Peer Review Process

International Journal of Society, Culture and Human Sciences operates a rigorous double-blind peer-review system. Both reviewers and authors remain anonymous to one another throughout the review process. This approach ensures unbiased, fair, and constructive evaluation of every submitted manuscript.

Review workflow

Stage 1 — Initial editorial screening (3–5 days)

Upon submission, manuscripts undergo a preliminary check by the Editor-in-Chief or an assigned Associate Editor. This initial screening evaluates:

  • Alignment with the journal's scope and subject areas.
  • Compliance with the Author Guidelines and manuscript formatting requirements.
  • Originality, using industry-standard plagiarism detection software (similarity index must be below 20%).
  • Language quality, clarity, and readability.
  • Ethical compliance regarding research involving human subjects, animals, or sensitive data.

Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria are rejected at this stage (desk rejection). Suitable manuscripts are assigned to qualified reviewers.

Stage 2 — Reviewer assignment (2–3 days)

The Handling Editor assigns the manuscript to at least two (2) independent expert reviewers with relevant subject-matter expertise. Reviewers are selected from the journal's Editorial Board and from a global pool of qualified peer reviewers.

Stage 3 — Double-blind review (3–4 weeks)

Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on the following criteria:

  • Originality and scientific contribution.
  • Quality and rigor of research methodology.
  • Clarity and logical organization of the manuscript.
  • Strength and validity of data analysis.
  • Appropriateness and accuracy of conclusions drawn.
  • Relevance and completeness of literature review and citations.
  • Adherence to ethical research practices.

Stage 4 — Editorial decision (1 week)

Based on the reviewers' reports and recommendations, the Handling Editor makes one of the following decisions:

  • Accept — manuscript accepted for publication without revision.
  • Minor Revision — small changes required; authors given up to 2 weeks.
  • Major Revision — substantial changes required; authors given up to 4 weeks.
  • Reject and Resubmit — rejected in current form but may be resubmitted after major rework.
  • Reject — manuscript not suitable for publication in the journal.

Stage 5 — Revision and final decision (1–4 weeks)

Authors are required to respond to all reviewer comments point-by-point. Revised manuscripts are re-evaluated, and additional rounds of review may be conducted if necessary before a final decision is reached.

Stage 6 — Production and publication (1–2 weeks)

Accepted manuscripts enter the production stage, where they are copy-edited, typeset, proofread, and assigned a DOI (Digital Object Identifier). Authors receive the galley proofs for final verification before publication.

Average timeline

From submission to first decision: 4–6 weeks.

From submission to publication: 8–12 weeks (depending on the number of revision rounds).

Reviewer confidentiality and conflicts of interest

All reviewers are required to maintain the strict confidentiality of manuscripts under review. They must declare any potential conflicts of interest and decline assignments where a conflict exists. The journal adheres to the ethical standards outlined by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics).