Peer Review Policy — IJCITE

📋 Overview

IJCITE applies rigorous, transparent, and ethical peer review to every submission. This page describes our review model, process stages, timelines, reviewer selection criteria, decision categories, and the procedure for appeals. The journal aligns its practices with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

🔎 1. Review Model

IJCITE operates a double-blind peer review model. Both the author and reviewer identities are kept confidential throughout the review process. This ensures unbiased evaluation of the submitted work purely on its scholarly merit.

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Author Anonymity Author names, affiliations, and contact details are removed from the manuscript before it is sent to reviewers.
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Reviewer Anonymity Reviewer identities are never disclosed to authors at any stage of the review process.
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Minimum Two Reviews Each submission, where it passes initial editorial check, receives a minimum of two independent external reviews.
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Third Review A third review is sought when the initial two reviews diverge materially in their recommendation.

🕐 2. Stages of Review

1

Initial Editorial Check

Within 5–7 days of submission, the handling editor checks scope-fit, completeness of submission, basic ethical compliance, and language readiness. Manuscripts that fail this check are returned with a brief explanation.

2

Similarity Screening

Each manuscript is screened for similarity with published literature. The journal applies COPE flowcharts for suspected plagiarism. Submissions with substantial unattributed similarity are returned for correction or rejected.

3

Reviewer Invitation

The handling editor invites at least two external reviewers with subject expertise and no conflict of interest with the authors. Invitations are sent within 7 days of passing the initial check.

4

Peer Review

Reviewers evaluate the manuscript for originality, methodology, results, clarity, and ethical compliance, and submit structured feedback within the agreed timeframe.

5

Editorial Decision

The handling editor weighs both reviews and issues one of the decision categories described in Section 6, typically within 7 days of receiving both reviews.

6

Revision & Re-Review

Where revisions are required, the revised manuscript is returned to the original reviewers where possible. Reviewers confirm whether their concerns have been addressed.

7

Final Decision & Production

Once accepted, the manuscript moves to copyediting, DOI assignment, and publication in the upcoming issue.

⏰ 3. Typical Timelines

These timelines are indicative medians and are not binding commitments for any individual submission. Actual timelines vary by subject area, manuscript complexity, and reviewer availability.

5–7 Days

Initial Editorial Decision

2–4 Weeks

Reviewer Assignment

4–6 Weeks

Peer Review Completion

7 Days

Final Decision After Reviews

7 Days

Publication After Acceptance

🔍 4. Reviewer Selection

Reviewers are selected by the handling editor on the basis of subject expertise, methodological fit, and absence of conflicts of interest with the authors. The following principles apply:

✓ At least two independent reviewers are assigned to every manuscript that passes initial editorial check.
✓ Reviewers are drawn from the journal's reviewer pool, the editorial network, and bibliographic analysis of the manuscript's references.
✓ Author-suggested reviewers may be considered, but the handling editor independently verifies their suitability and independence.
✓ Reviewers from the same institution as any author are not invited.
✓ A reviewer who has reviewed a closely related submission by the same authors within the previous 12 months is not invited unless no comparable expertise is available.
✓ Geographic and institutional diversity among reviewers is preferred.

Interested in becoming a reviewer for IJCITE? Contact us at our contact page.

📋 5. Decision Categories

✅

Accept The manuscript is accepted for publication in its current form, subject to copyediting and typesetting. Acceptance without any revision is rare.

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Minor Revision Limited revisions required that the editor judges can be verified without a full external re-review. Authors are given typically 2–3 weeks.

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Major Revision Substantial revisions required that will be returned to the original reviewers. Authors are typically given 4–6 weeks to respond.

↩

Reject and Resubmit The manuscript is not currently acceptable, but the editor sees a potential path with substantial reworking. Resubmission is treated as a new submission.

❌

Reject The manuscript is not accepted. The decision letter sets out the reasons clearly. Authors may not appeal on grounds of scholarly disagreement.

⛔ 6. Conflicts of Interest in Review

Reviewers must decline invitations where they have a conflict of interest with the authors. Editors recuse themselves from manuscripts in which they have a competing interest. Recusal is recorded and an alternative editor is assigned.

Details of all conflict-of-interest expectations for authors, reviewers, and editors are on the Conflict of Interest page.

🔒 7. Confidentiality

All material submitted to IJCITE is treated as strictly confidential during the review process. Reviewers and editors must not share or use the content of manuscripts under review for any purpose other than evaluation of the submission.

Reviewers must not enter manuscripts, abstracts, figures, or any other element of a submission into external systems, including generative AI services, that retain or use the content beyond the immediate review task.

📢 8. Appeals

Authors who believe their manuscript has been declined in error may appeal to the Editor-in-Chief. The appeal should clearly set out the specific grounds for disagreement and address each reviewer's substantive concern directly.

⚠ Important: Appeals are considered only on the grounds of demonstrable process error or factual misunderstanding by reviewers. They are not a route to relitigate scholarly judgement. The appeal decision is final.

To appeal, contact the Editor-in-Chief via the Contact Us page. The journal aims to respond to appeals within four weeks.

This Peer Review Policy is effective from January 2026. IJCITE reviews this policy annually and updates it as practice evolves. Material revisions are dated.

🔍 Peer Review Policy