Peer Review Process

Publication of articles in Journal of Communities Issues (JoCI) is dependent solely on scientific validity and coherence as judged by our editors and/or peer reviewers, who will also assess whether the writing is comprehensible and whether the work represents a useful contribution to the field. JoCI highly acknowledges the effort and constructive suggestions made by its reviewers.

Initial Evaluation of Manuscripts

The Editor will first evaluate all manuscripts submitted within a maximum of 3 weeks. Although rare, it is entirely possible for an exceptional manuscript to be accepted at this stage. Manuscripts rejected at this stage are usually insufficiently original, contain serious scientific flaws, or are outside the aims and scope of JoCI. Manuscripts that meet the minimum criteria will be forwarded to expert reviewers for further evaluation. The review process usually takes up to 14 weeks.

Type of Peer Review

Submitted manuscripts will generally be reviewed by two to three experts who will evaluate whether the manuscript:

  • Is scientifically sound and coherent,
  • Does not duplicate previously published works,
  • Is sufficiently clear and relevant for publication.

JoCI applies the blind peer review method.

Review Reports

Reviewers are asked to evaluate whether the manuscript:

  • Is original by clearly stating the objectives and research gap,
  • Uses appropriate and valid research methodology,
  • Follows ethical research guidelines,
  • Presents results/findings clearly and supports the conclusions,
  • Correctly references previous relevant studies.

Reviewers are not expected to correct or copyedit manuscripts. Language editing is not part of the peer review process.

Decision

Reviewers provide recommendations to the Editor, who is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of the manuscript. Editors may consult members of the Editorial Board when necessary. The Editor’s decision is final.

Based on the reviewers’ recommendations, the Editor may conclude:

  • Revisions Required
  • Accept Submission
  • Decline Submission
  • Resubmit Elsewhere

Reasons for Rejection

An article may be rejected for publication for several reasons, including:

  • The manuscript does not fit the aims and scope of JoCI,
  • The manuscript does not follow the author guidelines or scientific writing standards,
  • The manuscript contains fundamental methodological errors,
  • The author refuses to revise the manuscript according to reviewer suggestions without logical justification,
  • There are indications of plagiarism exceeding 25%.