Description of the peer review process

1.      The decision on whether an article qualifies for peer review is made by the Editor-in-Chief of the journal after obtaining opinions from the editor.

2.     The decision to accept a scientific article for publication in the journal depends, in particular, on positive peer review reports.

3.     The journal applies a double-anonymized peer review procedure, according to which the identities of the authors are not disclosed to reviewers, and the identities of reviewers are not disclosed to authors.

4.     The peer review process is commissioned and supervised by the journal editors.

5.     Through the Open Journal System, the journal editor sends invitations to two independent reviewers to evaluate a scientific article. The invitation includes the title and abstract of the manuscript.

6.     Reviewers are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest in response to the review invitation (if identified). If circumstances arise that may compromise the impartiality of the review, the editor has the right to withdraw the invitation to review the manuscript.

7.     Examples of potential conflicts of interest include situations where:

a.      the reviewer has collaborated with the author or co-author of the manuscript within the last three years;

b.     the reviewer is a direct competitor of the author or co-author of the manuscript;

c.      the reviewer is involved in a personal conflict with the author or co-author of the manuscript;

d.     the reviewer has a close family, personal, or professional relationship with the author or co-author of the manuscript;

e.      the reviewer and the author or co-author of the manuscript may obtain financial or personal benefits related to the publication of the manuscript.

8.     If a conflict of interest is identified, a reviewer declines to review the manuscript, or a reviewer fails to confirm acceptance of the review assignment, the editor invites another reviewer.

9.     The journal editor sends the reviewers who have agreed to undertake the review an anonymized version of the scientific manuscript.

10.  Selected reviewers submit their peer review reports through the Open Journal System within four weeks from the date on which the manuscript was sent by the editor.