Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to BJEAS undergo a rigorous, structured evaluation designed to be fair, timely, and confidential. The journal operates a double-blind peer review model: the identities of authors and reviewers are withheld from one another throughout the process.

Stage 1 — Editorial and technical screening (3–7 days). On receipt, the Editorial Office verifies that the manuscript falls within the journal's scope, conforms to the BJEAS Article Template, includes all required declarations, and is accompanied by a completed submission checklist. A similarity check is performed using Turnitin. Manuscripts with an overall similarity index above 20%, or above 5% from any single source, are returned to the authors or rejected. Manuscripts that are out of scope, seriously deficient in language, or ethically non-compliant are declined at this stage (desk rejection).

Stage 2 — Assignment to a Handling Editor (2–3 days). A Section Editor with relevant subject expertise and no conflict of interest with the authors is assigned to manage the manuscript through to a decision.

Stage 3 — Double-blind peer review (3–6 weeks). The Handling Editor invites at least two independent reviewers with demonstrated expertise in the manuscript's subject area. Reviewers must be external to the authors' institutions and must declare any conflict of interest before accepting the invitation. Reviewers evaluate originality, significance, methodological rigour, validity of results, quality of discussion, adequacy of the literature, clarity, and ethical compliance, and recommend one of: Accept Submission; Revisions Required (minor); Resubmit for Review (major); Decline Submission.

Stage 4 — Editorial decision (1 week). The Handling Editor weighs the reviewer reports and issues a decision. Where reviewers disagree substantively, a third reviewer is invited. The Editor-in-Chief ratifies all decisions and retains final authority.

Stage 5 — Revision (2–4 weeks). Authors receiving a revision decision submit a revised manuscript together with a point-by-point response letter addressing each reviewer comment, with changes highlighted in the manuscript. Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers.

Stage 6 — Copyediting, layout and proofreading (2–3 weeks). Accepted manuscripts are copyedited for language and style, typeset to the journal layout, and returned to the corresponding author for proof approval. Only typographical corrections are permitted at proof stage.

Stage 7 — Publication. The article is assigned a DOI, published in the current issue, and deposited with Crossref and the journal's preservation services.

Indicative total time from submission to first decision is 6 to 10 weeks, and from submission to publication 3 to 5 months. Reviewers are given 21 days to complete a review and receive a reminder at day 14. All manuscripts and reviews are treated as confidential documents and may not be shared, cited, or used by editors or reviewers for their own purposes.