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DISCRETE OPTIMIZATION
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Peer Review Policy for Dicrete Optimization
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 for all reputable scientific journals. Our referees play a vital role in maintaining the high standards of Discrete Optimatization and all manuscripts are peer reviewed following the procedure outlined below.
Initial manuscript evaluation
The Editor-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor evaluate first every submitted manuscript. Manuscripts may be rejected at this stage if they are insufficiently original, have poor grammar or use of the English language, or are outside the aims and scope of the journal. Authors of manuscripts rejected at this stage will be informed as soon as possible, generally within one month of submission. Submissions that meet the minimal criteria are passed on to at least 2-3 experts for review.
In the case of manuscripts deemed to better fit within the scope of one of the two sister journals of Discrete Optimatization (Discrete Mathematics or Discrete Applied Mathematics), the editorial office will contact the authors to suggest such a transfer.
Type of Peer Review
Discrete Optimatization employs single blind reviews, in which the referees remain anonymous throughout the process.
How referees are 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, though these recommendations may or may not be used. In such cases, the authors are encouraged to submit longer lists of potential referees (consisting of 10-12 names and addresses); the submission of shorter lists is not useful since it may jeopardize the anonymity of the referees. Authors may also request the editorial office to avoid the assignment of certain people as referees of their submissions. The editorial office will honor such requests.
Referee reports
Referees are asked to evaluate whether the manuscript:
- is original
- properly belongs to the central focus of Discrete Optimatization
- 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 and is considered the responsibility of the authors.
Should the referees' reports contradict one another, a further expert opinion will be sought.
Referees are also requested to make suggestions about the appropriateness of resubmitting to Discrete Mathematics a revised version of the manuscript, and whether the necessary revisions are major or minor. In the case of manuscripts not acceptable for publication in Discrete Optimatization, referees can recommend their submission to other journals, possibly indicating some at the appropriate level, or those having appropriate special interests.
Refereeing time
Every effort is made to promptly identify referees with high expertise and to assure their timely cooperation. In the case that a report is unnecessarily delayed or that referees fail to cooperate, additional referees will be contacted as necessary until all required reports are returned. Referees will be reminded repeatedly throughout the process to ensure their timely response.
Revisions
Authors of manuscripts to be revised should return their revisions within 6 months, along with explanations concerning each of the revisions proposed by the referees. The revised version and the authors' comments will be promptly sent back to the referees with the request for a second report to be returned as quickly as possible. The referees and/or the editorial office may request as many revisions of a manuscript as they deem to be necessary.
Final decision
Referees and/or Guest Editors of Special Issues advise the Managing Editor and the Editor-in-Chief, who are responsible for the final decision to accept or reject all articles. The 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.
Becoming a Referee for Discrete Mathematics
If you are not currently a referee for Discrete Optimatization but would like to be added to the list of referees for this title, please contact the editorial office at editor@rutcor.rutgers.edu. The benefits of refereeing for Discrete Optimatization include the opportunity to see and evaluate the latest work in your research area at an early stage, and to be acknowledged in an annual statement in the journal.
Special Issues
Discrete Optimatization publishes Special Issues focused on a particular important topic, pertinent to the scope of the journal. One or more Guest Editors are appointed by the Editor-in-Chief to be in charge of each Special Issue. Although Discrete Optimatization does not publish conference proceedings volumes, it frequently publishes Special Issues consisting of selections of thoroughly refereed papers presented at a conference.
Manuscripts submitted to Special Issues of Discrete Optimatization are peer reviewed following the same standards as those submitted to regular issues. Based on the referees' reports, the Guest Editor(s) of Special Issues make recommendations concerning the acceptance or rejection of submitted manuscripts, and the final decision is arrived at jointly through consultation between the Guest Editor(s) and the Editor-in-Chief.
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