Peer Review Policy

The Journal of International Business, Economics and Entrepreneurship (JIBE) applies a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure fairness, academic integrity, and transparency in the evaluation of all submissions.

Peer review is conducted in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices, which serve as the journal’s primary ethical framework and are applied across all editorial and publication processes.

https://publicationethics.org/core-practices

1. Peer Review Governance

All manuscripts are processed through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform under strict ethical and procedural standards.

The peer review system ensures:

  • Confidential and unbiased evaluation
  • Independent assessment of scholarly merit
  • Ethical handling of manuscripts
  • Strict conflict-of-interest control

2. Initial Editorial Screening

All submissions undergo initial evaluation by the editorial office and Editor-in-Chief.

Manuscripts are assessed for:

  • Relevance to journal scope
  • Originality and scholarly contribution
  • Theoretical and/or empirical rigor
  • Methodological soundness
  • Compliance with ethical and submission requirements

Manuscripts that are out of scope, lack scholarly contribution, or fail to meet ethical standards may be rejected without external review.

3. Double-Blind Peer Review Process

Manuscripts that pass screening are assigned to at least two independent external reviewers with relevant subject expertise.

Key features:

  • Author identity concealed from reviewers
  • Reviewer identity concealed from authors
  • Reviewers selected based on expertise and independence
  • Conflict-of-interest restrictions strictly enforced

4. Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers assess manuscripts based on:

  • Originality and significance
  • Theoretical and conceptual contribution
  • Methodological rigor and validity
  • Analytical quality and interpretation
  • Academic clarity and coherence
  • Relevance to international and comparative research
  • Contribution beyond single-country contexts
  • Citation accuracy and relevance 

5. Editorial Decision-Making

Final publication decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief based on reviewer reports and independent editorial judgment.

Possible decisions include:

  • Accept
  • Minor revision
  • Major revision
  • Reject

Where reviewer recommendations differ, additional review or editorial assessment may be conducted. Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by the publisher, institutions, or external stakeholders.

6. Revision Process

Authors must respond to reviewer comments in a structured, point-by-point manner and submit revised manuscripts within the specified timeframe.

Revised manuscripts may be re-evaluated by original reviewers. Failure to adequately address reviewer comments may result in rejection.

7. Ethics and Review Integrity

JIBE applies strict peer review integrity measures in accordance with COPE Core Practices, ensuring ethical and transparent review processes across all submissions.

These include:

  • Verified reviewer selection based on expertise and institutional affiliation
  • Conflict-of-interest screening prior to assignment
  • Confidential handling of all manuscripts
  • Monitoring for peer review manipulation or unethical practices

Suspected misconduct is investigated in accordance with COPE procedures and may result in rejection or retraction.

8. Confidentiality

All manuscripts and review materials are treated as strictly confidential.

Reviewers must not:

  • Share manuscripts with third parties
  • Use unpublished material for personal or academic advantage
  • Disclose manuscript content during or after review

9. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may submit appeals regarding editorial decisions. Appeals are reviewed objectively and independent assessment may be conducted where necessary.

Final decisions rest with the Editor-in-Chief.