Peer Review Policy

Double-Blind Peer Review Policy

International Journal of Behavioral Social and Movement Sciences (IJBSMS)

???? Overview

At the International Journal of Behavioral Social and Movement Sciences (IJBSMS), we maintain a Double-Blind Peer Review System to ensure unbiased and ethical evaluation of all manuscripts. Both the identities of the authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the review process. This anonymity is maintained to promote a fair and objective assessment of the scholarly work submitted to our journal.

???? Review Workflow

  1. Manuscript Submission
    Authors must submit manuscripts through the journal’s submission portal. Identifying information (e.g., author names, affiliations, funding info) must be removed from the manuscript to preserve anonymity.

  2. Initial Editorial Screening
    The editorial team conducts a preliminary check for relevance to scope, originality, formatting adherence, and plagiarism. Manuscripts passing this stage are forwarded for peer review.

  3. Assignment to Reviewers
    Each paper is assigned to at least two expert reviewers who are selected based on their subject matter expertise and academic qualifications. Reviewers do not know the identity of the authors and vice versa.

  4. Evaluation Criteria
    Reviewers evaluate submissions based on:

    • Originality and research contribution

    • Conceptual and theoretical soundness

    • Methodology and analysis

    • Clarity of language and structure

    • Relevance to behavioral, social, and movement sciences

  5. Reviewer Recommendations
    Reviewers will submit one of the following recommendations:

    • Accept without revisions

    • Accept with minor revisions

    • Major revisions required

    • Reject

  6. Editorial Decision
    The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or the assigned Section Editor after reviewing all reviewer reports. The author is then notified of the outcome.

  7. Revision and Resubmission
    If revisions are required, the author is given 2–4 weeks to submit the revised manuscript. In the case of major revisions, the revised version may be sent back to the reviewers for reassessment.

  8. Final Decision and Publication
    Upon acceptance, the manuscript is scheduled for publication in an upcoming issue and proceeds through editing, layout design, and DOI assignment.

⏱️ Review Timeline

  • Initial Editorial Screening: 3–5 business days

  • Peer Review Process: 4–6 weeks per round

  • Author Revision Time: 2–4 weeks

  • Final Decision and Processing: 1–2 weeks post-revision

Total average duration: 8–10 weeks

???? Reviewer Guidelines

All reviewers are expected to:

  • Maintain confidentiality and objectivity

  • Provide constructive, clear, and evidence-based feedback

  • Avoid personal criticism

  • Disclose any conflicts of interest immediately

  • Abstain from attempting to identify or contact the authors

???? Ethics and Integrity

IJBSMS is committed to the highest ethical standards and follows the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines. Reviewers, editors, and authors must adhere to the ethical code governing:

  • Integrity of data and originality

  • Confidentiality and disclosure

  • Handling of ethical misconduct

More details at: https://publicationethics.org/

⚖️ Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must disclose any personal, professional, or financial conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of their evaluation. In such cases, the manuscript will be reassigned to another unbiased reviewer.

???? Appeals and Complaints

Authors who wish to appeal a review decision or report unethical behavior may contact the editorial team at editorial@ijbsms.com. Appeals are independently assessed, and a final decision is communicated within 15 business days.