Peer Review Process

 

MODERATE: Journal of Religious, Education, and Social follows a comprehensive and rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure the academic quality and credibility of the articles published. The peer review process is an essential part of academic publishing, ensuring that the research is of the highest standard and contributes meaningfully to the field of religious, educational, and social studies. The process consists of several stages, as outlined below, which guide each paper from submission to final publication.

1. Submission of Paper
The peer review process begins when the corresponding or submitting author submits their manuscript to MODERATE via the journal’s online submission system. The submission system is supported by the Open Journal System (OJS), providing an efficient and transparent platform for authors. To facilitate authors, the journal also temporarily accepts paper submissions via email. Upon submission, the author must ensure that the paper aligns with the journal's scope and follows the journal’s author guidelines regarding format, structure, and required sections.

2. Editorial Office Assessment
Once the manuscript is submitted, it is first assessed by the journal’s editorial office. The editor checks if the paper is appropriate for MODERATE’s focus and scope, ensuring it adheres to the required format outlined in the author guidelines. Additionally, the editor performs an initial evaluation of the paper’s quality, identifying any potential methodological flaws or areas that need improvement. At this stage, the manuscript is also checked for plagiarism using tools such as Turnitin to evaluate the similarity index of the work. Any paper that passes this initial evaluation will proceed to the next stage.

3. Appraisal by the Editor-in-Chief
The Editor-in-Chief plays a crucial role in reviewing the manuscript’s overall suitability for publication. They assess whether the paper presents original research, whether the topic is of interest to the journal’s readership, and if it offers significant contributions to the field. If the manuscript does not meet the journal's standards for originality, relevance, or academic quality, it may be rejected at this stage without proceeding to peer review.

4. Invitation to Reviewers
If the paper passes the initial assessments, the handling editor invites qualified reviewers based on their expertise in the subject matter, relevance to the research topic, and lack of conflict of interest. The peer review process is double-blind, meaning both the authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other. This ensures impartiality and fairness in the review process. Reviewers are carefully selected from a pool of experts who are committed to providing detailed, objective, and constructive feedback to improve the quality of the manuscript.

5. Response to Invitations
Once invited, potential reviewers review the manuscript based on their expertise, availability, and absence of conflicts of interest. Reviewers are given the option to either accept or decline the invitation to review the manuscript. If a reviewer declines, the handling editor may request an alternative reviewer or a second opinion.

6. Review is Conducted
Upon acceptance, reviewers are asked to carefully read and evaluate the manuscript multiple times. The first reading allows the reviewer to form an initial impression of the work. If significant issues are found during this initial review, the manuscript may be rejected without further review. Otherwise, the reviewer proceeds with a detailed review, providing specific feedback and identifying any weaknesses in methodology, analysis, or interpretation. The reviewer then submits their evaluation along with a recommendation to the editor: whether to accept the paper, request revisions, or reject it.

7. Journal Evaluates the Reviews
After the reviews are submitted, the Editor-in-Chief and handling editor assess the feedback provided by the reviewers. If the reviewers' opinions differ significantly, the handling editor may request additional reviewers to obtain further perspectives and reach a balanced decision. This ensures that the final decision is based on comprehensive and well-rounded feedback.

8. The Decision is Communicated
Once the editorial team has reviewed the feedback, the final decision is communicated to the corresponding author. The editor sends a decision email, which includes the reviewers' comments and feedback. These comments are shared with the author anonymously, and the author is asked to revise the manuscript according to the reviewers’ recommendations. If the paper is accepted with no further revisions, this is also communicated to the author. Reviewers are also notified of the final decision regarding the manuscript.

9. Final Steps
If the manuscript is accepted, it proceeds to the copy-editing stage, where it undergoes formatting, proofreading, and preparation for publication. If the manuscript is sent back for revisions, whether major or minor, the corresponding author is required to revise the manuscript in response to the reviewers' comments. The revised manuscript is then resubmitted for further review. For minor revisions, the handling editor may review the revised manuscript without sending it back to the reviewers. For major revisions, the manuscript may be sent back to the original reviewers for evaluation.

Once the revisions have been made, the editor evaluates the updated manuscript. If the revised manuscript meets the necessary standards, it is accepted for publication. Accepted articles are then published online, with full access to the content provided as downloadable PDF files. The journal’s commitment to open access ensures that all published articles are freely available to the public, promoting the global exchange of knowledge.

The entire peer review process typically takes between 24 to 48 weeks from submission to final acceptance, depending on the complexity of the review and the time required for revisions.

By adhering to this structured and thorough peer review process, MODERATE ensures that each published article contributes to the advancement of knowledge in religious studies, education, and social issues, maintaining the highest academic and ethical standards throughout the publication process.