Action Algorithm

Manuscript Preparation and Submission

Before submission, authors should ensure that the manuscript complies with the Journal’s applicable Publication Conditions and manuscript requirements.

The manuscript must be original, appropriately referenced, and must not be simultaneously submitted to another journal.

Authors must provide all applicable manuscript elements and declarations required by the Journal, including the mandatory AI Use Disclosure and other applicable Article Declarations.

All co-authors must:

• approve the submitted version of the manuscript;
• agree to its submission to the Journal;
• confirm the accuracy of their authorship and affiliation information;
• authorise the corresponding author to communicate with the Journal and make the applicable submission declarations on their behalf.

The corresponding author completes and signs the Manuscript Submission Form and submits the manuscript through the Journal’s applicable submission procedure.

By submitting the completed Manuscript Submission Form, the author confirms that the applicable submission requirements, publication conditions, and Journal policies have been read, understood, and accepted.

Related: Manuscript Submission Form · Publication Conditions

Initial Editorial Assessment

Following submission, the manuscript undergoes an Initial Editorial Assessment.

The assessment may be conducted by the Editor-in-Chief and/or a member of the Editorial Board, in accordance with the Journal’s Editorial Policies.

At this stage, the manuscript is assessed for matters including:

• relevance to the Journal’s aims and scope;
• conformity with the accepted publication types;
• completeness of submission materials;
• compliance with applicable manuscript and publication requirements;
• ethical and scholarly considerations relevant to further editorial processing.

A manuscript may be returned for clarification or correction, or may be rejected where it is not suitable for further consideration.

Related: Editorial Policies · Publication Conditions · Publication Ethics

External Double-Blind Peer Review

Scholarly manuscripts that pass the Initial Editorial Assessment and are eligible for external review proceed to double-blind peer review by two independent reviewers.

Reviewers are selected on the basis of relevant scholarly expertise and must be free from conflicts of interest that would compromise independent assessment.

Reviewers evaluate the manuscript objectively and provide reasoned scholarly comments and recommendations.

Reviewer identities and author identities are concealed from one another within the double-blind review process.

Reviewers are required to maintain confidentiality and comply with the Journal’s Review Ethics and Guidelines for Reviewers.

Peer-review recommendations inform editorial assessment but do not themselves constitute the Journal’s final editorial decision.

Related: Peer Review Process · Review Ethics · Guidelines for Reviewers

Revision and Reassessment

Where revision is required, the corresponding author receives the applicable reviewer and/or editorial comments.

Authors are expected to address the requested revisions and provide a revised manuscript and, where applicable, an explanation of the changes made.

A revised manuscript may undergo editorial reassessment and, where necessary, further external review.

The revision process may continue until sufficient information is available for an applicable final editorial decision.

Final Editorial Decision

Following completion of the applicable editorial assessment, peer review, revision, and reassessment stages, a final editorial decision is made.

The possible final editorial decisions are:

• Accept;
• Revise;
• Reject.

Except where the Editor-in-Chief has a relevant conflict of interest, the final decision to Accept, Revise, or Reject is made by the Editor-in-Chief.

Where the Editor-in-Chief has a relevant conflict of interest, decision-making authority is transferred in accordance with the Journal’s Editorial Policies.

A decision to Revise or Reject does not constitute Final Editorial Acceptance.

Related: Editorial Policies · Publication Conditions

Article Processing Charge and Post-Acceptance Requirements

The Journal does not charge a manuscript submission fee.

An Article Processing Charge (APC) becomes payable only after Final Editorial Acceptance.

Following acceptance, the corresponding author or other designated payer is informed of the applicable APC and receives the relevant invoice or payment information.

Payment is made in accordance with the terms communicated in the invoice or other applicable payment documentation.

The amount, payment, non-payment, waiver, discount, or other financial arrangement does not influence:

• scholarly evaluation;
• reviewer selection;
• peer review;
• requests for revision;
• Final Editorial Acceptance;
• rejection;
• volume assignment;
• any other scholarly editorial decision.

Where an applicable post-acceptance APC obligation is not fulfilled, the matter may be handled under the Journal’s Administrative Article Withdrawal Policy.

Such action is administrative and contractual in nature and does not constitute a finding concerning research misconduct, scientific validity, or scholarly integrity.

Related: Article Processing Charge Policy · Administrative Article Withdrawal Policy

Production and Author Proofing

After Final Editorial Acceptance, the manuscript enters the production process.

Depending on the article and applicable production requirements, this stage may include:

• technical preparation of the manuscript;
• copyediting where applicable;
• proofreading and language-related production work;
• article layout;
• preparation and verification of publication metadata;
• preparation of DOI-related metadata;
• author proofing;
• preparation of the Version of Record.

The corresponding author may be contacted to verify publication details or resolve production-related questions.

Author proofing is intended to identify production errors and verify publication details and does not normally reopen the completed scholarly editorial assessment.

Publication of the Version of Record

Following completion of the applicable post-acceptance and production requirements, the article is published online as the Version of Record.

The Journal operates under a continuous publication model.

Beginning with Volume 3 (2026), assignment of an accepted article to an annual volume is determined by the date of Final Editorial Acceptance.

An article finally accepted during a calendar year is assigned to the annual volume corresponding to that year. Post-acceptance production may continue into the following calendar year without changing that volume assignment.

The published record contains the applicable bibliographic and publication metadata, DOI information, and Article History reflecting the actual relevant dates.

The Version of Record is made openly accessible in accordance with the Journal’s Open Access Policy.

Related: Publication Conditions · Open Access Policy · Copyright and Licensing

Post-Publication Scholarly Record

Publication does not end the Journal’s responsibility for maintaining the scholarly record.

Authors should notify the Journal if they identify a significant error, omission, ethical concern, or other matter affecting a published article.

Where a post-publication issue is identified, the Journal assesses the matter under its applicable policies and may, where justified, issue:

• a correction;
• a retraction;
• an Expression of Concern;
• an Article Removal notice or other applicable record action.

Administrative matters are handled separately from scholarly corrections and retractions.

The Journal maintains the published scholarly record in accordance with its applicable correction, retraction, withdrawal, archiving, preservation, and publication-record procedures.

Related: Corrections, Retractions, Expressions of Concern and Article Removal Policy · Administrative Article Withdrawal Policy · Digital Archiving & Preservation Policy