Peer-review process

All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo a mandatory double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers remain mutually anonymous throughout the entire evaluation procedure.

Upon receipt of a manuscript, the editorial office conducts a preliminary assessment, which includes checking the relevance of the topic to the journal’s scope, compliance with formal formatting requirements, and a basic evaluation of academic integrity (including plagiarism screening using StrikePlagiarism.com software provided by the Polish company Plagiat.pl). Submissions that do not meet the journal’s requirements or policies may be rejected without being sent for peer review.

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are forwarded to reviewers who are specialists in the relevant field. If necessary, the editorial board may involve additional experts to ensure a more comprehensive and objective evaluation.

Peer review is conducted on the principles of impartiality, confidentiality, and academic integrity. Reviewers assess the relevance of the topic, degree of scientific novelty, methodological soundness, clarity and logic of presentation, reliability of results, quality of analysis, and the correspondence between conclusions and obtained data. Special attention is also paid to the correct use of sources and compliance with ethical research standards.

Expected peer review time: up to 12 weeks.

Based on the review results, reviewers provide reasoned conclusions and recommendations regarding one of the possible editorial decisions:

• acceptance for publication;

• acceptance after minor or major revisions;

• resubmission for further review after revisions;

• rejection of the manuscript.

In cases where revisions are recommended, authors receive the reviewers’ comments and are entitled to submit a revised version of the manuscript for further consideration. If necessary, the manuscript may be sent again to the same or different reviewers.

The final decision regarding publication is made by the editorial board, taking into account the reviewers’ recommendations and the manuscript’s compliance with the journal’s editorial policy.

All materials related to the review process, as well as reviewers’ reports, are confidential and must not be disclosed to third parties.

Conflicts of interest on the part of reviewers are not permitted. If a conflict of interest is identified, the reviewer must inform the editorial board and decline to evaluate the manuscript.