Submissions undergo administrative checks for completeness, scope, authorship information, disclosures, ethical documentation, reporting requirements and text similarity. A designated academic editor then conducts an initial assessment. Manuscripts may be declined at this stage when clearly unsuitable, methodologically inadequate, unethical, duplicative or outside scope.
Peer Review & Editorial Decision
Suitable manuscripts proceed to peer review. Associate Editors assess the reviews and authors’ responses and make evidence-based recommendations. After reviewing those recommendations and the full record, the Editor decides acceptance, further revision or rejection. If the Editor has a conflict, an independent authorized academic editor makes the decision. Decisions are not determined by numerical reviewer votes alone.
Timelines & Post-Acceptance Process
The journal aims to act without unnecessary delay but does not guarantee acceptance or a fixed decision time. Accepted manuscripts undergo copyediting, author proofing and production checks. Substantive changes after acceptance require editorial approval. Submission, revision, acceptance and publication dates should appear on articles.