For Authors
Submission Process
What happens to your manuscript after you submit it, who handles each stage, and roughly how long it takes. You can check where your manuscript stands at any time from your dashboard.
- ~6 weeks
- To first decision
- 2
- Reviewers minimum
- Double-blind
- Review model
The seven stages
1.Submission
You control the pace
You complete the six-step submission form and upload your files. The form saves as you go, so a draft can be finished later.
- Details — title, abstract, keywords, manuscript type
- Contributors — all authors, affiliations and ORCID iDs
- Upload — anonymised manuscript, title page, figures
- Metadata — funding, section, language
- Declarations — originality, ethics, competing interests, AI use
- Review — check everything, then submit
2.Desk check
3–5 working days
The editorial office checks that the manuscript is in scope, correctly anonymised, complete, and passes a similarity screen.
- Scope against the journal's aims
- Anonymity of the main file
- Completeness of files and declarations
- Plagiarism and similarity screening
3.Peer review
4–6 weeks
A handling editor assigns at least two independent reviewers with expertise in the area. Neither side learns the other's identity.
- Minimum two independent reviewers
- Double-blind throughout
- Reviewers assess originality, method, evidence and clarity
- A third reviewer is added where the first two disagree
4.Decision
Within 1 week of reports
The handling editor weighs the reports and recommends a decision; the Editor-in-Chief confirms it. You receive the full reviewer comments either way.
- Accept — rare at first decision
- Minor revision — small corrections needed
- Major revision — substantive work needed, usually re-reviewed
- Reject — with reasons, and where useful, guidance
5.Revision
30 days (minor) · 60 days (major)
You revise and resubmit with a point-by-point response to each reviewer comment. Ask for an extension if you need one — we would rather wait than lose good work.
- Point-by-point response required
- Changes marked in the manuscript
- Major revisions normally return to the original reviewers
6.Production
2–3 weeks
Accepted manuscripts are copy-edited, typeset and returned to you as proofs. You check them; only genuine errors can be corrected at this stage.
- Copy-editing for language and house style
- Typesetting into the journal template
- Author proof — 72 hours to respond
- DOI registration with Crossref
7.Publication
On issue release
Your article is published open access, assigned a DOI, and deposited for long-term preservation. You are free to share it immediately.
- Open access from day one, no embargo
- Published under CC BY 4.0
- Indexed and permanently citable
- Self-archiving permitted immediately
Tracking your manuscript
Every submission has a status you can see from your dashboard, and you receive an email whenever it changes. If a stage runs noticeably longer than the times above, write to the editorial office quoting your manuscript ID.
- Submitted
- Under desk check
- Under review
- Decision pending
- Revision requested
- Accepted
- In production
- Published
If your manuscript is declined
A rejection is not a judgement on you as a researcher, and you will always be told why. Reviewer comments are shared in full so the work can be improved for another venue.
If you believe a decision rested on a factual error or a misunderstanding of the method, you may appeal. Appeals follow a formal procedure and are considered by an editor not involved in the original decision.
Complaints & appeals policy →Prepared your manuscript?
Check it against the author guidelines first — most returns at desk check are avoidable formatting and anonymity issues.
Questions about the process? Write to ceoborjss@gmail.com.