Peer Revier Process
Peer Review Process
Double-blind • ≥2 reviewers • Transparent timeline
IONTech implements a double-blind peer review (both author and reviewer identities are concealed). Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two reviewers.
Workflow & Stages
- Submission – Authors upload manuscripts using the provided template & author statement.
- Initial Check (3–5 days) – Editor checks scope, completeness, format, and similarity (≤ 25%; references & quotations automatically excluded).
- Assignment – Editor assigns a Section Editor and recommends ≥2 reviewers.
- Review Round 1 (14 days) – Reviewers evaluate the manuscript and provide recommendations: Accept / Minor / Major / Reject.
- Editor’s Decision – Consolidating reviewers’ feedback and issuing a decision.
- Author Revision
• Minor: ≤ 7–10 days • Major: ≤ 14–21 days - Re-review (if required) – Re-evaluation by the same reviewer(s).
- Copyediting & Proofreading (5–7 days) – Language, citation style, tables/figures.
- Layout & Galley (3–5 days) – Finalization of PDF/HTML and metadata.
- Publication – Articles are published in scheduled issues and indexed.
Target Timeline (SLA)
| Stage | Duration |
|---|---|
| Screening & Similarity Check | 3–5 days |
| Round 1 Review (per reviewer) | 14 days |
| Author Revision (minor/major) | 7–10 / 14–21 days |
| Copyediting + Layout | 8–12 days |
Evaluation Criteria
| Aspect | Description | Score (1–5) |
|---|---|---|
| Novelty & Contribution | Originality of the topic, significance of findings | 1–5 |
| Methodology | Design, validity, statistical analysis | 1–5 |
| Literature Review | Adequacy & currency of references | 1–5 |
| Clarity of Presentation | Structure, language, tables/figures | 1–5 |
| Ethics & Feasibility | Ethical approval, safety, COI, data | 1–5 |
Scale: 1 = Poor • 2 = Fair • 3 = Average • 4 = Good • 5 = Excellent
Decision
- Accept – accepted with/without minor editorial changes.
- Minor Revision – small corrections; no re-testing required.
- Major Revision – substantial revisions; may require re-review.
- Reject – out of scope / insufficient quality / ethical issues.
Ethics Policy
- Plagiarism: manuscripts with similarity index > 25% will be rejected at the initial stage.
- COI: Authors & reviewers must declare any conflict of interest.
- Confidentiality: All manuscripts & review data are strictly confidential.
- Appeals: Authors may submit a written appeal to the Editor-in-Chief with supporting evidence.
Ethics reference: COPE
