Review Process

1. Review Type

Journal of Environment and Sustainability Education implements a double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the review process. This approach ensures objectivity, fairness, and independence in manuscript evaluation.

2. Editorial Screening and Review Stages

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening to assess their alignment with the journal's aims and scope, compliance with manuscript preparation guidelines, completeness, clarity of writing, and adherence to publication ethics. During this stage, manuscripts are also subjected to a similarity check, with a maximum acceptable similarity index of 20%. Manuscripts exceeding this threshold may be returned to authors for revision or rejected. This initial screening is generally completed within approximately three weeks.

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned to independent reviewers with relevant expertise. Reviewers evaluate the manuscripts and provide recommendations for editorial consideration. Authors may be required to revise their manuscripts based on reviewers' comments. Revised manuscripts may undergo further evaluation before a final editorial decision is made.

3. Review Criteria and Reviewer Qualifications

Manuscripts are evaluated based on originality, scientific contribution, relevance to environmental and sustainability education, theoretical foundation, methodological rigor, quality of analysis, clarity of presentation, and ethical compliance.

Reviewers are selected based on their academic qualifications, research expertise, publication experience, and familiarity with the manuscript's subject area. Reviewers must maintain confidentiality, provide objective and constructive evaluations, and disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

4. Number of Reviewers and Review Timeline

Each manuscript that proceeds to peer review is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with relevant academic expertise.

The initial editorial screening generally takes approximately three weeks. The duration of subsequent peer review and revision stages depends on reviewer availability, the complexity of the manuscript, and the extent of revisions required. Additional reviewers may be appointed when reviewer recommendations conflict or further expertise is necessary.

5. Similarity Screening and Publication Ethics

All manuscripts undergo plagiarism and similarity screening during the initial editorial assessment. The journal applies a maximum similarity threshold of 20% as part of its preliminary evaluation. Manuscripts with similarity scores exceeding 20% may be returned for revision or rejected before proceeding to peer review.

In addition to the numerical threshold, the editorial team examines similarity reports to identify potential plagiarism, improper citation, excessive textual overlap, and other forms of academic misconduct. Manuscripts with similarity scores of 20% or below may still be rejected if plagiarism or other ethical violations are identified.

6. Editorial Decisions

Editorial decisions are made by the editorial board based on reviewers' recommendations, the quality of the manuscript, authors' responses to reviewer comments, and the manuscript's scientific contribution.

Possible editorial decisions include:

• Accept: The manuscript meets the journal's publication standards.

• Minor Revision: The manuscript requires limited improvements.

• Major Revision: The manuscript requires substantial revisions and may undergo additional review.

• Reject: The manuscript does not meet the journal's scientific, editorial, or ethical standards.

The editorial team may reject manuscripts during initial screening without external peer review. For manuscripts involving ethical concerns, vulnerable populations, cultural sensitivities, or other complex issues, additional expert consultation may be requested.

7. Final Acceptance and Publication

Once a manuscript is accepted, it proceeds to the production stage, including copyediting, proofreading, layout preparation, and final author confirmation.

Throughout the editorial and peer review process, the Journal of Environment and Sustainability Education is committed to maintaining fairness, transparency, confidentiality, editorial independence, and academic integrity.