Review Process

To ensure that every manuscript submitted to the International Journal of Population Issues undergoes a fair, unbiased, and high-quality peer review process, the International Journal of Population Issues employs a double-blind peer review process. It applies the COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Editorial Guidelines for Peer Reviewers. It uses the Open Journal System (OJS) to manage the entire editorial workflow. The system provides the Editor-in-chief the power to make desk rejections of manuscripts that are deemed unsuitable for reasons such as the subject matter,  poor quality, being out of scope, indication of plagiarism, and inadequately written  (including the English) prior to sending them to external reviewers. The desk rejection must be made within a week after the submission of the manuscripts.

After the manuscript passes the initial assessment by the editor-in-chief, it must be assessed anonymously by two external reviewers selected by an assigned associate editor.  The external reviewers must submit their comments to the assigned editor within 6 weeks along with the following recommendations: acceptance, revision with minor revision, revision with major revision, or rejection of the submission. Based on the inputs from the reviewers, the associate editor assesses the manuscript and decides whether to accept it, request a minor or major revision, or reject it.  In certain cases, the associate editor may enlist the assistance of an additional reviewer to aid in making the final decision. If the manuscripts are recommended to be revised, the authors have four weeks to revise their manuscripts. The revised manuscript will be considered a new submission if returned to the system after four weeks.

The accepted manuscripts will undergo a copyediting process to enhance the grammar and clarity. The copy editors work with the authors to ensure all necessary elements are present and adhere to the journal’s guidelines regarding bibliography and textual style. Once the copyediting is finished, the copy editor sends the edited manuscript to the Layout Editor. The final version of the manuscript will then be converted into a PDF “galley” file. Authors will receive page proof for review before the manuscript is sent to the publication editor. Only minor revision is allowed during this stage.  Once the page proof is finalized, the publication editor will schedule the publication, update the website page, and ensure the metadata accurately reflect the final version of the text.