Peer Review Process

The Journal of Educational Research (JER) is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and quality. Our peer review process is a critical component in ensuring that the research we publish is of the highest quality and relevance to the field of education. The following outlines our peer review process:

1. Submission and Initial Screening

  • Manuscript Submission: Authors submit their manuscripts through our online submission system. The submission must comply with the journal's Author Guidelines.
  • Initial Screening: The editorial team conducts an initial screening to ensure the manuscript meets the journal's scope, formatting, and ethical standards. Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria may be returned to the authors for revision or rejected outright.

2. Assigning Reviewers

  • Editor Assignment: Once a manuscript passes the initial screening, it is assigned to an editor with expertise in the relevant field.
  • Reviewer Selection: The editor selects at least two independent reviewers who are experts in the subject area of the manuscript. Reviewers are chosen based on their knowledge, experience, and absence of conflicts of interest.

3. Review Process

  • Invitation to Review: Selected reviewers are invited to review the manuscript. Upon acceptance, they are provided with access to the manuscript and the review guidelines.
  • Confidential Review: The peer review process is double-blind, meaning that both the reviewers and the authors remain anonymous to each other. Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on its originality, methodology, significance, and clarity.
  • Reviewer Reports: Reviewers provide detailed comments and recommendations regarding the manuscript. They may suggest acceptance, minor or major revisions, or rejection. Reviewers are encouraged to provide constructive feedback to help authors improve their work.

4. Editorial Decision

  • Evaluation of Reviews: The editor reviews the comments and recommendations from the reviewers. If the reviewers' opinions diverge significantly, the editor may seek additional reviews or consult with the editorial board.
  • Decision Making: Based on the reviewers' feedback and the editor's assessment, a decision is made. The possible decisions include:
    • Accept: The manuscript is accepted as it is or with minor revisions.
    • Revise and Resubmit: The manuscript requires significant revisions. Authors are invited to address the reviewers' comments and resubmit the revised manuscript.
    • Reject: The manuscript is not suitable for publication in JER.
  • Communication to Authors: The editor communicates the decision to the authors, including any required revisions and feedback from the reviewers.

5. Revision and Resubmission

  • Revisions: If revisions are required, authors must revise their manuscript accordingly and provide a detailed response to the reviewers' comments.
  • Resubmission: Revised manuscripts are resubmitted through the online submission system. The editor may send the revised manuscript back to the original reviewers or new reviewers for further evaluation.

6. Final Decision and Publication

  • Final Review: The editor makes the final decision based on the reviewers' feedback on the revised manuscript.
  • Acceptance: Once the manuscript is accepted, it undergoes copyediting, typesetting, and proofreading before publication.
  • Publication: The accepted manuscript is published in the next available issue of JER, both online and in print.

7. Post-Publication

  • Corrections and Retractions: If any issues arise post-publication, such as errors or ethical concerns, JER follows COPE guidelines to address these issues, which may include publishing corrections or retractions.

The Journal of Educational Research (JER) is committed to a rigorous and transparent peer review process that ensures the publication of high-quality and impactful educational research. We thank our reviewers for their invaluable contributions to the academic community.