1. Purpose of Peer Review
International Journal of Management and Sustainability (IJMS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publishing through a rigorous and transparent peer review process. Peer review serves as an essential quality assurance mechanism that evaluates the originality, scientific validity, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and scholarly contribution of submitted manuscripts before publication.
The objective of peer review is to ensure that published research contributes meaningfully to the advancement of knowledge and meets internationally recognized academic and ethical standards.
2. Initial Editorial Assessment
All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening conducted by the Editor-in-Chief or an assigned editor. During this stage, manuscripts are evaluated for:
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Relevance to the journal's aims and scope;
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Compliance with author guidelines and editorial policies;
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Originality and academic significance;
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Scientific and methodological soundness;
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Ethical compliance and research integrity;
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Language quality and clarity of presentation.
Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's basic requirements may be rejected without external review. This process helps ensure the efficient use of reviewer resources and maintains the quality of submissions entering the peer review process.
3. Double-Blind Peer Review Process
IJMS follows a double-blind peer review model. Under this system, the identities of authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the review process. Authors are required to remove identifying information from manuscripts and supplementary files before submission.
The double-blind review process promotes fairness, objectivity, and impartiality by minimizing potential bias related to authors' institutional affiliations, nationality, gender, academic reputation, or other personal characteristics.
After passing the editorial screening, each manuscript is assigned to at least two independent experts with relevant subject-matter expertise for evaluation.
4. Reviewer Responsibilities
Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the quality and integrity of scholarly publications. Reviewers are expected to:
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Provide objective, constructive, and timely evaluations;
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Assess the originality and significance of the research;
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Evaluate the appropriateness of research methods and analysis;
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Verify whether conclusions are supported by evidence and data;
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Identify relevant literature that may have been overlooked;
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Report suspected ethical concerns, plagiarism, data manipulation, or duplicate publication;
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Maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and review materials.
Reviewers should avoid personal criticism and provide feedback that assists authors in improving the quality of their work.
5. Editorial Decision-Making
Editors consider reviewers' comments and recommendations when making publication decisions. Possible editorial decisions include:
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Accept without revisions;
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Accept with minor revisions;
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Major revisions required;
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Reject and encourage resubmission;
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Reject.
The final publication decision rests solely with the Editor-in-Chief or the designated handling editor. Editors may seek additional reviews when necessary to ensure a fair and balanced evaluation.
6. Plagiarism Screening and Originality Verification
IJMS is committed to publishing original research and preventing publication misconduct. All submitted manuscripts are screened using iThenticate through the Crossref Similarity Check service before publication.
The journal does not tolerate:
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Plagiarism;
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Self-plagiarism;
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Duplicate or redundant publication;
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Data fabrication or falsification;
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Image manipulation;
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Citation manipulation.
When potential misconduct is identified, the journal follows the recommendations and procedures established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Manuscripts found to violate ethical standards may be rejected, corrected, retracted, or subject to further investigation.
7. Conflict of Interest
Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence, or appear to influence, the research, peer review, or editorial decision-making process.
Authors are required to include a conflict of interest statement during submission. Reviewers and editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts when a significant conflict of interest exists.
Transparency regarding competing interests helps maintain trust in the scholarly publishing process.
8. Research Ethics, Human Subjects, and Informed Consent
Research involving human participants must comply with internationally accepted ethical standards and applicable national regulations.
Where applicable, authors must:
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Obtain approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), Ethics Committee, or equivalent authority before conducting the research;
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Include details of ethical approval within the manuscript;
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Obtain informed consent from all research participants;
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Protect participant privacy, dignity, confidentiality, and welfare.
Authors may be requested to provide supporting documentation regarding ethics approval and informed consent during editorial review.
Research involving vulnerable populations should demonstrate additional safeguards to protect participants and ensure ethical compliance.
9. Confidentiality
All manuscripts submitted to IJMS are treated as confidential documents. Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must not disclose, discuss, distribute, or use unpublished manuscript content for personal, professional, or financial advantage.
Confidentiality is maintained throughout the review process and after editorial decisions have been made.
10. Appeals and Complaints
Authors who disagree with an editorial decision may submit a formal appeal to the Editor-in-Chief. Appeals should provide a detailed justification and evidence supporting the request for reconsideration.
Complaints concerning editorial conduct, peer review procedures, publication ethics, or conflicts of interest are handled according to the principles and procedures established by COPE.
11. Publication Ethics and Research Integrity
IJMS adheres to the principles and best-practice guidelines developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and supports responsible research and publication practices.
Authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers are expected to uphold the highest standards of honesty, transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct throughout the publication process.
Further information regarding publication ethics can be found in the journal's Publication Ethics Policy.
References
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). (2019). COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers. Available at: https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines-new/cope-ethical-guidelines-peer-reviewers
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). (2021). Core Practices. Available at: https://publicationethics.org/core-practices
Crossref. (2024). Similarity Check Powered by iThenticate. Available at: https://www.crossref.org/services/similarity-check/
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). (2024). Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. Available at: https://www.icmje.org
Wager, E., & Kleinert, S. (2011). Responsible research publication: International standards for editors. In Promoting Research Integrity in a Global Environment (pp. 317–328). World Scientific.
Eysenbach, G., & Till, J. E. (2001). Ethical issues in qualitative research on internet communities. BMJ, 323(7321), 1103–1105. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7321.1103