1) Scope of Peer Review

• Article types: Research Articles, Reviews, Short Communications, Method Notes.
• Editor-curated content (e.g., Editorials) may be externally reviewed at the Editor-in-Chief’s (EiC) discretion.
• Preprints: Allowed; disclose the preprint DOI and ensure files are blinded for review.

2) Roles and Responsibilities

• Editor-in-Chief (EiC): Policy oversight; adjudicates complex/appeal cases; final decisions.
• Handling/Associate Editors (HEs): Triage, select reviewers, manage review, synthesize reports, recommend decisions.
• Editorial Office: Admin checks, similarity screening, blinding verification, communications, deadline tracking.
• Reviewers: Confidential, unbiased, and timely assessments; declare COIs; use the journal’s structured form; professional tone.
• Authors: Authorship integrity (CRediT roles recommended), ethics compliance, data/code availability, point-by-point replies.

3) Submission & Administrative Screening (Target: 3–7 days)

1. Completeness & Format: Required sections, references, figures/tables, file types, and anonymized manuscript (no author names, self-identifying funding lines, acknowledgments in the review copy).
2. Scope & Ethics: Fit to aims/scope; human/animal approvals; field permits; biosafety; indigenous/community permissions where applicable.
3. Similarity Screening: Plagiarism/duplication check (excluding references/quotes). Excessive or inappropriate overlap may be returned or investigated.
4. Data & Transparency: Data availability statement, code availability (if applicable), funding, COI, and author contributions.
5. Desk Evaluation (EiC/HE): Novelty, methodological soundness, clarity, relevance. Outcomes: Send to review or Desk reject (with brief rationale).

4) Reviewer Selection & Invitation (Initiated by ≤ Day 10)

• Number & Expertise: At least two field experts; statistical/methods reviewer added when appropriate.
• Diversity & Balance: Diverse geography, gender, career stages; early-career co-reviewers allowed with disclosure/approval.
• COI Screening: Exclude reviewers with financial, personal, or recent collaborative conflicts; reviewers affirm no COI.
• Invitation Window: Reviewers accept/decline within 5 days; replacements issued promptly if declined/no response.

5) Reviewer Guidance & Structured Criteria

Reviewers provide ratings and narrative comments on:

• Significance & Originality
• Methodology & Statistics (design, controls, reproducibility, appropriate analyses)
• Results & Interpretation (strength of evidence, uncertainty, limitations)
• Ethics & Compliance (approvals, consent, permits; image/data integrity)
• Transparency & Reproducibility (data/code availability, materials access)
• Presentation Quality (structure, clarity, figures/tables, referencing)
• Literature Context & Citation Appropriateness

Recommendations: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, Reject. Confidential notes to editors are supported.

6) Review Timelines & Reminders

• Standard review window: 14–21 days from acceptance of the invitation.
• Automated reminders precede deadlines; brief extensions may be granted by the HE with justification.

7) Editorial Synthesis & Decision (Round 1)

The HE synthesizes reviewer reports and the manuscript record (ethics/data checks) and recommends a decision for EiC confirmation:

1. Accept (rare at first round)
2. Minor Revision (author return target: 7–14 days)
3. Major Revision (author return target: 21–35 days)
4. Reject (with constructive rationale)

Decision letters reconcile conflicting reviews, prioritize essential revisions, and provide clear instructions with deadlines.

8) Revisions by Authors

• Response Document: Point-by-point rebuttal addressing every comment; indicate page/line changes.
• Files: Clean manuscript and (if requested) tracked-changes version; updated figures/tables; revised data/code links where applicable.
• New Experiments/Analyses: Must meet ethics/registration requirements; describe methods in detail and share updated data/code.

9) Subsequent Rounds & Limits

• Minor Revision: Usually editor-only check; may proceed to acceptance if all points resolved.
• Major Revision: Typically returns to original reviewers; additional experts may be invited if scope/methods change.
• Rounds: Most manuscripts resolve within one major and one minor round; further cycles may be declined if progress is insufficient.

