Peer Review Process

Al-Mustansiriyah Journal of Science (MJS) employs a double-blind peer review model for its manuscript review process. All manuscripts must be received through the online system and pass a peer review process.

Peer Review Process Steps

1. Submission of manuscript: The corresponding author submits the manuscript to the MJS via an online system.
2. Editorial office prescreens manuscript: The manuscript undergoes an initial screening process to ensure it meets basic technical journal requirements.
3. Initial assessment: This includes checking for adherence to author guidelines to make sure it includes the required sections and compliance with ethical standards (such as plagiarism screening).
4. Editor-in-Chief (EIC) assesses manuscript: The EIC checks that the manuscript is appropriate for the journal's aims and scope and is sufficiently original and interesting. At this stage, the EIC has the option to decline the manuscript without further review.
5. EIC assigns Associate Editor: The EIC assigns the manuscript to an Associate Editor based on the manuscript field.
6. Associate Editor invites reviewers: The Associate Editor sends the manuscript to at least three external reviewers who are not affiliated with the same institute as the authors. Reviewers are identified based on their expertise and research background relevant to the manuscript's subject matter and are not members of the editorial board. MJS does not ask authors to suggest reviewers.
7. Reviewer reports received: The reviewer is taking notes to build a detailed point-by-point review. Then the review is submitted to the journal, with a recommendation to accept or reject it, or else with a revision request (major or minor).
8. Associate Editor makes recommendation: The Associate Editor assesses the reviewer reports. After carefully considering the feedback and recommendations provided by the reviewers, the Associate Editor makes a recommendation after evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript.
9. Editor-in-Chief makes final decision: The EIC decides on the submission—whether to accept, revise, or reject—based on a balanced assessment of the reviewers' comments and after the Associate Editor consults to ensure a fair and informed decision.
10. If the manuscript is rejected or sent back for revision, the author(s) will receive the reviewers' comments. After acceptance, the editorial office checks your paper to ensure it's ready for production and asks you to pay Article Processing Charges (APC).
11. The corresponding author receives a camera-ready version to review and must carefully confirm that all the information is accurate. To avoid illegal revision, only small revision is permitted.