JEMS is committed to a rigorous, fair, and transparent peer review process. The journal operates double-blind peer review, in which neither authors nor reviewers are disclosed to one another.
Stage 1: Initial Editorial Screening
Upon submission, all manuscripts are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or an assigned Associate Editor to assess: (i) alignment with aims and scope; (ii) compliance with formatting requirements; (iii) adequacy of scholarly standards; and (iv) compliance with ethical requirements. Manuscripts not passing screening are returned within approximately 10 working days.
Stage 2: Plagiarism and Integrity Check
All manuscripts passing initial screening are subjected to plagiarism detection. Manuscripts with similarity indices indicating potential plagiarism will be investigated prior to peer review.
Stage 3: Double-Blind Peer Review
Manuscripts are assigned to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers. Reviewers are selected on the basis of expertise and independence from the authors. Reviewers evaluate: theoretical contribution and originality, clarity of research question, methodological rigour, quality of analysis, engagement with literature, clarity of writing, and appropriateness for JEMS scope.
Stage 4: Editorial Decision
The editor communicates one of the following decisions:
- Accept — as submitted or with minor editorial revisions
- Minor Revision — limited revisions without another full round of review
- Major Revision — substantial revision required; will be re-reviewed
- Reject with Invitation to Resubmit — fundamentally revised version may be considered
- Reject — does not meet JEMS standards
Estimated Timelines
| Stage | Target Timeline |
|---|---|
| Initial editorial screening | ~10 working days |
| Peer review (first round) | ~8–10 weeks from submission |
| Author revision period | Up to 60 days (major); 30 days (minor) |
| Second-round review (if needed) | ~4–6 weeks |
| Final decision | ~2–4 weeks after final review |
Reviewer Confidentiality
All manuscripts are strictly confidential. Reviewers must not share manuscript content with third parties or upload manuscripts to external AI tools without explicit editor permission.
Appeals and Complaints
Authors who believe an editorial decision is based on factual error, undisclosed conflict of interest, or serious procedural irregularity may submit an appeal in writing to the editorial office within 30 days. Disagreement with scientific judgment of reviewers does not constitute grounds for appeal.