Peer Review Process

1. Submission check. The office checks the required files, author information, anonymity and declarations.
2. Editorial screening. An editor assesses scope, contribution, sources, methods and potential ethical concerns.
3. Independent review. Suitable manuscripts are sent for double-anonymised external assessment, normally by at least two reviewers.
4. Editorial decision. The editor weighs the reports and provides a decision with reasons.
5. Revision. Authors respond to comments and provide a revised manuscript. Further review may be needed.
6. Acceptance and production. Final authorship, declarations, rights, citation details and proofs are checked.
7. Publication. The article is assigned its confirmed bibliographic details and made available with the applicable licence.

The time required depends on reviewer availability, manuscript complexity and the extent of revision. The journal does not guarantee a review outcome or a fixed acceptance date. Authors may ask the editorial office for a status update.