Peer Review Process

The International Journal of Forensic Expert Alliance (IJFEA) follows a meticulous and transparent double-blind peer-review process to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity, quality, and credibility. This system ensures that only rigorous, original, and impactful research is disseminated to the global forensic science community. The peer-review process at IJFEA is structured as follows:

 

  1. Submission and Initial Evaluation
  • Manuscript Submission: Authors submit manuscripts through the IJFEA online submission portal, accompanied by a cover letter highlighting the novelty, significance, and alignment of the work with the journal’s scope.
  • Initial Screening: The editorial office checks compliance with submission guidelines and applies plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts failing to meet standards may be rejected at this stage.

 

  1. Assignment to an Editor
  • Editor-in-Chief Screening: The Editor-in-Chief evaluates novelty, significance, and relevance.
  • Handling Editor Assignment: Manuscripts passing this stage are assigned to a subject-area Handling Editor.

 

  1. Peer Reviewer Selection
  • Reviewer Identification: Two to three expert reviewers are selected based on subject expertise and prior publications.
  • Invitation & COI Disclosure: Reviewers must confirm availability and declare conflicts of interest. Alternative reviewers are chosen if conflicts exist.

 

  1. Double-Blind Review
  • Anonymity: Both reviewers and authors remain anonymous to ensure impartiality.
  • Evaluation Criteria: Originality, methodological rigor, data accuracy, clarity, significance, and relevance.
  • Reviewer Report: Detailed feedback with recommendations: accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject.

 

  1. Editorial Decision
  • Handling Editor Recommendation: Based on reviewer feedback, the Handling Editor makes a recommendation.
  • Final Decision: The Editor-in-Chief issues the final decision, communicated promptly to authors.

 

  1. Revision and Resubmission
  • Author Revisions: Authors revise manuscripts with a detailed response letter.
  • Re-Review: Major revisions may be re-evaluated by the original reviewers.

 

  1. Final Acceptance and Publication
  • Final Check & Proofing: The editorial office ensures compliance with standards before sending proofs to authors.
  • Publication: Accepted manuscripts are published online immediately under IJFEA’s open-access policy and licensed with Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC).

 

  1. Post-Publication
  • Corrections & Retractions: Ethical issues identified post-publication may result in corrections or retractions.
  • Reviewer Recognition: Reviewers providing high-quality feedback may be invited for editorial board roles or guest editorship.