The Peer Review Process

The peer review process is at the core of reputable scholarly publishing and is the driving force behind all IGI Global books and journals. IGI Global reviewers maintain the highest ethical standards of scientific research and all manuscripts follow a double-anonymized peer review process that is fully conducted within the IGI Global eEditorial Discovery® (EED)® online submission system.

The reviews are then easily accessible to the IGI Global editorial staff which ensures that should accusations of questionable peer review arise, IGI Global will be able to support its published authors and editors in dismissing these claims and ensuring the continued success of the corresponding publications. View IGI Global’s full Ethics and Malpractice Statement here.

As a publisher of scholarly articles and chapters, IGI Global realizes that fraud erodes the public trust and deeply affects the outcomes of all research results and findings reported within scholarly journals and academic reference books. As such, IGI Global has taken on several measures to avoid such indiscretions:

• The Editor(s)-in-Chief of a book or journal is the only person responsible for the initial review of a submission to verify that it meets the coverage of the book or journal and also to ensure that authors’ names and affiliations are removed from the paper prior to assigning it for review.
• All individuals invited to join an editorial advisory or review board must submit a copy of their Curriculum Vitae/Resume for review, and there must be a written email or letter by that person accepting the nomination and appointment to the board.
• All Editor(s)-in-Chief of books and journals must utilize the eEditorial Discovery® online submission system to assign reviewers to manuscripts. Likewise, all reviews must be submitted by the reviewers through the system. This allows a paper trail in the event a question arises surrounding the review process.
• Those Editor(s)-in-Chief of books and journals still in a transition stage of moving all submitted papers to the eEditorial Discovery® online submission system who may be assigning some reviews outside of the system, are asked to submit the reviewer’s evaluation form when providing an accepted paper to IGI Global for publication.

How long does the double-anonymized peer review process take?

The entire review process can typically take anywhere from 12 to 16 weeks. Should the reviewers' comments contradict one another or a report is delayed, an additional expert review will be sought. If necessary, revised manuscripts may be returned to the initial reviewers for re-evaluation. The Editor(s)-in-Chief may require more than one revision of a manuscript, and additional reviewers may also be invited to review the manuscript at any time.

• Journal Publications
• Edited Book Publications
• Authored Book Publications

Journal Publications

Journal Editor(s)-in-Chief Responsibilities:

• Organizing and maintaining an Editorial Board (minimum of 8+ Associate Editors and 50+ Editorial Review Board Members representing researchers from international institutions).
• Recruiting quality research manuscript submissions for the journal.
• Utilizing a minimum of three Editorial Review Board Members (and Ad Hoc Reviewers as necessary) and one Associate Editor in conducting a double-anonymized peer review of each manuscript through the eEditorial Discovery® online manuscript submission system.
• Collecting and organizing final materials for each issue, ensuring that every manuscript submission adheres to IGI Global’s formatting and submission guidelines.
• Sending completed issues on a semi-annual or quarterly basis to the IGI Global Journal Development Department.

Reviewer Responsibilities and Expectations:

Individuals appointed as reviewers are performing an important and valuable job, assuring that a manuscript is being published with integrity and accuracy. Serving as a reviewer is a key step and significant contributing factor in an individual’s academic career progression. This responsibility increases visibility, as well as an individual’s knowledge of current and novel research in the field. Reviewers are conducting a professional service for their colleagues to improve the quality of their work and the availability of advanced research in the field at large. Reviewers are also encouraged to act as ambassadors for IGI Global, sourcing potential authors and subscribers in their region.

If a reviewer feels that they are familiar with the identity of the author of the submitted work, they are expected to notify the Editor(s)-in-Chief as soon as possible to make sure that the integrity of the anonymized review process is not compromised.

Upon receipt of a manuscript for review, reviewers are requested to carefully read each manuscript, supporting their evaluation with relevant citations with the goal of helping the author(s) construct a more rigorous research work by providing constructive feedback, as well as an honest assessment of the value of the manuscript. Reviewers are requested to provide their overall assessment of the work, followed by a specific list of comments. While grammatical corrections are valuable, the review must stretch beyond the use of punctuation, spelling, and language usage. Reviewers are not expected to copy edit, proofread, or translate the manuscript, as the author is expected to have their work professionally copy edited prior to submission.

