Peer Review Policy for Journal of Systems and Software
Peer Review Policy for Journal of Systems and Software
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 Journal of Systems and Software and all manuscripts are peer reviewed following the procedure outlined below.
Initial manuscript evaluation
The Editor-in-Chief and Area Editors first evaluate the 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 for peer review typically by two external experts.
Type of Peer Review
This journal employs single blind review, where the referee remains anonymous throughout the process.
How the referee is selected
The Editor-in-Chief and Area Editors may choose to review the paper directly, or send it to referees, who 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, a further expert opinion will be sought. Revised manuscripts are returned to the referees for re-review at the discretion of the handling editor, depending on the nature and significance of the revisions.
Final report
The final decision to accept or reject the manuscript will be sent to the author along with any recommendations made by the Editor-in-Chief or the Area Editors and by the referees, and may include verbatim comments by the referees, the Area Editors or the Editor-in-Chief.
Becoming a Referee for Journal of Systems and Software
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 either the Editor-in-Chief or one of the Area Editors (see contact details at www.elsevier.com/locate/jss.)
