Peer-Review Policy
The peer-review process is the core of scientific publication, relying on peer reviewers with the same area of expertise as the manuscript's topic. As such, the Editor-in-Charge and peer reviewers are crucial figures in ensuring the review process runs smoothly. The peer-review process at the Journal of Innovative Educational Research (JIER) is as follows:
1. Manuscript Submission: Authors submit their manuscript via the JIER's OJS system.
2. Initial Review by the Editor-in-Chief: The Editor-in-Chief conducts an initial review to assess if the manuscript's content is suitable for JIER's aims and scope. If the manuscript doesn't align, the Editor-in-Chief will immediately reject the article (desk rejection). Manuscripts rejected at this stage are often insufficiently original or have serious scientific flaws.
3. Editor Assignment: If the manuscript aligns with the aims and scope and meets the minimum criteria, the Editor-in-Chief will assign an Editor-in-Charge to oversee the peer-review process. The Editor-in-Charge is an editor whose expertise matches the manuscript's substance. While rare, an exceptional manuscript may be accepted at this stage.
4. Review by Peer Reviewers: The Editor-in-Charge asks 2-3 reviewers with appropriate expertise to conduct a substantial review of the manuscript. The reviewers will evaluate if the manuscript is scientifically sound and coherent, if it duplicates already published work, and if it's clear enough for publication. Reviewers are not expected to correct or copyedit manuscripts, as language correction is not part of the peer-review process and will be handled by the Editor-in-Charge. The selection of reviewers ensures there's no conflict of interest between authors and reviewers. One key measure is ensuring authors and reviewers are not from the same institution, as we use a double-blind peer review method. The review process by reviewers is estimated to take 4 to 8 weeks.
5. Editor Decision: After receiving the reviewers' feedback, the Editor-in-Charge decides to accept, reject, or return the manuscript to the corresponding author for revision. There are two types of revisions: minor and major. A minor revision means the Editor-in-Charge will review the corrected manuscript without involving the original reviewers again. In contrast, a major revision requires the original reviewers to re-examine the authors' improvements before the manuscript is forwarded to the Editor-in-Charge for a final decision.
6. 2nd Round Review: After the authors make their revisions, the Editor-in-Charge re-evaluates the manuscript. If needed, especially after a major revision, the Editor-in-Charge can initiate a second review round.
7. Final Decision: The final decision to accept or reject the manuscript rests with the Editor-in-Charge, who considers the reviewers' recommendations, manuscript revisions, and other requirements, such as a similarity level of no more than 20%. The Editor-in-Charge's decision is final, and authors are not permitted to challenge any of the final decisions. The average time from initial submission to the first decision is typically between 6-10 weeks. If the revision process goes smoothly, the average time between submission and publication is 12-16 weeks.
Becoming a Reviewer
If you are not currently a reviewer for the Journal of Innovative Educational Research but would like to be added to our list, please contact us. The benefits of reviewing for JIER include the opportunity to see and evaluate the latest work in a related research area at an early stage, and to be acknowledged in our list of reviewers. You can also cite your work for JIER as part of your professional development requirements. JIER's reviewers are volunteers who contribute their expertise to science; therefore, no financial payments are made. If you are interested in becoming a reviewer for JIER, please contact us at ieserjournal@gmail.com.