An appropriate evaluation includes an analysis of the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses, suggestions on how to make it more complete, relevant, and readable, as well as specific questions for the authors to address. Ultimately, providing advice that leads to action. Vague statements and no points of action do not provide goals for the authors and will hinder any subsequent revisions.

Reviewers are requested to avoid making derogatory and unprofessional comments. If a reviewer does not find the manuscript to be publishable, they should still provide extensive comments regarding why the paper is not acceptable and constructive directions for future submissions. A decision to “reject” the manuscript, with no feedback to the author(s), does not help them advance their skills. Reviewers are also requested to provide specific page numbers and explicitly state the areas of the manuscript to which they are referring, also providing relevant citations to the authors to improve the work. Also, assessing the tables, figures, and diagrams and providing further recommendations as needed.

Each review board member is evaluated every six months. The timeliness, rigorousness, and quality of each review performed during that period will be considered. Evaluations are scored on both timeliness and quality. High quality and timely reviews are essential to IGI Global’s goal of publishing high quality work in a timely manner. Exceptional performance will allow the reviewer to move up in the ranks of the editorial board and be considered for special projects. This means that when there is a vacancy, Editorial Review Board members may be promoted to an Associate Editor role. Associate Editors (or a highly qualified, tenured Editorial Review Board member) may even have the potential to be appointed as Editor-in-Chief when there is a vacancy. Poor performance will lead to demotion and eventual removal from the board if the performance continues to decline.

Initial Assessment

All new journal article submissions are submitted through the eEditorial Discovery® online submission system and screened by the Editor(s)-in-Chief for suitability. Those that pass are then assigned to the double-anonymized peer review process. Authors of manuscripts that are rejected during the initial assessment stage will be promptly notified.

Note: Journal Special Issues will require a preliminary review phase where a Guest Editor will submit a project proposal to the Editor(s)-in-Chief of the journal prior to recruiting content. The issue materials will then undergo the standard double-anonymized peer review process.

Note: IGI Global requires that all manuscripts submitted to our publications be professionally copy edited. We highly recommend eContent Pro, a professional editorial services provider, to its authors and editors for supplemental editorial services, for which IGI Global authors and editors receive a 25% discount.

Double-Anonymized Peer Review

Once an article manuscript is deemed suitable by the Editor(s)-in-Chief to enter the double-anonymized peer review process, it will be anonymized and assigned to at least 3 to 5 Editorial Review Board Members (and if needed Ad Hoc Reviewers) via the eEditorial Discovery® System.

The assignment of reviewers is based on the reviewers' areas of expertise. The reviewers’ expertise must align with the substance of the manuscript. The present workload of the reviewer is also considered.

Reviewers are given evaluation criteria and asked to provide anonymous comments to the author and may also provide confidential feedback to the Editor(s)-in-Chief.

Reviewers are asked to evaluate a manuscript for:

• Originality and significance of contribution. Is the manuscript in congruence with the mission of the journal?
• Interest to research community and/or practitioners. How useful is the material to the field?
• International relevance.
• Coverage of existing literature. Does the literature review contain relevant information in support of the article?
• Satisfactoriness of methodology, analysis, and comprehension. Does the article contain a detailed explanation of research methods and procedures?
• Clear, concise, and jargon-free writing. Does the article clearly state the issues being addressed?
• Organizational structure. Is the article clearly organized in a logical fashion? Are the author’s conclusions supported by the research?

Once all reviews have been received, the Editor(s)-in-Chief will send the reviews to an Associate Editor for their evaluation of the manuscript. Once the Associate Editor’s evaluation is received, the Editor(s)-in-Chief will determine whether the manuscript is accepted, requires revision, or is rejected.

The Editor(s)-in-Chief will make the reviews available to the author(s) and the comments to the author(s) of the manuscript are also made available to the other reviewers of the manuscript so that they can continue to improve upon their critiquing skills.

