Peer Review Process

IJES : Indonesian Journal of Environmental Sustainability uses double-blind peer review: reviewers do not know the identity of the authors, and authors do not know the identity of the reviewers. Every research article and conceptual article is reviewed by at least two independent reviewers before an editorial decision is made.

At a glance

Review type	Double-blind
Reviewers per manuscript	At least two
Time allowed per review round	Three weeks
Similarity check	Turnitin, before review; maximum 20% (references and quotations excluded)
Usual time from submission to final decision	Four to six months
Manuscript handling system	Open Journal Systems (OJS)

Stages

1. Initial screening by the editor. The editor checks fit with the Focus and Scope, compliance with the Author Guidelines and template, the required declarations, and removal of author identity from the file.
2. Similarity check. The manuscript is checked with Turnitin under the Plagiarism Policy. Manuscripts that fail screening are returned to the authors or declined without review.
3. Assignment. The Editor in Chief assigns a section editor, who invites at least two reviewers with expertise in the topic and no conflict of interest.
4. Review. Reviewers submit their reports through OJS within three weeks, following the Reviewer Guidelines.
5. Decision. The section editor recommends a decision based on the reports; the Editor in Chief confirms the decision.
6. Revision. Authors revise and explain each change in a response to reviewers. Revised manuscripts may be sent back to the same reviewers for another round.
7. Acceptance and production. Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, layout, and proofreading by the authors before publication.

Review criteria

Reviewer qualifications

Reviewers are researchers with expertise in the subject of the manuscript and a publication record in the field in the last three years, verifiable through Scopus, SINTA, or Google Scholar. The list of reviewers is published on the Peer Reviewers page. Reviewers follow the COPE guidance for peer reviewers and the journal's AI Policy, which does not allow reviewers to use AI tools.

Editorial decisions

Decision	Meaning
Accept	The manuscript can be published without further changes to its content.
Minor revision	Limited changes are needed; the editor checks the revision.
Major revision	Substantial changes are needed; the revision is normally sent for another round of review.
Decline	The manuscript is not suitable for publication in IJES.

Decisions are based only on academic merit and the reviewers' reports. When the reports conflict, the editor may invite an additional reviewer. A Letter of Acceptance is issued only after a manuscript has been accepted. The journal does not offer fast-track publication.

Manuscripts by editors

When an author is a member of the editorial team, including the Editor in Chief, the manuscript is handled by another editor. The author has no access to the review process or to the identity of the reviewers, and takes no part in the decision.

Appeals

Authors who believe a decision was made in error may send a reasoned appeal to ijes.uin@ar-raniry.ac.id with the subject line "Appeal". The Managing Editor acknowledges the appeal within 7 days. The appeal is considered by an editor who was not involved in the original decision, and the authors receive a written decision within 30 days of the acknowledgement. Complaints about the editorial process are handled as described under Complaints and appeals.

Related: Publication Ethics · Plagiarism Policy · AI Policy · Peer Reviewers