Review PolicyJSSR's review policy is an essential aspect of the academic submissions' publication process. All papers published in JSSR are subjected to a double-blind peer-review process. Experts in the relevant field assess the paper's suitability for publication and provide feedback to the author/s. The aim is to ensure that the publication process is of academic standard and rigour. Double-Blind Review Policy All papers sent to JSSR go through a stringent double-blind review process. Neither the reviewer's nor the author's identities are revealed to each other, ensuring impartial review and avoiding possible conflicts of interest. PREPARATION PEER_REVIEW Peer review The editor-in-chief will initially assess all contributions for suitability for the Journal. Papers deemed suitable are then passed to the relevant associate editor/s for further assessment, after which they are typically sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers, sometimes three, to assess the quality of the paper. Referees are either members of our editorial board or external peer reviewers are chosen for their relevant expertise. The Editor-in-chief is responsible for the final decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of articles. Even after the first editorial acceptance, the paper may be rejected if the changes were not incorporated fully after the review process. The Editor-in-chief's decision is final. This process typically takes 6-12 months. The editorial board is under no obligation to justify its decision regardless of whether the paper is accepted or rejected. Double-blind review To facilitate this, please include the following separately: Title page (with author details): This should consist of the title, authors' names, affiliations, and a complete address for the corresponding author, including an email address. Blinded manuscript (no author details): The main body of the paper (including the references, figures, tables, and any acknowledgments) should not include any identifying information, such as the authors' names or affiliations. Plagiarism Check Please note that all submissions to JSSR undergo a plagiarism check using iThenticate or Turnitin. Manuscripts found to have committed plagiarism will be rejected without the right to resubmit. Use of word processing software The file must be saved in the native format of the word processor used. The text should be in single-column format. Keep the layout of the text as simple as possible. Most formatting codes will be removed and replaced on processing the article. In particular, do not use the word processor's options to justify text or to hyphenate words. However, do use boldface, italics, subscripts, etc. When preparing tables, if you are using a table grid, use only one grid for each individual table and not a grid for each row. If no grid is used, use tabs, not spaces, to align columns. The electronic text should be prepared in a way very similar to that of conventional manuscripts (see also the Guide to Publishing with Elsevier). Note that source files of figures, tables, and text graphics will be required whether or not you embed your figures in the text. See also the section on Electronic artwork. To avoid unnecessary errors, you are strongly advised to use the 'spell-check' and 'grammar-check functions of your word processor. The authors are advised to proofread their research work by the third party suggested by the Journal. |