
Manuscripts that pass the screening are sent to at least two peer reviewers for review.
Peer reviewers independently make recommendations to the journal editor as to whether the manuscript should be rejected or accepted (with or without revisions).
The journal editor considers all feedback from the peer reviewers and makes a decision to accept or reject the manuscript.

The Peer Review Process for journal publication is essentially a quality control mechanism, where experts evaluate the manuscript with the aim of ensuring the quality of the published manuscript. However, peer reviewers do not make the decision to accept or reject the paper, but provide a recommended decision. In journals, the decision-making authority lies solely with the journal editor or journal editorial board.

How does it work?

When a manuscript is submitted to a journal, it is assessed to see if it meets the criteria for submission. If it does, the editorial team will select potential peer reviewers within the research field to peer review the manuscript and make recommendations. There are four types of peer review used by Interdisciplinary Explorations in Research Journal (IERJ):

1. Single-blind: the reviewer knows the author's name, but the author does not know who reviewed their manuscript unless the reviewer chooses to sign their report.
2. Double-blind: reviewers don't know the authors' names, and authors don't know who reviewed their manuscript.
3. Open peer: the author knows who the reviewer is, and the reviewer knows who the author is. If the manuscript is accepted, a named reviewer report is published alongside the article.
4. Transparent: the reviewer knows the author's name, but the author does not know who reviewed their manuscript unless the reviewer chooses to sign their report. If the manuscript is accepted, an anonymous reviewer report is published alongside the article.
Why peer review?

Peer review is an integral part of scientific publishing that confirms the validity of a manuscript. Peer reviewers are experts who donate their time to help improve the manuscript they are reviewing.

Steps of peer review
1. Paper Submission
Authors submit the manuscript to the Interdisciplinary Explorations in Research Journal (IERJ). This is usually through an online system on the Interdisciplinary Explorations in Research Journal (IERJ) website or the journal may accept submissions via author email.
2. Editorial Team Assessment
The editorial team reviews the manuscript to ensure it conforms to the journal template. The quality of the manuscript is not assessed at this point.
3. Assessment by the Editor-in-Chief
The editor-in-chief checks that the manuscript is appropriate for the journal, sufficiently original, and interesting. Otherwise, the paper may be rejected without further review.
4. Invitation of Peer Reviewers
The editor sends invitations to the appropriate individual reviewers.
5. Response to Invitation
Potential reviewers weigh the invitation against their own expertise, conflicts of interest, and availability. They then accept or decline. If possible when declining, they suggest alternative reviewers.
6. Review Conducted
Reviewers take the time to read the manuscript several times to form an initial impression of a manuscript and make notes for a detailed point-by-point review. The review is then submitted to the journal, with a recommendation to accept or reject it or with a request for revisions before reconsideration.
7. Journal Evaluates Reviews
Editors consider all returned reviews before making an overall decision. If the reviews differ greatly, the editor may invite additional reviewers for additional opinions before making a decision.

Decision Communicated
The editor emails the decision to the author including relevant reviewer comments.
Next Steps
If accepted, the manuscript is sent to production. If rejected or sent back, the author is asked to revise with comments from the reviewers to help the author improve the manuscript. At this stage, the reviewer is also sent an email to inform the author of the revision. If the manuscript is revised again, the reviewer expects a new version of the manuscript, but if only minor changes are requested, the review is done by the editor.