Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to the Researcher Publishers undergo a rigorous multi-stage review and editorial process to ensure academic quality, originality, and relevance. The process consists of four main stages, namely internal review, external review, editor review, and copyediting. Rejection may occur at any stage if a submission does not meet the standards or requirements.

1. Internal Review
Each submitted manuscript is first evaluated by the editorial team to determine its suitability for a journal published by Researcher Publishers. The editorial member assesses whether the paper fits within the aims and scope of the journal, meets basic academic standards, and demonstrates sufficient originality and quality to proceed to peer review. Manuscripts that fail to meet these criteria, or that are primarily descriptive or lacking theoretical grounding, are not sent for external review. The internal review typically takes about a few weeks, and authors are notified of the outcome promptly.

2. External Review
Manuscripts that pass the internal review are then sent for double-blind peer review by at least two experts in the relevant field. Reviewers evaluate the originality, theoretical contribution, methodological rigor, clarity, and significance of the manuscript to language teaching and learning. The external review process usually takes a few months and may include several rounds of revision and re-review, depending on the feedback received. Following this stage, authors are informed of the decision: Accept, revise and resubmit for review (major revisions), revise and resubmit (minor revisions), or reject.

3. Editor Review
After successful external review and satisfactory revisions, the manuscript is returned to the handling editor or the editorial team for further evaluation. During this stage, editors review the revised version to ensure that all reviewer comments have been adequately addressed, that the manuscript meets publication standards, and that the writing is clear and consistent. Additional rounds of editor review may occur before final acceptance.

4. Copyediting and Production
Once accepted, the manuscript proceeds to the copyediting and production stage. The copyediting team of Researcher Publishers checks the paper for accuracy, consistency, formatting, and language quality while maintaining the author’s intended meaning. Authors are given an opportunity to review proofs before final publication.

Throughout this process, Researcher Publishers and its journals uphold high ethical standards and aim to ensure fairness, transparency, and quality at every stage.