Peer Review Process

The International Journal of Art and Design (IJAD) adheres to a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure the quality, integrity, and scholarly value of all published research. This process is conducted in alignment with the principles and guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics.

1. Overview of the Peer Review Process
All submitted manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review process, ensuring that:

  • Authors do not know the identity of reviewers.
  • Reviewers do not know the identity of authors.

The peer review process is designed to ensure fairness, academic rigor, and unbiased evaluation of scholarly work.

All manuscripts are subject to peer review without exception.

2. Initial Editorial Screening
Upon submission, manuscripts are first evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated Handling Editor to assess:

  • Relevance to the journal’s scope
  • Originality and scholarly contribution
  • Methodological and conceptual quality
  • Clarity and academic writing quality
  • Compliance with journal submission requirements

Manuscripts may be rejected at this stage without external review if they do not meet basic scholarly or ethical standards.

All submissions are also screened for similarity in accordance with the journal’s Plagiarism and Publication Ethics Policy prior to peer review.

3. Reviewer Selection
Manuscripts that pass initial screening are assigned to at least two independent expert reviewers.

Reviewers are selected based on:

  • Subject matter expertise
  • Academic and publication record
  • Absence of conflicts of interest
  • Ability to provide timely and objective evaluation

Where necessary, additional reviewers may be invited to ensure balanced assessment, including cases involving substantially differing reviewer recommendations.

4. Editorial Independence
Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by commercial, institutional, or personal interests.

Manuscripts submitted by editors or editorial board members are handled by an independent editor with no conflict of interest and are subject to the same double-blind peer review process.

The Editor-in-Chief holds final responsibility for all editorial decisions.

5. Reviewer Responsibilities
Reviewers are expected to:

  • Provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based evaluations
  • Maintain strict confidentiality of all manuscript materials
  • Declare any conflicts of interest prior to review
  • Decline review invitations where bias or conflict may exist
  • Refrain from using unpublished material for personal advantage
  • Complete reviews within the agreed review period and notify the editor if delays arise

Reviewer reports and manuscript materials are treated as confidential documents and must not be shared without editorial authorization.

Failure to comply with these responsibilities may result in removal from the reviewer database.

6. Evaluation Criteria
Manuscripts are evaluated based on:

  • Originality and contribution to knowledge
  • Theoretical or conceptual strength
  • Methodological rigor and validity
  • Analytical depth and interpretation of results
  • Clarity, structure, and academic writing quality
  • Relevance to an international scholarly audience

7. Editorial Decision-Making
Editorial decisions are based on reviewer reports and editorial assessment. Possible outcomes include:

  • Accept
  • Minor Revision
  • Major Revision
  • Reject

Authors receive anonymized reviewer comments to support revision and improvement.

Where reviewer recommendations substantially conflict, the editor may seek an additional independent review or make an editorial determination based on the scholarly merit, methodological rigor, and relevance of the manuscript.

The Editor-in-Chief holds final responsibility for all publication decisions.

8. Revision Process
When revisions are requested, authors must:

  • Provide a point-by-point response to reviewer comments
  • Clearly indicate all changes made in the revised manuscript
  • Resubmit within the specified timeframe

Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers or evaluated by the editorial team.

9. Integrity and Ethical Safeguards

The journal ensures integrity of the peer review process through:

  • Reviewer identity verification through institutional or publication records
  • Conflict of interest screening for editors and reviewers
  • Confidential manuscript handling systems
  • Monitoring for unethical review practices

The use of generative artificial intelligence tools in peer review must comply with the confidentiality and data protection requirements of the journal.

Any suspected ethical issues are handled in accordance with COPE guidelines and journal policies.

10. Appeals Process
Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a reasoned justification.

Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and, where appropriate, an independent editorial member not involved in the original decision.

The outcome of the appeal is final.

11. Review Timeline

The typical peer review process takes approximately 6–8 weeks, depending on reviewer availability and revision requirements.

Delays may occur in cases requiring additional review or extensive revisions.

Policy Integration
This policy should be read in conjunction with the journal’s Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, Conflict of Interest Policy, Retraction, Correction and Withdrawal Policy and Plagiarism Policy.