Peer Review Policy for Information and Software Technology
Peer Review Policy for Information and Software Technology
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 Information and Software Technology and all manuscripts are peer reviewed following the procedure outlined below.
Initial manuscript evaluation
The Editors-in-Chief first evaluates all manuscripts. It is rare, but it is entirely feasible for an exceptional manuscript to be accepted at this stage. Reasons for rejection at this stage include insufficient originality and scientific merits, obvious technical flaws, poor writing, inappropriate length, and improper match to 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. We welcome suggestions for referees from the author, through these recommendations may or may not be used.
Referee reports
Referees are asked to evaluate whether the manuscript:
- Is original
- Is methodologically sound
- 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, but they may, if they so wish suggest corrections to the manuscript.
How long does the review process take?
Typically the manuscript will be reviewed within four months, but review time may be longer or shorter in individual cases. Should the referees' reports contradict one another or a report be unnecessarily delayed, the Editors-in-Chief may be sought for a further expert opinion.
Final report
The final decision to accept or reject the manuscript will be sent to the author along with any recommendations made by the Editors-in-Chief, and by the referees, and may include verbatim comments by the referees, and the Editors-in-Chief.
Becoming a Referee for Information and Software Technology
If you are not currently a referee for the journal, but would like to be added to the list of referees for this title, please contact one of the Editors (see contact details at www.elsevier.com/locate/infsof.)
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