AJESS (Academic Journal of Education and Social Sciences) adopts a robust article review process to ensure the quality and integrity of research and scientific knowledge. AJESS aims to promote academic trust through transparency, impartiality, and adherence to international publishing standards. Every article published in AJESS undergoes a comprehensive review process, which is carried out with thoroughness, transparency, and professionalism.

1. Article Submission and Preliminary Review

Articles are submitted to the AJESS online submission system. During submission, authors upload their manuscript and any required documents. The submitted article is first reviewed by the editor.

• Content Relevance: The editor evaluates whether the article aligns with AJESS’s scope and focus. The article is assessed to ensure it fits the journal’s academic goals and themes.
• Writing and Language Check: AJESS requires articles to adhere to academic writing standards (such as APA, MLA, etc.). The manuscript is reviewed for grammar, spelling, and academic style.
• Ethical Review: AJESS ensures that the submitted articles are ethically sound. The COPE guidelines and plagiarism checks are carefully evaluated.

If the article passes this preliminary review, it proceeds to the peer review stage. If the article fails the preliminary review, it is rejected, and the process is concluded.

2. Double-Blind Peer Review Process

AJESS follows a double-blind peer review model, where both authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other. This ensures impartial and objective evaluations.

• Reviewer Selection: The article is sent to two independent reviewers who are selected based on their expertise in the subject matter. AJESS editors choose experts in the relevant field of study.
• Reviewer Feedback: Reviewers provide a detailed report on the article’s scientific quality, methodological soundness, alignment with the literature, innovative contributions, data analysis, and the validity of findings.
• Evaluation Criteria for Reviewers:
• Scientific Contribution: Reviewers assess whether the article makes an original and significant contribution to the field.
• Methodological Soundness: The validity and reliability of the research methods used in the article are evaluated.
• Data and Findings Presentation: The presentation of data, transparency, accuracy, and reliability of findings are examined.
• Writing and Presentation Quality: The clarity, coherence, and academic rigor of the writing are scrutinized.
• Review Outcome: Reviewers provide recommendations for the article’s acceptance, revision, or rejection. Authors are asked to make revisions based on reviewer feedback. These revisions are reviewed again by the editor and, if necessary, the reviewers.

3. Post-Review and Decision-Making Process

After the reviewers’ evaluations, the editors make a final decision on the article.

• Acceptance: If the article meets the required standards and the reviewers are satisfied, it is accepted for publication, and the process moves to the next stage.
• Revision Required: If the article is deemed acceptable with revisions, the author is given a period to make corrections based on the reviewer comments. The revised manuscript is then re-submitted for further review.
• Rejection: If the article fails to meet the scientific or methodological standards, it is rejected. Authors receive detailed feedback about the reasons for the rejection.

4. Rights and Responsibilities of Authors and Reviewers

• Authors: Authors retain the copyright to their work but agree to make their articles freely accessible under AJESS’s open access policy. Authors are expected to adhere to ethical guidelines and respond to reviewer comments constructively.
• Reviewers: Reviewers are required to provide objective and constructive feedback during the review process. They must disclose any conflicts of interest and maintain impartiality throughout. AJESS ensures that reviewers’ identities are kept anonymous to maintain the integrity of the process.

5. Ethics and Transparency

AJESS follows strict ethical guidelines in scientific publishing. Editors, authors, and reviewers are expected to adhere to ethical principles at every stage:

• COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) and ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) guidelines form the foundation of the process. Authors must avoid plagiarism, cite sources correctly, and maintain transparency and accuracy in their work.
• Copyright and Open Access: AJESS publishes all articles under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, ensuring that the content is freely accessible under non-commercial terms. This allows the article to be shared, provided the original authors are credited.
• Plagiarism Detection: AJESS performs plagiarism checks on every article to prevent any unethical content from being published.

6. Exceptions and Legal Procedures

• If any ethical violations or copyright infringements are detected, the content will be retracted, and AJESS will initiate necessary legal procedures.
• Authors are prohibited from modifying the published articles or using them for commercial purposes under the licensing terms.

7. Process Evaluation and Feedback

AJESS continuously evaluates the effectiveness of its article review process every year. Authors and reviewers are encouraged to provide feedback on the process. Based on this feedback, AJESS continuously improves the quality and efficiency of the review process.