Peer Review Process

Educational Management Studies (EMS)

Educational Management Studies (EMS) is committed to maintaining high academic standards and ensuring the quality, originality, and relevance of every manuscript published. To achieve this, all submissions undergo a rigorous peer-review process.

1. Submission and Initial Screening

All manuscripts submitted to EMS are first evaluated by the Editorial Office to ensure that they meet the journal’s basic requirements, including:

  • Scope and relevance to educational management studies

  • Compliance with author guidelines and formatting

  • Originality and plagiarism screening

  • Ethical standards and research integrity

Manuscripts that do not fulfill these criteria may be returned to the authors without external review.

2. Editorial Review

After passing the initial screening, the manuscript is assigned to an Editor or Section Editor who assesses:

  • The academic contribution of the paper

  • Methodological soundness

  • Clarity of writing and structure

The editor determines whether the manuscript should proceed to peer review or be rejected at this stage.

3. Double-Blind Peer Review

Educational Management Studies (EMS) applies a double-blind peer review system, meaning:

  • Reviewers do not know the identity of the authors

  • Authors do not know the identity of the reviewers

This ensures fairness, objectivity, and unbiased evaluation.

Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent experts in the relevant field.

4. Review Criteria

Reviewers are asked to evaluate manuscripts based on the following aspects:

  • Originality and novelty of the research

  • Relevance to educational management and leadership

  • Theoretical and conceptual contribution

  • Research design and methodology

  • Data analysis and interpretation

  • Quality of discussion and conclusions

  • References and academic writing quality

5. Review Decisions

Based on the reviewers’ recommendations, the editor will make one of the following decisions:

  • Accept (with minor or no revisions)

  • Minor Revision

  • Major Revision

  • Reject

Authors will receive constructive feedback and are expected to revise the manuscript accordingly.

6. Revision Process

If revisions are required:

  • Authors must submit a revised manuscript within the given timeframe

  • A response letter addressing reviewers’ comments must be included

  • Revised manuscripts may be sent back to reviewers for further evaluation, especially in cases of major revisions

7. Final Decision

The final decision on acceptance is made by the Editor-in-Chief based on:

  • Reviewer reports

  • Editorial assessment

  • Manuscript quality after revision

The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to reject manuscripts that fail to meet the journal’s publication standards.

8. Publication Ethics and Confidentiality

All parties involved in the peer review process must adhere to ethical standards:

  • Reviewers must maintain confidentiality

  • Conflicts of interest must be disclosed

  • Manuscripts are reviewed solely for academic merit

EMS follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

9. Review Timeline

EMS strives to provide timely decisions:

  • Initial screening: 1–2 weeks

  • Peer review process: 4–6 weeks

  • Total time to first decision: approximately 6–8 weeks

10. Acknowledgement of Reviewers

Educational Management Studies highly appreciates the contributions of reviewers who support the journal’s academic quality and integrity.