Peer Review Process

ISRE follows a double-blind peer review process, where reviewer and authors' identities remain confidential. The journal adheres to internationally recognized guidelines, including those of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Editorial decisions are independent of the publisher, governing body, and any commercial or institutional influence. The editorial board has full authority over publication decisions. All supplementary files (datasets, appendices, figures, tables, multimedia files, and supporting documents) submitted with a manuscript are evaluated as part of the peer-review process for assessing the scientific validity of the study. Reviewer reports are confidential and are not published alongside accepted articles. ISRE follows an anonymous double-blind peer-review model. Reviewer identities remain confidential throughout and after the review process, and review reports are not signed. All research articles, review articles, case studies, short communications, and methodological papers undergo double-blind peer review. Editorials, announcements, corrigenda, retractions, and other editorial content may be evaluated solely by the Editorial Office. ISRE does not guarantee acceptance of any manuscript upon initial submission. Every submission undergoes an independent editorial assessment followed by a rigorous double-blind peer-review process. Editorial decisions are based solely on the manuscript's scientific quality, originality, ethical compliance, methodological rigor, and relevance to the journal's scope. ISRE strives to complete the peer-review process within the timelines published on the journal website. However, review durations may vary depending on reviewer availability, the complexity of the manuscript, and the number of revision rounds required. If delays occur, authors will be informed promptly of the reason for the delay and will be given the opportunity to withdraw their manuscript without penalty should they choose to do so. To ensure transparency in scholarly publishing, every published article displays its publication date. Whenever applicable, the journal also publishes the manuscript's received (submission), revised, accepted, and published dates on the article's first page and in its metadata.

Editorial Independence, Transparency & Oversight

The journal maintains strict editorial independence and ensures that all publication decisions are made exclusively on the basis of scientific merit, originality, ethical compliance, academic relevance, and scholarly quality. Editorial Board members, including Editors and the Editor-in-Chief, are not permitted to submit manuscripts to the journal during their tenure. This policy is in place to eliminate conflicts of interest, maintain editorial independence, and ensure the integrity, transparency, and impartiality of the editorial and peer-review processes.

• Editorial decisions are based solely on scientific and academic merit.
• The publisher, sponsors, or external organizations cannot interfere with editorial decisions.
• Editors are protected from political, institutional, commercial, or financial pressure.
• The journal operates a confidential double-blind peer-review process.
• Reviewer and author identities remain confidential unless disclosure is formally approved.
• Editorial decisions, reviewer reports, and investigation records are documented and auditable.
• Editors with conflicts of interest must recuse themselves from decision-making.
• The journal reserves the right to appoint independent editors or ethics committees for sensitive investigations.

Process Overview

1. Initial Editorial Screening: All manuscripts are reviewed by the Editorial Office and Section Editors to ensure alignment with ISRE’s aims, ethical compliance, and formatting standards.
2. Reviewer Assignment: Submissions meeting these criteria are forwarded to at least two independent expert reviewers, selected through the journal’s Reviewer Database and, where applicable, Web of Science Reviewer Locator or Publons Reviewer Connect.
3. Evaluation Criteria: Reviewers assess manuscripts based on originality, methodological rigor, statistical soundness, ethical standards, and significance to the discipline.
4. Decision Process: Editorial decisions—acceptance, revision, or rejection—are made by the Editor-in-Chief or Section Editor, based on a majority consensus among reviewers and editorial evaluation.
5. Revision Timeline: Authors typically receive four weeks to revise their manuscripts and resubmit according to reviewer feedback.
6. Ethical Compliance (Medical, Human & Animal Studies):
   • Research involving humans must include statements of informed consent and approval from an accredited Ethics Committee or IRB.
   • Studies involving animals must comply with ARRIVE and OECD research ethics protocols.
   • Clinical trials must be registered in recognized databases such as ClinicalTrials.gov.

Editorial Review Model (Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Disciplines)

Editorial Review Process

• Research articles will undergo a peer review process by at least two editors, and each manuscript is also independently evaluated by two or more qualified reviewers with domain expertise.
• Evaluation focuses on originality, theoretical contribution, ethical considerations, and relevance to the journal’s interdisciplinary mission.
• Decisions are made collectively and transparently, ensuring inclusivity and fairness in editorial judgement.

Integrity, Ethics, and Quality Assurance

• All manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software such as Turnitin or iThenticate.
• Authors, editors, and reviewers must declare all potential conflicts of interest.
• The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject, retract, or correct articles that violate ethical or methodological standards.
• ISRE fully supports open data, reproducibility, and responsible research conduct across all disciplines.

Final Editorial Decision

The Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with relevant Section Editors and reviewers, holds the final authority to accept, revise, or reject manuscripts. Accepted papers undergo professional copyediting, typesetting, and final proof approval before publication.