International Theory and Practice in Humanities and Social Sciences (ITPHSS) implements a rigorous editorial process aimed at ensuring the academic quality and fairness of submitted manuscripts. This process is transparent and stringent, covering all steps from initial screening to the final decision, including peer review.

A summary of the editorial process is given in the flowchart below.

1. Initial Screening

The first step in the editorial process is the initial screening, which includes two main stages: technical screening and editorial screening.

Technical Screening

After submission, the editorial office conducts a technical screening to assess the following:

•Whether the manuscript fits within the overall scope of the journal, section, special issue, or thematic collection;

•Whether the manuscript adheres to high standards of research quality and ethics;

•Whether the manuscript meets the strict criteria required for further review.

Editorial Screening

Once the technical screening is completed, the manuscript moves to editorial screening, where an academic editor evaluates:

•Whether the manuscript falls within the journal’s subject scope;

•The overall scientific soundness, including the relevance of references and the accuracy of the methods used.

Based on the outcome of the editorial screening, the academic editor may:

•Reject the manuscript;

•Request revisions before sending it for peer review;

•Proceed with the peer review process and recommend suitable reviewers.

The editorial screening aims to ensure the preliminary quality of each manuscript while providing constructive feedback to help authors improve the quality of their research.

2. Peer Review

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are subject to peer review. ITPHSS operates a double-blind peer review process to ensure fairness and academic integrity. The following criteria apply to all reviewers:

•Reviewers must not have any conflicts of interest with the authors;

•Reviewers must not be from the same institution as the authors;

•Reviewers must not have co-published with the authors in the last three years;

•Reviewers must be senior scholars in the relevant field.

Reviewers assess the academic quality, methodological soundness, and the reasonableness of the conclusions, providing detailed reports. Throughout the review process, reviewers are encouraged to offer constructive feedback to help authors improve the quality of their manuscript.

3. Review of Revised Manuscripts

After the authors submit revised versions of their manuscript in response to peer review, the revised manuscript is returned to the reviewers. Reviewers are expected to submit their review reports within three days. If additional time is needed, reviewers may request an extension.

4. Editorial Decision

Once at least two peer review reports are received, the academic editor evaluates the manuscript, considering the following factors:

•The suitability and thoroughness of the reviewers’ assessments;

•The adequacy of the author’s response to the reviewers’ feedback;

•The overall scientific quality and academic merit of the paper.

Based on the review reports, the academic editor may decide to:

•Accept the manuscript;

•Accept with minor revisions;

•Reject the manuscript with no option for resubmission;

•Reject but encourage resubmission after major revisions;

•Request further revisions or additional reviewer input.

Editorial Independence

All articles published are subject to peer review and evaluation by our independent editorial board, with staff members not involved in the decision-making process regarding manuscript acceptance. When making a decision, academic editors are expected to base their judgment solely on the following factors:

•The appropriateness of the selected reviewers;

•The thoroughness of the reviewers’ comments and the adequacy of the authors’ responses;

•The overall scientific quality of the paper.

In all our journals and every aspect of our operations, our policy is driven by the mission to make scientific and research findings as widely and quickly accessible as possible.