If the manuscript is accepted, then the author will be provided with the formatting guidelines for final submission. If the manuscript requires substantial revisions, then the author will be expected to follow the reviewer’s commentary and also the formatting guidelines for the re-submission of the manuscript. Once the revised manuscript is received it will be sent back to the Associate Editor for evaluation, and then the Associate Editor’s decision will be sent to the Editor(s)-in-Chief. This process may repeat itself several times before a final decision is reached. If the manuscript is rejected, then the process ends and the Editor(s)-in-Chief may recommend another outlet if appropriate.

Note: The return of a manuscript to the author(s) for revision does not guarantee acceptance of the manuscript for publication.

Edited Book Publications

Types of Edited Book Publications:

• Edited References
• Encyclopedias
• Handbooks of Research
• Case Books

Book Editor(s)-in-Chief Responsibilities:

• Submit a book proposal outlining the content coverage for consideration by the IGI Global Editorial Advisory Board.
• Organizing an International Advisory Board representing researchers from international institutions.
• Recruiting quality research manuscript submissions for the book.
• Assigning a minimum of 2-3 reviewers to conduct a thorough double-anonymized peer review of each manuscript through the eEditorial Discovery® online manuscript submission system.
• Collecting and organizing final materials for each manuscript submission, ensuring that every manuscript adheres to IGI Global’s formatting and submission guidelines.
• Submitting all final materials to the IGI Global Book Development Department.

Reviewer Responsibilities and Expectations:

Individuals appointed as reviewers are performing an important and valuable job, assuring that a manuscript is being published with integrity and accuracy. Serving as a reviewer is a key step and significant contributing factor in an individual’s academic career progression. This responsibility increases visibility, as well as an individual’s knowledge of current and novel research in the field. Reviewers are conducting a professional service for their colleagues to improve the quality of their work and the availability of advanced research in the field at large. Reviewers are also encouraged to act as ambassadors for IGI Global, sourcing potential authors and subscribers in their region.

If a reviewer feels that they are familiar with the identity of the author of the submitted work, they are expected to notify the Editor(s)-in-Chief as soon as possible to make sure that the integrity of the anonymized review process is not compromised.

Upon receipt of a manuscript for review, reviewers are requested to carefully read each manuscript, supporting their evaluation with relevant citations with the goal of helping the author(s) construct a more rigorous research work by providing constructive feedback. Providing an honest assessment of the value of the manuscript. Reviewers are requested to provide their overall assessment of the work, followed by a specific list of comments. While grammatical corrections are valuable, the review must stretch beyond the use of punctuation, spelling, and language usage. Reviewers are not expected to copy edit, proofread, or translate the manuscript, as the author is expected to have their work professionally copy edited prior to submission.

An appropriate evaluation includes an analysis of the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses, suggestions on how to make it more complete, relevant, and readable, as well as specific questions for the authors to address. Ultimately, providing advice that leads to action. Vague statements and no points of action do not provide goals for the authors and will hinder any subsequent revisions.

Reviewers are requested to avoid making derogatory and unprofessional comments. If a reviewer does not find the manuscript to be publishable, they should still provide extensive comments regarding why the paper is not acceptable and constructive directions for future submissions. A decision to “reject” the manuscript, with no feedback to the author(s), does not help them advance their skills. Reviewers are also requested to provide specific page numbers and explicitly state the areas of the manuscript to which they are referring, also providing relevant citations to the authors to improve the work. Also, assessing the tables, figures, and diagrams and providing further recommendations as needed.

Initial Assessment

The book proposal is screened by the IGI Global Editorial Advisory Board for suitability. Once accepted, the book project will be contracted and the Editor(s)-in-Chief may begin recruiting content. Chapter manuscript proposals are screened by the Editor(s)-in-Chief for suitability. If a chapter manuscript proposal is deemed suitable, the Editor(s)-in-Chief will request that a full chapter manuscript be submitted for consideration. Once the full chapter manuscript is received, it is entered into the double-anonymized peer review process. Authors of chapter manuscript proposals that are rejected during the initial assessment stage will be promptly notified.

