Upon the receipt of a submission, the Editor-in-Chief undertakes a preliminary review of the submission. This involves a formal examination of the submission to ensure that the identity of the author is not on the manuscript and to check length, as well as situations where the submission is self-evidently unsuitable. This stage is normally complete within a week of the submission.
The anonymized manuscript is then assigned to an Editor on the board to assess the manuscript on the following criteria:
Language, Grammar and Sentence Construction
Identification of Relevant Issues
Depth of Research
Clarity of Argument
Originality and Innovation
We endeavor to complete the evaluation on the above metrics within 3 weeks of the submission.
If the Manuscript is found suitable by the Editor on the above metrics, it is recommended by the Editor for a second round of review. The first Editor cannot approve the manuscript, in any case and can only recommend a second round of review. However, if it is not found suitable, the editor can reject the submission at this stage.
Upon the recommendation for the second round of review, the anonymized manuscript is then assigned to a different Editor on the board to assess the manuscript on the same criteria as mentioned in 2(a)-2(f).
If the manuscript is found suitable in the second round of review, the manuscript is then recommended for a peer review. Please note that a finding on the suitability of the manuscript in the second round is not a confirmation for publication. The second editor merely recommends the manuscript for a peer review. However, the second editor can also reject the manuscript at this stage – notwithstanding the first round of review. We endeavor to complete the evaluation on the above metrics within 5 weeks of the submission.
Upon receiving a recommendation for peer review, the manuscript is then subjected to a double-blind peer review. The Peer reviewers offer independent and expert advice on the manuscript. Only upon receiving an acceptance from the peer, the publication of the manuscript is confirmed. Please note that the peer can recommend a rejection of the manuscript at this stage, as well. The Editorial Board reserves the discretion to follow the peer reviewer’s recommendation. Please read our Peer Review Policy for more details. This stage can take up to a month as it can be difficult to locate suitable reviewers who are willing to act.
An article approved by the peer reviewer is approved for publication. The Editorial Board then subjects the article to Line Editing in order to ensure that the final manuscripts follow the NLSIR Style Guide. The changes made at this stage by the Line Editors are presented to the author for their approval.
Upon receiving their consent, the article is processed for publication in the upcoming issue of the NLSIR.