Decision-Making Process

Academia International Research Journal (Multidisciplinary)

Academia International Research Journal (Multidisciplinary) is committed to a transparent, rigorous, and impartial editorial decision-making process. Each manuscript is carefully evaluated to ensure originality, relevance, ethical compliance, and significant scholarly contribution within its respective discipline.

1. Initial Submission Screening

Preliminary Editorial Review
Upon submission, the editorial office conducts an initial check to verify:

  • Compliance with AIRJ formatting and submission requirements (e.g., title, abstract, keywords, references)

  • Plagiarism screening using accepted tools with a similarity threshold of 10%

  • Completion of necessary elements such as author details, funding disclosures, ethical statements, and licensing agreements

Scope and Relevance Assessment
The Editor-in-Chief or assigned Section Editor reviews the manuscript’s alignment with AIRJ’s multidisciplinary scope. Manuscripts outside the scope may be desk-rejected without external review.

2. Peer Review Process

Reviewer Assignment
Manuscripts passing initial screening are assigned to at least two independent reviewers with relevant subject expertise. AIRJ follows a double-blind peer review process to maintain objectivity.

Evaluation Criteria
Reviewers assess the manuscript on:

  • Originality and contribution to knowledge within the discipline

  • Soundness of methodology and research design

  • Clarity and coherence of findings and conclusions

  • Ethical compliance and accurate citations

  • Relevance to the academic and practitioner communities

Reviewer Recommendations
Reviewers provide one of the following recommendations:

  • Accept

  • Minor Revisions (editor review only)

  • Major Revisions (may require further peer review)

  • Reject

3. Editorial Evaluation and Final Decision

Review Synthesis
The handling editor consolidates reviewers’ feedback. If opinions differ substantially, a third reviewer may be consulted, or the case referred to the editorial board.

Final Decision
The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision based on reviewer reports and editorial judgment. Possible outcomes include:

  • Accept

  • Minor Revisions Required

  • Major Revisions Required

  • Reject

A detailed decision letter including anonymized reviewer comments is sent to the corresponding author.

4. Revisions and Resubmission

Minor Revisions
Authors are typically given 2–4 weeks to submit revisions, which are then reviewed by the handling editor.

Major Revisions
Authors have 4–8 weeks to revise and resubmit. Revised manuscripts may undergo a second round of peer review depending on the extent of changes.

Resubmission After Rejection
Rejected manuscripts are generally not reconsidered. Resubmission may be allowed only if substantial improvements are made and at the discretion of the editorial board.

5. Communication and Appeals

Decision Notification
Authors receive formal communication containing:

  • Editorial decision

  • Consolidated reviewer feedback

  • Instructions for revision or publication

Appeals Process
Authors may appeal decisions by submitting a written request with justification. Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated panel. All appeal decisions are final.

6. Post-Acceptance Workflow

Final Submission Requirements
Following acceptance, authors must provide:

  • Final revised manuscript

  • Author biographies

  • Signed copyright and licensing agreements

  • High-resolution figures and tables (if applicable)

Copyediting and Proofing
Manuscripts undergo professional copyediting. Authors receive proofs for final approval prior to publication.

Online Publication
Accepted articles are published in the forthcoming issue and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license.

7. Ethical Oversight

Conflict of Interest
All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any conflicts of interest that may affect impartiality.

Ethical Compliance
Research involving human subjects, surveys, or sensitive data must include ethical approvals and informed consent documentation where applicable.

Data Integrity
The journal upholds strict standards for data accuracy, transparency, and reproducibility. Cases of data fabrication or misconduct will be investigated and may result in retraction and institutional notification.

This editorial decision-making framework reflects Academia International Research Journal (Multidisciplinary)’s commitment to scholarly excellence, transparency, and ethical publishing practices across disciplines.