Peer review policy

Every journal paper and book chapter we publish is reviewed before it is accepted. This page explains how.

Journal papers

1. Desk review. An editor checks scope, length, citation style and similarity within 3 working days. Papers that do not fit are declined at this stage, with reasons.
2. Double-blind review. Papers that pass go to two reviewers who know the subject. Reviewers do not know who the authors are, and authors are not told who the reviewers were.
3. Decision. The editor decides on the basis of the reviews: accept, accept with revisions, revise and resubmit, or decline. Reasons are always given, with 4 weeks as our target for a decision.
4. Revisions. Revised papers come with a note on how each comment was handled, and may go back to the reviewers.

Book chapters

Each chapter in an edited volume is read by the volume editor and at least one subject reviewer. The volume editor decides on acceptance; we check similarity and citation before any decision.

Book manuscripts

Authored books are assessed for scope, quality and similarity before we offer an agreement. Our editors may ask for changes before typesetting, and the author approves every page at final proof.

Independence

Fees are charged only after acceptance, and payment plays no part in any decision. Whether an author has published with us before does not change how their work is reviewed.

Appeals

An author who believes a decision was wrong can write to [email] within 30 days, giving reasons. The appeal is handled by an editor who was not involved in the original decision.

Reviewers

Reviewers keep submissions confidential, declare conflicts of interest, and do not upload manuscripts to artificial intelligence tools. To join the review panel, write to us with your CV.