Peer Review Process

Peer Review Systems

Introduction

A research article's quality is ensured by a strict peer review process. The Journal of Research and Applications in Mechanical Engineering (JRAME) employs a rigorous peer review system. Before publication, all submitted papers go through our peer review procedure.

Types of peer review (Double-anonymous peer review)

An important step in the publication of an article is the review process, which is also known as a ‘double-blind review’. Reviewers do not know the identities of submitted manuscript authors and the review information is concealed. The double-anonymous review is common in engineering and science journals. The Journal of Research and Applications in Mechanical Engineering (JRAME) employs a double-blind peer review system as a more effective review system because it limits possible bias from either the selected reviewers or authors.

The Peer Review Process

The Journal of Research and Applications in Mechanical Engineering (JRAME) employs a four-stage review process – the journal editorial office (JEO), external expert review (EER), Associate Editor (AE), and Editor-in-Chiefs’ (EIC) decisions. Ten steps make up the peer review process. They may be generally categorized, although the steps may differ significantly between publications. The steps in the process are as follows:

Step 1: Submission

The corresponding or submitting author submits the paper to the JRAME via the ThaiJO online system only. Using the designated online submission system ensures that the manuscript is properly received, processed, and reviewed by the journal's editorial team. It simplifies the submission procedure and aids in keeping contributions organized and consistent for quick review and publication.

Step 2: Initial Check

The Journal Editorial Office (JEO) checks whether the submitted manuscript adheres to the journal requirements described in the journal’s author guidelines and contains less than 30% similarity with other works. The paper's quality is not evaluated at this stage. This initial check usually takes 1 to 4 days.

Step 3: Pre-Screening

The Editor-in-Chief reviews and evaluates the submitted manuscript, considering its scope, aims, originality, scientific merit, and significance. At this point, the manuscript may be rejected by the Editor-in-Chief for not meeting these standards.

Step 4: Assign an Associate Editor

The Editor-in-Chief assigns an Associate Editor (AE) to the submitted manuscript at this stage. The peer review is handled by associate editors (or equivalent) in JRAME publications.

Step 5: Invite Reviewers (Peer Review)

The associate editor sends invitations to individuals who are experts in fields related to the scope of the submitted manuscript. If responses are not received, further invitations are issued, if necessary, until the required number of reviewers is secured. This is typically two or three reviewers. The JRAME employs a double-blind peer review process in which neither the reviewers nor the author are aware of each other's identity.

Step 6: Evaluate the Reviews (AE Decision)

An Associate Editor considers all the returned comments and suggestions before deciding the viability of the submitted manuscript for publication. If the reviewer comments differ widely, the associate editor may invite an additional reviewer to offer further evaluation before arriving at a decision. Subsequently, the reviewers advise the associate editor on whether the manuscript should be a) accepted as is, or b) accepted with minor revisions, or c) accepted with a major revision, or d) rejected for publication.

Step 7: Deliver Final Decisions (EIC Decision)

Upon receipt of the updated manuscript, the Editor-in-Chief will review the revisions. The Editor-in-Chief then makes a final decision on whether the revised manuscript is accepted for publication.

Step 8: Prepare the Final Version

After the Editor-in-Chief accepts a manuscript, the manuscript will be copyedited and formatted for publication. This process is done within one week.

Step 9: Confirm the Final Version

The formatted manuscripts will be sent back to their authors for verification of accuracy. This process will also take about one week. After any necessary corrections are made, the formatted manuscripts will undergo a final check by the authors and their confirmation will be sent back to the Editor-in-Chief.

Step 10: Inspect the Final Version

After the Editor-in-Chief receives confirmation from the authors, the Journal Editorial Office (JEO) does a final evaluation of the manuscript before publication in the online journal system.