Editorial and Peer Review Policy

The European Journal of Research and Development (EJRnD) is committed to publishing high-quality, original research through a rigorous and transparent peer review process. The journal employs a double-blind peer review model, in which both the authors and the reviewers remain anonymous throughout the evaluation process.

Submission and Initial Screening

All manuscripts submitted to EJRnD undergo an initial screening by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated Section Editor. At this stage, manuscripts are evaluated for scope relevance, adherence to author guidelines, language quality, and basic scientific merit. Manuscripts that do not meet the minimum requirements are returned to the authors (desk rejection) within 5 business days. All accepted manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using iThenticate/Turnitin before being sent for peer review.

Peer Review Process

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned to at least two independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant field. Reviewers are selected based on their academic qualifications, publication record, and absence of conflicts of interest. The review process typically takes 2 to 4 weeks. Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on originality, scientific rigor, methodology, clarity of presentation, relevance to the field, and adequacy of references.

Decision Categories

Based on reviewer reports, the handling editor makes one of the following decisions: (1) Accept — The manuscript is accepted for publication with no or minimal changes. (2) Minor Revision — The manuscript requires minor corrections that can be addressed within 2 weeks. (3) Major Revision — The manuscript requires substantial revisions and will be re-evaluated after revision. (4) Reject — The manuscript is not suitable for publication. Authors receive detailed reviewer comments to guide their revisions.

Revision and Resubmission

Authors are expected to submit their revised manuscript within the specified deadline along with a point-by-point response to reviewer comments. Revised manuscripts may be sent back to the original reviewers for re-evaluation. A maximum of two rounds of revision is typically allowed.

Appeals Process

Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision may submit a written appeal to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days of the decision, providing a detailed rebuttal addressing each point raised by the reviewers. The Editor-in-Chief will review the appeal and may seek additional expert opinions before making a final decision.

Editor Conflict of Interest

Editors will not handle manuscripts in which they have a personal, financial, or professional conflict of interest. In such cases, the manuscript will be assigned to another qualified editor. If the Editor-in-Chief is an author on a submitted manuscript, the peer review process will be managed entirely by an independent Section Editor.

Publication Timeline

EJRnD operates on a continuous publication model. Accepted articles are published online as soon as they complete the production process (copyediting, typesetting, and DOI assignment). The average time from submission to first decision is approximately 23 days, and from acceptance to online publication is approximately 7 days.