Double-Anonymized Peer Review

Once a chapter manuscript is deemed suitable by the Editor(s)-in-Chief to enter the double-anonymized peer review process, it will be anonymized and assigned to at least 3 to 5 reviewers via the eEditorial Discovery® System.

The assignment of reviewers is based on the reviewers' areas of expertise. The reviewers’ expertise must align with the substance of the manuscript. Reviewers are given evaluation criteria and asked to provide anonymous comments to the author and are also may also provide confidential feedback to the Editor(s)-in-Chief.

Reviewers are asked to evaluate a manuscript for:

• Originality and significance of contribution. Is the chapter in congruence with the objectives of the book project?
• Interest to research community and/or practitioners. How useful is the material to the field?
• International relevance.
• Coverage of existing literature. Does the literature review contain relevant information in support of the chapter?
• Satisfactoriness of methodology, analysis, and comprehension. Does the chapter contain a detailed explanation of research methods and procedures?
• Clear, concise, and jargon-free writing. Does the chapter clearly state the issues being addressed?
• Organizational structure. Is the chapter clearly organized in a logical fashion? Are the author’s conclusions supported by the research?

Once the reviews are completed, the Editor(s)-in-Chief may seek additional consult from the Managing Editors and/or International Advisory Board. The Editor(s)-in-Chief will then make the reviews available to the author(s). If the manuscript is accepted, then the author will be provided the formatting guidelines for final submission. If the manuscript requires substantial revisions, then the author will be expected to follow the reviewer’s commentary and also the formatting guidelines for the re-submission of the manuscript. Once the revised manuscript is received, the Editor-in-Chief may decide to consult a Managing Editor or member of the International Advisory Board of the book. The Editor-in-Chief will at that time make a decision to either accept, reject, or request additional revisions for the revised manuscript. If additional revisions are requested, this process may repeat itself several times before a final decision is reached. If the manuscript is ultimately rejected, then the process ends and the Editor(s)-in-Chief may recommend another outlet if appropriate.

Note: The return of a manuscript to the author(s) for revision does not guarantee acceptance of the manuscript for publication.

Authored Book Publications

Types of Authored Book Publications:

• Authored References
• Research Insights

Book Editor(s)-in-Chief Responsibilities:

• Submit a book proposal outlining the content coverage for consideration by the IGI Global Editorial Advisory Board.
• Ensure that the manuscript is professionally copy edited prior to submission.
• Ensure that the manuscript is submitted according to IGI Global’s organization and formatting guidelines.

Reviewer Responsibilities and Expectations:

Individuals appointed as reviewers are performing an important and valuable job, assuring that a manuscript is being published with integrity and accuracy. Serving as a reviewer is a key step and significant contributing factor in an individual’s academic career progression. This responsibility increases visibility, as well as an individual’s knowledge of current and novel research in the field. Reviewers are conducting a professional service for their colleagues to improve the quality of their work and the availability of advanced research in the field at large. Reviewers are also encouraged to act as ambassadors for IGI Global, sourcing potential authors and subscribers in their region.

If a reviewer feels that they are familiar with the identity of the author of the submitted work, they are expected to notify the IGI Global Editorial Advisory Board as soon as possible to make sure that the integrity of the anonymized review process is not compromised.

Upon receipt of a manuscript for review, reviewers are requested to carefully read each manuscript, supporting their evaluation with relevant citations with the goal of helping the author(s) construct a more rigorous research work by providing constructive feedback. Providing an honest assessment of the value of the manuscript. Reviewers are requested to provide their overall assessment of the work, followed by a specific list of comments. While grammatical corrections are valuable, the review must stretch beyond the use of punctuation, spelling, and language usage. Reviewers are not expected to copy edit, proofread, or translate the manuscript, as the author is expected to have their work professionally copy edited prior to submission.

An appropriate evaluation includes an analysis of the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses, suggestions on how to make it more complete, relevant, and readable, as well as specific questions for the authors to address. Ultimately, providing advice that leads to action. Vague statements and no points of action do not provide goals for the authors and will hinder any subsequent revisions.

