Peer Review Policy Statement

Journal Peer Review Policy Statement:

The manuscripts published in the journal are subjected to peer-review through obtaining advice on individual manuscripts from reviewers/ experts in the relevant field/area of study. As stated under Duties/ Responsibilities of Reviewers, judgments made are objective, with requirements of reviewers filling up a prescribed manuscript proforma review format; reviewers have no conflict of interest; and it is informed that reviewers should point out relevant published work which is not yet cited, and the reviewed manuscripts are to be treated confidentially. All published articles in Journal must subscribe to a rigorous peer review process based on initial editor screening. The objective is to assure research/ review quality, sustain the originality and quality of research work and filtration of poor quality and plagiarized articles.

The “peer review process” involves the following − The author/s write/s a research/ review manuscript and submits it adhering to/ following the INSTRUCTIONS given to the authors − The Chief Editor does the initial screening and forwards it to the Reviewers after due consultations with the Editorial Advisory Board (EAB)/ Section/ Subject Editors − Reviewers review the manuscript according to the guidelines provided and verify the quality of research/ review following a proforma of review format − The article is returned to the Chief Editor along with a recommendation to either reject the article, revise it or accept it. − The article is returned to the Author along with the reviewer’s feedback − The Editor receives the updated article, it is vetted by the EAB/ Chief Editor and sent for Publication.

Special Issues / Conference Proceedings will have almost similar peer review procedures with slight modifications. − Chief Editor's Decision is final in all the above, and reserves the right in all decisions/ actions

Editorial decisions: These decisions are based on peer review. The reviewers are expected to maintain absolute confidentiality with regard to the contents of manuscripts. The reviews are conducted objectively and the referees are expected to express their views clearly with supporting reasons. The reviewers should have no conflict of interest with the authors and the subject matter of the research. The reviewers are required to identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any observation or argument which has been previously reported should also be accompanied along with the relevant citation. Similarities or overlaps between the manuscript under review and any other published paper of which the reviewer may have personal knowledge, may also be brought to the attention of the members of the EAB. The information or ideas obtained through peer review are of a privileged nature and these are kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers are informed not to consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative or other relationships with any of the authors or institutions connected to the manuscript.

Duties/ Responsibilities of EAB/ Reviewers: The EAB and the Chief Editor follow “Peer Review Policy” of the Journal. This Policy ensures the practice of publishing only good research papers. It is supported by an objective process as carried out by all reputed journals. Reviewers play a vital role in maintaining the high standards of the Journal. All manuscripts are peer reviewed following the “peer review process” given above. It is the responsibility of the Chief Editor to convey the decision of the “peer review” within 4-6 weeks. Peer Review follows the “peer review process” given above employing single blind review, where the reviewer remains anonymous to the authors throughout the process. Reviewers are matched to the manuscript according to their expertise as advised by the Subject Editors. The Chief Editor holds a reviewer database containing reviewer contact details together with their subject areas of interest, and this is constantly being updated.

Publication process: Article submissions must adhere to the INSTRUCTIONS. Authors are required to pursue the publication ethics/ essential requirements given under the “Ethics and malpractice statement” of the Journal.