Peer Reviewer Process

The Journal of Contemporary Rituals and Traditions maintains a stringent peer review procedure to guarantee the excellence and validity of its published research. This process is double-blind, ensuring anonymity for both authors and reviewers. Experts within the appropriate fields undertake the review, judging submissions on their scientific significance, innovation, and relevance to the journal's aims.

1. Preliminary Assessment: The editorial team initially examines each manuscript to verify if it aligns with the journal's focus and meets publication standards. Manuscripts failing to meet these criteria or showing more than 20% similarity to existing works are immediately rejected. The team also checks for proper formatting and citation style as per the author's guidelines. Non-compliant manuscripts are returned for correction and resubmission. Successfully vetted manuscripts proceed to the peer review stage.

2. Selection of Reviewers: The editorial board identifies at least two independent reviewers knowledgeable in the manuscript's subject area and experienced in the relevant research. Reviewers and authors remain unaware of each other's identity. The editorial board ensures reviewers are from different institutions than the authors, considering their scientific expertise and any potential conflicts of interest before extending an invitation to review. The goal is to appoint reviewers within four weeks.

3. Evaluation Process: Reviewers assess the manuscript's scientific rigor, originality, validity, and pertinence to the field, typically within two weeks. They offer detailed feedback for the authors to refine the manuscript, suggesting acceptance, revisions, or rejection.

4. Editorial Decision: The decision to accept, reject, or the editor-in-chief makes request revisions based on reviewer feedback and compliance with publication standards. If reviewer opinions vary significantly, an additional reviewer may be consulted. The editor's decision and anonymous reviewer comments are communicated to the authors. The goal is to issue the first decision within a month and to publish accepted manuscripts within 4 to 8 weeks of acceptance.

5. Revision Stage: Authors of manuscripts needing revisions must incorporate the suggested changes and submit the revised version, highlighting the alterations and including a letter addressing the feedback. Deadlines for revisions are two weeks for minor changes and four weeks for major changes. Manuscripts with major revisions are re-evaluated by the original reviewers to confirm the effectiveness of the revisions.

6. Final Steps to Publication: Accepted manuscripts must be submitted in their final form for copyediting and formatting before publication.

Through this rigorous peer review process, the Journal of Contemporary Rituals and Traditions ensures the publication of research that meets the highest standards of scholarly integrity and quality.