Peer Review Process

All submissions are first screened by the editorial office for scope, formatting and originality (including similarity checking). Manuscripts that pass screening undergo double-anonymous peer review by at least two independent experts. Reviewers are asked to complete their reports within four weeks.

Based on the reviews, the handling editor recommends one of: accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject. The final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief. Editors do not handle manuscripts on which they have a conflict of interest; submissions by editorial board members are handled by an independent editor.

Timeline

• Initial editorial screening: about 1 week
• First decision after review: typically 4–6 weeks
• Revisions: authors are normally given 4 weeks for minor and 8 weeks for major revisions

Appeals

Authors who believe a decision was made in error may submit a reasoned appeal to the editorial office at manager@sci-access.org. Appeals are considered by the Editor-in-Chief, who may consult an independent board member.

Reviewers can find guidance in the submission and reviewer guidelines provided in the review form.