Peer Review Process

Journal of Maritime Business Management (JMBM) implements an online submission system and a double-blind peer review process. All processes related to manuscript management, review, revision, and editorial decision-making are conducted through the journal's online system in accordance with the applicable editorial policies and procedures. Editors, reviewers, and authors are expected to follow each established stage to maintain the quality and integrity of scholarly publication.

1. Initial Screening

Each submitted manuscript undergoes an initial screening by the editorial team. This screening is conducted to ensure that the manuscript is consistent with the focus and scope of the Journal of Maritime Business Management, the journal's author guidelines, and the applicable administrative and technical requirements.

At this stage, the editor may also conduct a similarity check to ensure that the manuscript meets the journal's standards of academic integrity.

Based on the results of the initial screening, the editor may make one of the following decisions:

Returned to the Author
The manuscript may be returned to the author if there are administrative or technical deficiencies that can still be corrected, such as formatting inconsistencies or incomplete information.

Rejected at the Initial Stage
The manuscript may be rejected before entering the peer review stage if it is outside the journal's focus and scope, does not comply with the author guidelines, or has fundamental issues that make the manuscript unsuitable for further review.

Proceed to Peer Review
Manuscripts that meet the initial screening requirements will be forwarded to reviewers whose expertise is relevant to the subject area of the manuscript.

2. Peer Review

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening undergo a double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of the authors and reviewers are not disclosed to each other during the review process.

Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on the quality and substance of the research, including the consistency between the background, objectives, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusions; methodological appropriateness; quality and adequacy of the data; use of references; originality; research contribution; and the relevance of the research findings to the development of knowledge and practice in the field of maritime business management.

The reviewers' assessments serve as considerations for the editor in determining the next stage of the manuscript. Reviewer recommendations may include:

  • Accept: the article is suitable for publication.
  • Minor Revision: the article requires minor revisions.
  • Major Revision: the article requires substantial revisions.
  • Reject: the article is not suitable for publication.

Reviewer recommendations serve as an important consideration in the editorial process, while the final decision is determined by the editor.

3. Manuscript Revision

If revisions are required, the editor will provide the authors with the review results and reviewers' comments. Authors are required to revise the manuscript and respond to the reviewers' comments systematically and on a point-by-point basis.

The revision period is determined by the editor based on the extent of revisions required. Authors may request an extension if there are reasonable circumstances that can be considered by the editor.

Revisions may cover substantive aspects, methodology, data presentation, references, and language quality. The editor will then examine the revised manuscript to ensure that the reviewers' comments and recommendations have been adequately addressed.

When necessary, the revised manuscript may be returned to the reviewers for further evaluation. The review and revision process may take place over several rounds until the editor has sufficient grounds to make a final decision.

A manuscript may still be rejected if the revisions do not meet the journal's standards or if the responses to the reviewers' comments are considered inadequate.

4. Final Decision

After the review and revision processes have been completed, the editor will determine the final decision based on the reviewers' assessments, manuscript quality, the authors' responses to the reviewers' comments, and other relevant editorial considerations.

The final decision to accept or reject a manuscript rests with the Editor-in-Chief or an editor designated by the journal.

Articles that are accepted will proceed to the production stage for preparation prior to publication.

5. Production and Proofreading

Accepted manuscripts will proceed to the production stage. At this stage, authors will receive a galley proof or preview version of the article to check for technical errors, layout issues, and article information before publication.

Authors are expected to carefully review the proof and submit any corrections within the timeframe specified by the editor. Changes during the proofreading stage should be limited to technical or production errors and are not intended to alter the substantive content of the approved manuscript.

Once the proofreading process has been completed and the article is deemed ready for publication, the manuscript will be processed for publication in the issue designated by the Journal of Maritime Business Management.