Peer Review Process

Review Process Flow

Stage 1 — Submission & Desk Review (Weeks 1–2)
Every submitted manuscript undergoes an initial screening (desk review) conducted by the Editor in Chief to assess the suitability of the topic with the journal’s scope, the completeness of administrative requirements, compliance with the author guidelines and formatting standards, as well as text similarity screening using plagiarism detection software with a maximum tolerance limit of 20%. Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements will either be returned to the authors for revision or rejected at this stage.

Stage 2 — Double-Blind Peer Review (Weeks 3–8)
Manuscripts that pass the desk review stage will be forwarded to at least two (2) competent reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript’s field through a double-blind peer-review system — where the identity of the authors is concealed from the reviewers, and the identity of the reviewers is concealed from the authors. Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on originality and scientific contribution, research methodology, analytical depth and discussion, adequacy and recency of references, as well as clarity of writing and systematic presentation. The review process is expected to be completed within four (4) weeks from the date the review invitation is sent.

Stage 3 — Editorial Decision (Week 9)
Based on the reviewers’ recommendations, the Editor in Chief will determine one of the following decisions: (1) Accepted — the manuscript is accepted without revision; (2) Minor Revision — the manuscript is accepted subject to minor revisions; (3) Major Revision — the manuscript requires substantial revisions and may undergo another round of review; or (4) Rejected — the manuscript is declined for publication. The editorial decision, along with reviewer comments, will be communicated to the authors through the OJS system.

Stage 4 — Author Revision (Weeks 9–11)
Authors are given a maximum of two (2) weeks to complete revisions in accordance with the reviewers’ comments. Revised manuscripts must be accompanied by a response letter explaining in detail all revisions and changes made.

Stage 5 — Final Check & Copyediting (Weeks 12–13)
Revised manuscripts will undergo a final examination by the editorial team, including checks for formatting consistency, language quality, reference style according to the journal guidelines, and the completeness of article metadata for indexing purposes.

Stage 6 — Layout & Proofreading (Weeks 14–15)
Manuscripts that have completed the copyediting process will be formatted according to the PHI IUSTITIA journal template. The galley proof will then be sent to the authors for final approval before publication.

Stage 7 — Publication (Week 16)
Approved manuscripts will be published online through the OJS platform according to the scheduled publication periods, namely in April, August, and December.