Reviewers are requested to avoid making derogatory and unprofessional comments. If a reviewer does not find the manuscript to be publishable, they should still provide extensive comments regarding why the paper is not acceptable and constructive directions for future submissions. A decision to “reject” the manuscript, with no feedback to the author(s), does not help them advance their skills. Reviewers are also requested to provide specific page numbers and explicitly state the areas of the manuscript to which they are referring, also providing relevant citations to the authors to improve the work. Also, assessing the tables, figures, and diagrams and providing further recommendations as needed.

Each review board member is evaluated every six months. The timeliness, rigorousness, and quality of each review performed during that period will be considered. Evaluations are scored on both timeliness and quality. High quality and timely reviews are essential to IGI Global’s goal of publishing high quality work in a timely manner. Exceptional performance will allow the reviewer to move up in the ranks of the editorial board and be considered for special projects.

Initial Assessment

The book proposal is screened by the IGI Global Editorial Advisory Board for suitability. If the book proposal is deemed suitable, the book project will be contracted and the IGI Global Editorial Advisory Board will request that a full book manuscript be submitted for consideration. Once the full book manuscript is received and deemed suitable by the IGI Global Editorial Advisory Board, it is entered into the double-anonymized peer review process. Authors of book proposals that are rejected during the initial assessment stage will be promptly notified.

Double-Anonymized Peer Review

Once a full book manuscript is received and is deemed suitable by IGI Global’s Editorial Advisory Board, the manuscript will be anonymized and assigned for review to at least 3 to 5 members of the IGI Global Editorial Review Board. The assignment of reviewers is based on the reviewers' areas of expertise. The reviewers’ expertise must align with the substance of the manuscript. The present workload of the reviewer is also considered.

Reviewers are given evaluation criteria and asked to provide anonymous comments to the author and also may provide confidential feedback to the members of the IGI Global Editorial Advisory Board. The comments to the authors of the manuscript are also made available to other reviewers so that they can continue to improve upon their critiquing skills.

Reviewers are asked to evaluate a manuscript for:

• Originality and significance of contribution.
• Interest to research community and/or practitioners. How useful is the material to the field?
• International relevance.
• Coverage of existing literature. Does the literature review contain relevant information in support of the manuscript?
• Satisfactoriness of methodology, analysis, and comprehension. Does the manuscript contain a detailed explanation of research methods and procedures?
• Clear, concise, and jargon-free writing. Does the manuscript clearly state the issues being addressed?
• Organizational structure. Is the manuscript clearly organized in a logical fashion? Are the author’s conclusions supported by the research?

Once all reviews are received from the assigned reviewers, the IGI Global Editorial Advisory Board will make the anonymized reviews available to the author of the publication, along with a decision from the IGI Global Editorial Advisory Board regarding their publication decision. If the IGI Global Editorial Advisory Board believes that the manuscript is acceptable “as is” they will immediately provide the author with the formatting guidelines for final submission. If they believe that revisions are necessary, they will convey this to the author by pointing out the areas requiring revision and also provide the formatting guidelines. If the manuscript is rejected, the advisory board may recommend another publication outlet, if appropriate.

Once the revised manuscript is received, it will be entered by the IGI Global Editorial Advisory Board into another round of review, and the process will repeat itself until the manuscript is deemed publishable, or if the process ends with a final rejection.

Note: The return of a manuscript to the author(s) for revision does not guarantee acceptance of the manuscript for publication.

Proofing and Publication

Once the manuscript reaches production, the lead authors and editors, as well as contributing authors will have the opportunity to proof their manuscript prior to being sent to print. This process allows for authors and editors to provide annotations utilizing functionality in the eEditorial Discovery® online submission system.

Becoming a Reviewer for IGI Global

The benefits of reviewing for IGI Global include the opportunity to evaluate the latest research in your area of expertise, while expanding your dossier. You will be able to cite your work as a reviewer for IGI Global as part of your professional and academic requirements for various professional and research societies and organizations. If you are not currently a reviewer for IGI Global, but would like to be added to our reviewer e-Book and e-Journal Collections, please apply now.