10) Acceptance & Production

Acceptance criteria: All substantive issues resolved; sound methods/statistics; compliant data/code availability; full COI/ethics; presentation meets journal standards.

1. Copyediting: Language, style, reference accuracy, figure/table quality, metadata/ORCID checks.
2. Typesetting & Proofs: Authors review formatted proofs; only essential corrections at this stage.
3. Version of Record (VoR): Upon proof approval, the article is published online promptly with a DOI (continuous publication).
4. Issue Assignment: The VoR is later grouped into the next quarterly issue (March/June/September/December) for archival indexing; online availability is not delayed.

11) Confidentiality, Data Integrity & Security

• Manuscripts, reviews, and editorial communications are confidential; reviewers may not share or reuse content pre-publication.
• Image/Data Integrity: Authors must retain raw data; manipulated images must be transparently disclosed and justifiable.
• Data/Code Access: Provide data and code sufficient for replication or a justified restriction statement (reasons and access conditions).

12) Conflicts of Interest (COI)

• Authors: Disclose all financial/non-financial COIs and all funding sources; specify sponsor roles.
• Editors/Reviewers: Recuse where COI exists; undisclosed COI may trigger additional review/editorial action.
• Published articles carry COI statements where relevant.

13) Preprints, Prior Dissemination & Media

• Preprints allowed. Cite the preprint DOI; ensure the review copy is blinded.
• Conference abstracts/posters are acceptable prior dissemination.
• Media coverage must not compromise blinding during peer review.

14) Ethics, Reporting Standards & Special Topics

• Ethics: Human/animal approvals, consent, field permits, biosafety; respect for indigenous knowledge and benefit-sharing as applicable.
• Reporting Guidelines: Use domain-appropriate standards (e.g., PRISMA, ARRIVE, STROBE, CONSORT).
• Dual-Use & Sensitive Content: Flag dual-use risks; editors may seek additional oversight.

15) Use of Generative AI & Language Tools

• Authors: Tools may be used for language editing only; no generation or alteration of data, results, or citations. Disclose tool use in Acknowledgments/Methods. No AI systems as authors.
• Reviewers/Editors: Do not upload identifiable manuscript text to external AI tools; maintain confidentiality. If used for grammar, reviewers remain fully responsible for content.

16) Misconduct, Manipulation & Sanctions

• Misconduct includes plagiarism, data fabrication/falsification, image manipulation, salami slicing, undisclosed duplicate submission, reviewer identity manipulation, or coercive citation.
• Response: Investigations follow COPE flowcharts; outcomes may include rejection, retraction, notice to institutions/funders, and future submission bans.

17) Corrections, Expressions of Concern & Retractions

• Post-publication updates follow COPE-consistent procedures.
• Errata/Corrections: For substantive errors that do not invalidate findings.
• Expression of Concern/Retraction: For unresolved concerns or invalidating issues; notices link bidirectionally to the VoR.

18) Appeals & Complaints

• Appeals: One appeal allowed within 30 days of decision, with an evidence-based rationale (e.g., factual errors, new analyses). The EiC assigns an independent editor; new reviewers may be consulted.
• Complaints: Ethical/procedural complaints can be raised with the Editorial Office; serious cases escalate to the EiC and, if necessary, the publisher.

19) Service Targets (typical)

• Admin screening & desk evaluation: 3–7 days from submission
• Reviewer invitation & confirmation: ≤5 days
• Peer review window (each round): 14–21 days
• Author revision: Minor 7–14 days; Major 21–35 days
• Production to online publication after acceptance: typically 7–14 days

Note: Targets support predictability but may vary with manuscript complexity and reviewer availability.

20) Process Overview (At a Glance)

Submit → Admin/desk checks → Assign Handling Editor → Invite ≥2 reviewers (± methods/stats) → Reviews (14–21 d) → Editorial decision (Accept/Minor/Major/Reject) → Author revision & rebuttal → (Re-review if needed) → Acceptance → Copyedit/typeset/proofs → Online publication (DOI, continuous) → Assignment to next quarterly issue.