Peer Review Process
Review Workflow
Stage 1 — Submission & Desk Review (Week 1–2) Every incoming manuscript undergoes an initial screening (desk review) by the Editor-in-Chief to assess the fit of the topic with the journal's scope, completeness of administrative requirements, formatting compliance with the author guidelines, and textual similarity using plagiarism detection software with a maximum tolerance of 20%. Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements will be returned to the author for revision or rejected at this stage.
Stage 2 — Double-Blind Peer Review (Week 3–8) Manuscripts that pass desk review are forwarded to at least two (2) competent and relevant reviewers through a double-blind peer review system, in which the author's identity is not known to the reviewer, and the reviewer's identity is not known to the author. Reviewers assess the manuscript based on originality and scientific contribution, research methodology, depth of analysis and discussion, adequacy and currency of references, and clarity of writing and presentation. The review deadline is 4 (four) weeks from the date the invitation is sent. If reviewer recommendations diverge significantly (a split decision), the Editor-in-Chief will appoint a third reviewer to provide a tie-breaking assessment before a final decision is made.
Stage 3 — Editorial Decision (Week 9) Based on the reviewers' recommendations, the Editor-in-Chief will issue one of four decisions: (1) Accepted — the manuscript is accepted without revision; (2) Minor Revision — the manuscript is accepted with minor revisions; (3) Major Revision — the manuscript requires substantial revision and re-review; (4) Rejected — the manuscript is rejected. The decision, together with reviewer comments, is communicated to the author through the OJS system. Authors who disagree with the decision may submit a written appeal in accordance with the Complaints and Appeals procedure set out in the Publication Ethics policy.
Stage 4 — Author Revision (Week 9–11) Authors are given a maximum of 2 (two) weeks to complete revisions in accordance with reviewer comments. The revised manuscript must be accompanied by a response letter detailing each change made in response to the reviewers' feedback.
Stage 5 — Final Check & Copyediting (Week 12–13) The revised manuscript undergoes a final check by the editorial team covering formatting consistency, grammar, reference style compliance with the journal's house style, and completeness of article metadata for indexing purposes.
Stage 6 — Layout & Proofreading (Week 14–15) The copyedited manuscript is formatted according to the PHI IUSTITIA journal template. A galley proof is sent to the author for final approval prior to publication.
Stage 7 — Publication (Week 16) The approved manuscript is published online through the OJS platform on the scheduled publication date, namely April, August, and December.
Total Estimated Processing Time
The overall process, from initial submission to publication, takes approximately 16 weeks (around 4 months), assuming reviewers and authors meet the deadlines set out at each stage above. Actual processing time may vary depending on manuscript complexity and the responsiveness of reviewers and authors.