Review Process

The Editors of the journal are responsible for deciding which of the submitted articles should be published. They evaluate manuscripts solely for their intellectual content, without discrimination on grounds of gender, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, ethnicity, or citizenship. Their decision to accept an article is based on its importance, originality, clarity and the relevance to the academic aims and standards pursued by the journal. They are committed to handling all submissions in a fair and timely manner.

Procedure

Manuscripts are treated as confidential and peer-reviewers’ identities are protected.

First stage: Articles are evaluated by the journal’s Chief Editor and one of the Editors, as well as the guest editor(s) of the thematic issue. If they fail to meet the academic standards of the journal or do not comply with the formal requirements specified in the Submission Guidelines, they are returned to authors either for resubmission or with a statement of reasons for rejection.

Second stage: Anonymized articles are evaluated by peer-reviewers who are specialists in the field, are affiliated with an internationally recognized university or other research institution and are not members of the publishing institution or of the Editorial Board of the journal. Their identity is never disclosed to the authors and readers. In case of a significant discrepancy in the peer-reviewers’ evaluation, another reviewer is invited. Evaluation results are anonymized and communicated to authors who are asked to make required changes. The efficiency of this process and the adequacy of changes are judged by the Editors, who may consult peer-reviewers if they are in doubt. Submissions classified as unpublishable even after substantial rewriting are rejected. 

The decision to accept an article cannot be reversed by the present Editors or their successors, unless serious problems (academic misconduct, erroneous information or interpretation) are discovered in the process of editing. If they are revealed after the publication, the Editors are obliged to publish corrections or retractions.

Peer-reviewers
Peer-reviewers should do their best to improve the quality of articles by evaluating them carefully, objectively, and timely. It is their duty to inform the Editors of any suspected plagiarism. They are asked to declare any existing or potential conflicts of interest related to a particular article or author. Confidentiality should be respected during all stages of the review process. Guidance to peer-reviewers is provided by the Editors and constantly updated.

Authors
By submitting an article, the authors declare that it is an original piece of work and that content quoted or paraphrased from other sources is cited appropriately to avoid plagiarism. They must declare any existing or potential conflicts of interest. It is their duty to ensure that the submitted article is not being considered for another publication. Authors have the right to appeal against editorial decisions to the Editors.