Peer Review Policy — IJAERD
🔍 Peer Review Policy
IJAERD — International Journal of Advance Engineering and Research Development
Double-blind peer review | 2–3 working days | 30+ expert reviewers
Double-Blind
Review Model
2–3 Days
Typical Review Time
1. Review Model
IJAERD operates a double-blind peer review model for all submissions. Both reviewer identities and author identities are concealed throughout the review process, ensuring that evaluation is based solely on the scientific and technical merit of the work.
🔑 What is Concealed
- Author names and affiliations — not visible to reviewers
- Reviewer identities — not visible to authors
- Reviewer comments to each other — not shared between reviewers
📋 What Reviewers Assess
- Scope-fit and originality
- Methodological soundness
- Quality and clarity of results and discussion
- Ethical compliance and data integrity
Each submission receives a minimum of two independent external reviews. A third review is sought where the initial two diverge materially in their recommendation.
2. Stages of Review
1
Initial Editorial Check
Typically within 1–2 days of submission
The handling editor checks scope-fit, completeness of submission, ethical compliance, and plagiarism (threshold <15%). Manuscripts that fail this check are returned to the authors with a brief explanation.
2
Plagiarism Screening
During initial editorial check
Each manuscript is checked for similarity with published literature. The journal applies the COPE flowcharts for suspected plagiarism. Submissions with substantial unattributed similarity (>15%) are returned or rejected.
3
Reviewer Invitation
Typically within 2–3 days of editorial assignment
The handling editor invites at least two reviewers drawn from the journal's reviewer pool and from external experts identified through the manuscript's reference list and subject area.
4
Review Process
Typically 2–3 working days after invitation acceptance
Reviewers complete a structured review addressing scope-fit, originality, methodology, results, discussion, ethical compliance, and overall recommendation, with detailed comments to the author.
5
Editorial Decision
Within 1–2 days of receiving the reviews
The handling editor weighs the reviews and communicates one of the five possible decisions (see Section 6) to the corresponding author.
6
Revisions & Re-review (if required)
Typically 4–8 weeks for author revision
Revised manuscripts are returned to the original reviewers where possible. Reviewers assess the revision and confirm or revise their recommendation.
7
Final Decision & Publication
After acceptance
Once accepted, the paper is assigned a CrossRef DOI, placed in the current issue, and published open access. Authors receive an e-Certificate of Publication.
3. Typical Timelines
2–3 Working Days
Review Time (after reviewer acceptance)
7–14 Days
Submission to First Decision
5 Days
Acceptance to Publication (median)
4. Reviewer Selection
Reviewers are selected by the handling editor on the basis of subject expertise, methodological fit, and absence of conflicts of interest. The journal applies the following principles:
- At least two reviewers are sought for every manuscript passing initial editorial screening
- Reviewers are drawn from the journal's reviewer pool (30+ experts) and from citation analysis of the manuscript
- Author-suggested reviewers may be considered but are independently verified by the editor
- Reviewers from the same institution as any listed author are not invited
- A reviewer who has reviewed closely related work by the same authors within 12 months is not invited unless no comparable expertise is available
- Geographic and institutional diversity is preferred where subject area permits
5. Conflicts of Interest in Review
Reviewers must decline invitations where they have a conflict of interest with the authors. The journal's full expectations on disclosure are on the Conflicts of Interest page. Editors recuse themselves from manuscripts in which they have a competing interest. Recusal is recorded, and an alternative editor is assigned by the Editor-in-Chief.
6. Decision Categories
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The manuscript is accepted for publication in its current form, subject to copyediting and typesetting. Acceptance without revision is uncommon; most accepted manuscripts pass through at least one round of revision.
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The manuscript requires limited revisions that the editor judges can be assessed without re-review. Author is given typically 4 weeks to submit the revision.
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The manuscript requires substantial revisions that will be returned to one or more original reviewers. Author is given typically 8 weeks. The revised manuscript is treated as a continuation of the original submission, not a new submission.
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The manuscript is not currently acceptable but the editor sees a path to a future acceptable submission with substantial reworking. The author is invited to resubmit; resubmission is treated as a new submission for tracking purposes.
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The manuscript is not accepted. The decision letter sets out the reasons. Authors may not resubmit the same manuscript without the Editor-in-Chief's explicit prior approval.
7. Appeals
Authors who believe their manuscript was declined in error may appeal to the Editor-in-Chief at editor.ijaerd@gmail.com. The appeal must:
- Set out the specific reasons for disagreement with the decision
- Address each reviewer's substantive concerns directly
- Identify a specific process error or factual misunderstanding — appeals based on scholarly disagreement alone will be declined
The journal aims to respond to appeals within four weeks. The appeal decision is final. Appeals are not a route to re-litigate scholarly judgement.
8. Reviewer Confidentiality
All material submitted to IJAERD is treated as confidential during the review process. Reviewers and editors must not share, cite, or use the content of manuscripts under review for any purpose other than evaluation of the submission. Reviewers must not enter any part of a manuscript into generative AI services or any external system that retains or uses the content.
9. Editorial Submissions
Manuscripts authored by members of the editorial team or active reviewer pool are handled under the journal's Editorial Submissions Policy, which requires independent editor assignment, double-blind external review, and full recusal of the author-editor. The journal commits to keeping the proportion of such articles below 15% in any rolling 12-month period.
ℹ This Peer Review Policy is effective from September 2026. For queries, contact
editor.ijaerd@gmail.com.
Interested in joining the reviewer pool? Email the Editor-in-Chief with your CV and areas of expertise.
