The Peer Review Process

The Peer Review Process Inforgraphic.

The peer review process typically involves several key steps to ensure that scholarly work meets academic standards. Here's an overview of the peer review process as outlined by Elsevier:

1. An Author Submits a Manuscript

The author submits their manuscript to a journal for publication consideration.

2. Manuscript Assigned to Editor

A journal editor is assigned the submitted manuscript to carry out the next phase of the review process.

3. Editorial Assessment

The assigned editor assesses the manuscript to confirm it meets the journal's basic requirements (e.g., formatting, journal scope, quality, completion).

4. Decision Stage: Reject or Advance

After the editor's initial assessment, the editor will take one of two actions:

  • Desk Rejection: If it doesn't meet the requirements, the manuscript is "desk rejected," meaning it will not receive further review and will return to the author for revisions.
  • Send to Referees: The editor will send the manuscript to external referees for an external peer review.

5. External Peer Review

The editor invites at least two peer reviewers who are experts in the manuscript's subject area. These reviewers can be academics or professionals with relevant experience. Each reviewer will produce a detailed report to provide to the editor, containing their opinions of the manuscript along with their recommendations.

6. Editor Assesses Review Reports

Based on the reviewers' feedback, the editor makes one of the following decisions:

  • Accept the manuscript for publication.
  • Request further revisions: It's common for an editor to have questions for the author to answer regarding their article that may factor into the editor's decision to accept the article for publishing.
  • Reject the manuscript.

7. Final Decision Communicated to Author and Reviewers

The editor communicates their decision to the author and reviewers. Accepted articles move forward for publishing in a future journal issue.

Want to learn more about the peer review process? Visit Elsevier’s comprehensive overview of peer review that includes its background, process, types of peer review and resources.

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