The practice of peer review is to ensure that good science is published. It is an objective process at the heart of good scholarly publishing and is carried out on all reputable scientific journals. Our referees therefore play a vital role in maintaining the high standards of the Journal of Molecular Structure and all manuscripts are peer reviewed following the procedure outlined below.
Initial manuscript evaluation
The Editor first evaluates all manuscripts. It is rare, but it is entirely feasible for an exceptional manuscript to be accepted at this stage. Those rejected at this stage are insufficiently original, have serious scientific flaws, have poor grammar or English language, or are outside the aims and scope of the journal. Those that meet the minimum criteria are passed on to at least 2 experts for review.
Type of Peer Review
This journal employs single blind review, where the referee remains anonymous throughout the process.
How the referee is selected
Referees are matched to the paper according to their expertise. Our database is constantly being updated and we welcome suggestions for referees from the author although these recommendations may be used at the discretion of the Editor. Please include reviewer suggestions at the time of paper submission.
Referee reports
Referees are asked to evaluate whether the manuscript :
• Is original
• Is methodologically sound
• Follows appropriate ethical guidelines
• Has results which are clearly presented and support the conclusions
• Correctly references previous relevant work
Referees are not expected to correct or copyedit manuscripts. Language correction is not part of the peer review process.
Final report
A final decision to accept or reject the manuscript will be sent to the author along with any recommendations made by the referees, and may include verbatim comments by the referees.
Editor's Decision is final
Referees advise the editor, who is responsible for the final decision to accept or reject the article.
Becoming a Referee
If you are not currently a referee for the Journal of Molecular Structure but would like to be added to the list of referees for this title, please contact any of the editors listed on the Journal homepage http://www.elsevier.com/locate/molstruc . The benefits of refereeing include the opportunity to stay up to date on the latest work in your research area. You may also be able to cite your work as referee as part of your professional development requirements for various Professional Societies and Organisations.