Peer Review Process

1. 1Submission
2. 2Review
3. 3Copyediting
4. 4Production

1. Submission

Who: Author · Editorial office · Editor-in-Chief · Handling editor

• The author registers, verifies the e-mail address and completes the submission. A manuscript number is assigned.
• Initial screening by the editorial office: scope, completeness, ethics statements, formatting and similarity. The manuscript can be returned to the author to complete missing items, or declined before review with a recorded reason.
• The Editor-in-Chief assigns a handling editor. Anyone with a conflict of interest is excluded from the manuscript.

2. Review

Who: Handling editor · Reviewers · Editor-in-Chief · Author

• The editor invites independent reviewers with a due date. Reviewers accept or decline and declare conflicts of interest.
• Reviewers submit a report: comments for the authors, confidential comments for the editor, ratings and a recommendation.
• The handling editor advises the Editor-in-Chief, who records the decision: accept, minor revision, major revision or reject. Reviewers' comments reach the author anonymously with the decision letter.
• If revisions are requested, the author uploads a revised manuscript, a new anonymized copy and a response to the reviewers. A further review round may follow with the same or new reviewers.

3. Copyediting

Who: Copyeditor · Editors · Author

• Accepted manuscripts are copyedited for language, references and consistency, without changing the scientific content.

4. Production

Who: Production editor · Author · Editor-in-Chief or Journal Manager

• The final article is prepared (PDF and, when available, HTML full text) with its metadata.
• The author reviews and approves the final version. Publication is not possible before this approval.
• The article is assigned to an issue and published. Corrections and retractions follow the Publication Ethics policy.

Roles and confidentiality

• Authors see only their own manuscript, its status, the decisions and the messages sent to them.
• Reviewers see only the manuscripts assigned to them and the files they need, never other reviewers’ reports. Author identities are withheld where blind review applies.
• Handling editors manage only the manuscripts assigned to them. The Editor-in-Chief oversees all manuscripts and records the final decision. The Journal Manager runs the journal but does not decide on scientific content after review.
• The publisher, SiaCore, does not take part in editorial decisions.