Peer Review Policy

At ACW Press, we are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publishing through a rigorous and transparent peer review process. This policy outlines the steps and criteria involved in the peer review process for manuscripts submitted to our journals. It is designed to ensure the integrity, quality, and fairness of the review process.

Overview of the Peer Review Process

From submission to final decision or publication, a dedicated ACW Press staff member coordinates the review process and serves as the main point of contact for authors, academic editors, and reviewers.

Types of Peer Review

• Single-Blind Review: For most journals, the author does not know the reviewer's identity, but the reviewer knows the author's identity.

• Double-Blind Review: For some journals, neither the author nor the reviewer knows the author's identity.

Reviewer Selection

At least two review reports are collected for each submitted article. The academic editor may suggest reviewers during the initial check, or ACW Press editorial staff will select qualified reviewers from our database, Editorial Board members, or through web searches.

• Author Recommendations: Authors can recommend potential reviewers. ACW Press staff will ensure no conflicts of interest exist and will exclude any suggested reviewers with competing interests.

• Excluded Reviewers: Authors can request the exclusion of specific reviewers, and ACW Press will respect these requests as long as they do not hinder an objective assessment.

Criteria for Reviewers

All reviewers must:

• Have no conflicts of interest with the authors.
• Not be from the same institution as the authors.
• Not have published with the authors in the last three years.
• Hold a PhD or MD (for medical journals).
• Have relevant experience and a proven publication record.
• Be recognized as a scholar with an official academic affiliation.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers who accept a review invitation are expected to:

• Have the necessary expertise to judge the manuscript's quality.
• Provide thorough and constructive review reports.
• Maintain professionalism and ethical standards throughout the review process.

Reviewers are typically given 10–15 days to complete their review, with extensions available upon request. For revised manuscripts, reviewers are asked to respond within three days, with extensions also available.

Revision Process

If minor or major revisions are recommended, ACW Press staff will request that the author revise the paper before referring it back to the academic editor. In cases of conflicting review reports or rejection recommendations, the academic editor's feedback is sought before communicating the decision to the authors. Additional reviewers may be consulted if necessary.

Revised manuscripts may or may not be sent back to reviewers, depending on the reviewer's request. Generally, those who requested major revisions or recommended rejection will see the revised manuscript. A maximum of two rounds of major revisions per manuscript is standard, but additional rounds may be allowed based on reviewer feedback and editorial discretion.

Editor Decision

Acceptance decisions are made by an academic editor (e.g., Editor-in-Chief, Guest Editor, or suitable Editorial Board member) after receiving at least two review reports. The editor considers:

• The suitability of the reviewers.
• The adequacy of reviewer comments and author responses.
• The overall scientific quality of the manuscript.

The editor can choose from the following options:

• Accept in its current form.
• Accept with minor revisions.
• Reject and decline resubmission.
• Reject but encourage resubmission.
• Request further revision.
• Seek an additional review.

Editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and may not make decisions on their own submissions.

Author Appeals

Authors may appeal a rejection by emailing the Editorial Office with a detailed justification, including responses to reviewer comments. Appeals are only accepted following a "reject and decline resubmission" decision and must be submitted within three months. The Managing Editor will forward the appeal to an Editorial Board Member for advisory recommendation, which will be validated by the Editor-in-Chief. A final reject decision cannot be reversed.

Transparency and Integrity

ACW Press is committed to transparency in the peer review process. Our policies align with the 2012 San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). We aim to publish scientifically correct manuscripts without artificially increasing rejection rates, allowing the reader community to determine the impact of the research.