Peer Review Process

The Peer Review Process is a process in which journals assess the quality of manuscripts before publication, reviewed by relevant experts in their field to review and comment on the manuscripts received. This process aims to help editors determine whether manuscripts should be published in the Innovative Science and Technology Learning Journal.

Important points in the Peer Review Process:

• Manuscripts submitted to the journal first undergo initial screening by the editorial team.
• Manuscripts that pass the screening will be sent to at least two peer reviewers for review.
• Peer reviewers independently make recommendations to the journal editor as to whether the manuscript should be rejected or accepted (with or without revision).
• The journal editor considers all feedback from peer reviewers and makes a decision to accept or reject the manuscript.

The Peer Review Process for journal publications is essentially a quality control mechanism, whereby experts evaluate manuscripts to ensure the quality of published work. However, peer reviewers do not make the decision to accept or reject a paper, but rather provide recommendations for a decision. In journals, the authority to make decisions rests solely with the journal editor or editorial board.

How does it work?

When a manuscript is submitted to a journal, it is assessed to see if it meets the criteria for submission. If so, the editorial team will select potential peer reviewers in the field of research to review the manuscript and make recommendations. There are four types of peer review used by Innovative Science and Technology Learning Journal :

• Single-blind: reviewers know the author's name, but authors do not know who is reviewing their manuscript unless reviewers choose to sign their reports.
• Double-blind: reviewers do not know the author's name, and authors do not know who is reviewing their manuscript.
• Open peer: the author knows who the reviewer is, and the reviewer knows who the author is. If the manuscript is accepted, the named review report is published alongside the article.
• Transparent: reviewers know the author's name, but authors do not know who reviewed their manuscript unless the reviewer chooses to sign their report. If the manuscript is accepted, the anonymous reviewer's report is published alongside the article.

Why peer review?

Peer review is an integral part of scientific publishing that confirms the validity of manuscripts. Peer reviewers are experts who contribute their time to help refine the manuscripts they review.

Steps in peer review

• Manuscript Submission, Authors submit manuscripts to the Innovative Science and Technology  Learning Journal through the online system at https://ejournal.denusantara.id/index.php/istlj
• Editorial Team Assessment, The editorial team checks manuscripts to ensure they comply with the journal template. Manuscript quality is not assessed at this stage.
• Assessment by the Editor-in-Chief, The editor-in-chief checks that the manuscript is suitable for the journal, sufficiently original, and interesting. If not, the paper may be rejected without further review.
• Invitation to Peer Reviewers, The editor sends invitations to individuals who are suitable reviewers.
• Response to Invitation, Prospective reviewers consider the invitation based on their expertise, conflicts of interest, and availability. They then accept or decline. If possible when declining, they suggest an alternative reviewer.
• Review Conducted, Reviewers set aside time to read the manuscript several times to form an initial impression of a manuscript and make notes for a detailed point-by-point review. The review is then submitted to the journal, with a recommendation to accept or reject it or with a request for revisions before reconsideration.
• Journal Evaluates Review, The editor considers all returned reviews before making an overall decision. If the reviews are strongly divided, the editor may invite additional reviewers to obtain additional opinions before making a decision.
• Decision Communicated, The editor emails the decision to the author, including relevant reviewer comments.
• Next Steps, If accepted, the manuscript is sent to production. If rejected or sent back, the author is asked to revise the manuscript with the reviewers' comments to help improve it. At this stage, reviewers are also emailed to inform them of the author's revisions. If the manuscript is revised again, reviewers expect a new version of the manuscript, but if only minor changes are requested, the review is conducted by the editor.