Peer Review Policy

The International Journal of Contemporary Security Studies (IJCSS) is dedicated to upholding strong scholarly and ethical publishing practices. Every manuscript submitted to IJCSS is evaluated through a strict double-anonymous (double-blind) peer-review system, meaning that authors and reviewers remain unidentified to one another for the entire review procedure. Below is an overview of the IJCSS peer-review workflow:

1. Preliminary Editorial Screening

Each submission is first examined by the Editor-in-Chief or an appointed handling editor to confirm that it fits the journal’s aims and scope and that it meets essential technical, formatting, and ethical requirements. Manuscripts that do not satisfy these baseline conditions are declined without external review (desk rejection).

2. Similarity and Ethics Check

All papers undergo a similarity assessment using licensed plagiarism-detection tools. If substantial overlap or other integrity concerns are identified, the manuscript may be rejected outright or returned to the authors with instructions for correction, depending on severity.

3. Appointment of Reviewers

Submissions that pass the initial checks are sent to a minimum of two independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the topic. Reviewers are chosen based on competence, availability, and subject fit, using the journal’s reviewer pool and/or the editorial board, with attention to balance and diversity where possible.

4. Double-Anonymous Peer Review

IJCSS applies a double-anonymous review model: reviewers do not see author identities and authors do not see reviewer identities. Reviewers assess manuscripts according to key criteria, including:

  • novelty and contribution to the field

  • rigor of methods and analysis

  • quality and coherence of writing

  • alignment with the journal’s thematic focus

  • compliance with ethical standards

5. Editorial Verdict

After peer-review reports are received, the editor issues an official decision. Possible outcomes include:

  • Accept

  • Minor revisions required

  • Major revisions required

  • Reject

Authors receive the decision together with anonymized reviewer comments.

6. Revisions and Re-evaluation

Authors are normally provided 3–4 weeks to revise and resubmit their manuscript in response to the reviews. For major revisions, the revised version may be sent back to the original reviewers for an additional assessment round.

7. Acceptance, Production, and Publication

Once accepted, manuscripts enter the production phase: language and technical editing, layout preparation, author proofing, and final release. Articles receive a DOI via Crossref and are published as open access, with inclusion in relevant indexing and abstracting services where applicable.

8. Typical Processing Times

  • First editorial outcome (including review): approximately 6–8 weeks

  • From submission to publication: approximately 10–12 weeks

9. Reviewer Standards

Reviewers are expected to follow the journal’s reviewer instructions and adhere to COPE principles for ethical peer review. Reviewing for IJCSS is voluntary and grounded in professional responsibility and academic integrity.

For additional details, please consult our Instructions for Reviewers.

For ethical questions or concerns regarding peer review, contact:  ijocss@gmail.com