Peer Review Process

Journal of Geographic Education and Studies (JGES) follows a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure the originality, academic quality, methodological soundness, and ethical integrity of all submitted manuscripts. The review process is conducted in a transparent, impartial, and confidential manner and is aligned with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Manuscript Submission

Authors submit their manuscripts through the journal's online submission system or the official editorial email. Upon receipt, the editorial office acknowledges the submission and registers it for preliminary editorial assessment.

2. Initial Editorial Evaluation (7–10 Days)

The editorial team performs an initial screening to determine whether the manuscript meets the journal's basic academic, editorial, and ethical requirements.

  • Alignment with the journal's aims and scope.
  • Compliance with manuscript preparation and formatting requirements.
  • Originality and appropriate citation of sources, datasets, maps, figures, and other materials.
  • Plagiarism and similarity screening, with a normally acceptable similarity level of up to 15%, subject to editorial assessment.
  • Assessment of inappropriate or undisclosed AI-generated content where applicable.
  • Overall academic quality, relevance, clarity, and research significance.

Only manuscripts that successfully pass the preliminary evaluation proceed to peer review. Passing the initial screening does not guarantee acceptance or publication.

3. Double-Blind Peer Review

Eligible manuscripts are assigned to two or more independent experts with appropriate expertise in the relevant field. JGES follows a double-blind review system, ensuring that the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the review process, where practicable.

Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on:

  • Originality and scholarly contribution.
  • Research methodology and academic rigor.
  • Accuracy and validity of data, analysis, maps, figures, and findings.
  • Clarity, organization, and academic presentation.
  • Relevance to geography, geographic education, environmental studies, and related interdisciplinary fields.
  • Significance and contribution to geographic knowledge, education, policy, practice, or research.

Reviewers are expected to provide constructive comments and recommendations to assist authors in improving the academic quality and clarity of their manuscripts.

4. Editorial Decision

After receiving the reviewers' reports, the editorial team evaluates the recommendations and communicates one of the following decisions:

  • Accept
  • Minor Revision
  • Major Revision
  • Reject

Reviewer comments are shared with the authors to facilitate necessary revisions and improvements.

5. Revision

When revisions are requested, authors are normally provided 1–3 weeks to submit a revised manuscript. The timeframe may vary depending on the extent of revisions required.

Authors should:

  • Address all reviewer comments carefully and systematically.
  • Submit the revised manuscript within the specified timeframe.
  • Provide a detailed response explaining the revisions made.
  • Clearly identify significant changes where appropriate.

The revised manuscript may be returned to the original reviewers or evaluated by the editorial team, depending on the nature and extent of the revisions required.

6. Final Decision

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final publication decision after considering:

  • Reviewer recommendations and comments.
  • Quality and adequacy of the revised manuscript.
  • Overall academic merit and originality.
  • Methodological soundness and validity of the research.
  • Relevance to the journal's aims and scope.

The timeframe for final evaluation may vary depending on reviewer availability, manuscript complexity, and the extent of revisions required.

7. Publication

Accepted manuscripts proceed to the production stage, which includes:

  • Copyediting and proofreading.
  • Formatting and layout preparation.
  • Verification of author and article information.
  • Copyright and licensing confirmation, where applicable.
  • Final quality checks.
  • Online publication.

The final version of an accepted article is published online after completion of the required editorial and production procedures. Publication timelines may vary depending on the production schedule and completion of author requirements.

Ethical Responsibility

Throughout the peer review process, Journal of Geographic Education and Studies (JGES) follows ethical publishing principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other recognized standards of responsible scholarly publishing.

All participants in the publication process are expected to uphold:

  • Confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and unpublished research information.
  • Transparency and professionalism in editorial communication.
  • Disclosure and appropriate management of conflicts of interest.
  • Objectivity and constructive feedback during peer review.
  • Integrity, honesty, and accountability in scholarly publishing.
  • Proper acknowledgment and citation of sources, datasets, maps, figures, and other scholarly materials.
  • Respect for applicable research ethics and responsible scholarly practices.