Peer Review Process

The International Journal of Research in STEM Education (IJRSE) is committed to maintaining a rigorous, fair, confidential, and transparent peer review process. All submitted manuscripts are evaluated on the basis of their academic merit, originality, methodological rigor, relevance to the journal’s aims and scope, and contribution to research and practice in STEM education.

1. Initial Editorial Screening

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening before being considered for external peer review. The editorial team evaluates the manuscript’s relevance to the aims and scope of IJRSE, scholarly quality, originality, methodological appropriateness, compliance with the journal’s author guidelines, and overall suitability for publication.

Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s basic scholarly or editorial requirements may be declined at this stage without external peer review.

2. Similarity and Originality Check

As part of the initial screening, manuscripts are examined using recognized similarity-detection software. IJRSE normally expects manuscripts to have an overall similarity index below 20%.

However, similarity reports are assessed qualitatively and contextually rather than solely on the basis of a numerical percentage. Appropriate quotations, references, methodological terminology, and other legitimate textual similarities are distinguished from inappropriate textual overlap. Manuscripts presenting concerns related to plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other forms of publication misconduct may be returned to the authors for clarification or revision, or rejected in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics policies.

3. Double-Blind Peer Review

Manuscripts that successfully pass the initial editorial screening proceed to double-blind peer review, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers are concealed from each other.

Each manuscript is normally evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with appropriate expertise in the relevant field. Reviewers are selected on the basis of their scholarly expertise and suitability for evaluating the manuscript and should have no conflicts of interest that could compromise the objectivity of the review.

Reviewers evaluate the manuscript in terms of its originality and significance, theoretical or conceptual contribution, methodological rigor, quality of data analysis and interpretation, relevance to STEM education, engagement with relevant literature, clarity of presentation, and overall contribution to the field.

Reviews are expected to be constructive, evidence-based, impartial, and focused on improving the scholarly quality of the manuscript. IJRSE normally seeks to obtain initial reviewer reports within approximately three weeks, although the review period may vary depending on the nature of the manuscript and the availability of qualified reviewers.

4. Editorial Decision

Based on the reviewers’ reports and the editorial assessment, a manuscript may receive one of the following decisions:

  • Accept

  • Minor Revision

  • Major Revision

  • Reject

Reviewer recommendations constitute an important component of the editorial decision but do not independently determine the publication outcome. The editorial decision takes into consideration the scholarly quality of the manuscript, the reviewers’ assessments, compliance with the journal’s editorial and ethical standards, and, where applicable, the adequacy of the authors’ responses to previous review comments.

5. Revision and Re-evaluation

When revision is required, authors are expected to submit a revised manuscript together with a point-by-point response to the reviewers and editor, clearly explaining how each comment has been addressed or providing an academic justification when a suggested change has not been adopted.

Depending on the nature and extent of the revisions, the revised manuscript may be reassessed by the editorial team or returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation. Additional rounds of revision may be requested when necessary. Submission of a revised manuscript does not guarantee acceptance.

6. Final Decision and Publication

The final publication decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated handling editor on the basis of the complete peer review record, the scholarly merits of the manuscript, the authors’ responses to reviewer comments, and compliance with IJRSE’s editorial and publication ethics policies.

Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by the authors’ institutional affiliation, nationality, gender, seniority, or other characteristics unrelated to the scholarly merit of the work.

Once formally accepted, the manuscript proceeds to the production and publication stage, which may include copyediting, language and formatting checks, author proofreading, metadata preparation, and final publication. Authors are informed of the final decision through the journal’s online submission system.

7. Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest

IJRSE maintains the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and all materials associated with the peer review process. Editors and reviewers must not disclose, distribute, or use unpublished information contained in submitted manuscripts for purposes other than scholarly evaluation.

Reviewers and editors are expected to disclose any potential conflicts of interest and to withdraw from the evaluation process when an impartial assessment cannot be ensured.

IJRSE considers peer review an essential component of scholarly quality assurance and is committed to ensuring that editorial decisions are based on academic merit, independent expert assessment, publication ethics, and consistent editorial standards.

The overall peer review process of IJRSE is schematically illustrated in the following diagram.