Peer Review and the Publication Process
Geography, Journal of the Iranian Geographical association (JIGA) follows the policies and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and abides by its Code of Conduct in dealing with potential cases of misconduct.
JIGA is committed to the highest standards of double-blind peer-review. The journal adheres to a double-blind peer-review process, as part of which the authors and the reviewers remain anonymous throughout the process. A peer-review is mandatory for all types of articles submitted to JIGA except for editorials and letters to the Editor that the Editorial Board evaluates. A double-blind peer-review process limits bias by focusing purely on the content. Peer-reviews improve the quality of scientific publications, ensure previous research work in a particular research area is acknowledged, detect plagiarism, and play a central role in academic course development. An added value of participating in peer-review is keeping up-to-date with the latest developments in the field. Articles are usually reviewed by two reviewers, who are selected based on their expertise and experiences. Reviewers provide feedback on the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses. We expect that most submissions will require some revisions.
For Authors
Authors are advised to read the Guide to Authors thoroughly and carefully to understand how a manuscript intend to be published should be prepared. On receipt of the manuscript, the corresponding author is notified by e-mail and will receive the number under which the manuscript has been registered. Please mention this manuscript number in the subject of e-mails and the names of all files subsequently sent to the Editor and the Editorial staff. The manuscript is then sent to two referees, and a reply may be expected six weeks after the receipt of the manuscript. If the manuscript is accepted, the author is requested to prepare the final version, taking into account the remarks of the referees. The electronic versions are then sent to the Editor. After final acceptance, the manuscript will be passed to the production team to be copyedited and prepared for printing.
After manuscript submission, the authors of the manuscript under consideration for publication cannot be added, removed, or ordered differently. After manuscript submission, authors should communicate with the editor-in-chief only about the progress of the reviewing process.
The journal advocates and applies the double-blind method. Manuscripts are thus evaluated (blinded) by two (2) members of the Editorial Board (the Editor-in-Chief or the Editorial Manager and another editor), and if necessary. Following preliminary editorial evaluation, a manuscript submitted for publication as a refereed article is sent out for evaluation by two (2) external peer-reviewers (approximately 10 days after submission). All other contributions are reviewed by two members of the Editorial Board of the journal, and a reply may be expected at the earliest four to six weeks after submission. The names of the editors and peer-reviewers are unknown to the authors and vice versa. This approach is taken to promote constructive criticism to authors by editors and reviewers.
All reviewers will be selected and invited by the Editorial staff to review manuscripts according to the field of expertise of the submissions received. Reviewers will be asked to complete their review within one (1) month, but are allowed to extend the review period to complete and submit their report. All relevant information for reviewers can be consulted in the instructions for reviewers in the Publication Ethics of the journal.
For Editors and peer-reviewers
Editors and peer-reviewers are required to acknowledge and apply COPE’s ethical guidelines for peer-reviewers. Specifically, they should respect author confidentiality, not publicly discuss an author’s work/material while still in the pre-publication process, not appropriate author ideas or intellectual property, etc. Manuscripts will be evaluated according to specific criteria (e.g., originality, novelty, innovation, academic merit, and pertinence) and COPE’s guidelines for reviewers. Criteria are verified according to a standardized marking grid (which will be provided to both authors and reviewers). Reviewers are solicited based on their demonstrated expertise (i.e., publications); authors may also suggest peer-reviewers with whom they do not have a conflict of interest. Manuscripts can be accepted with minor or major revisions or rejected if they do not meet the standards of (JIGA)
For Editors
The editors will work with authors, to the extent that it is reasonable, to help arrive at publications of the highest quality. The editors will respect requests from authors that a particular editor/reviewer
