Peer Review Process

Cross-Cultural Education Studies follows a strict double-blind peer review process to ensure the academic quality and scholarly integrity of all published work. During the review process, both authors and reviewers remain anonymous. Review reports are kept confidential and are not publicly disclosed.

1. Initial Screening

All submitted manuscripts are first screened by the editorial office to assess:

• Relevance to the journal’s aims and scope

• Compliance with formatting and submission guidelines

• Originality and absence of plagiarism (verified using iThenticate)

Manuscripts that do not meet these basic requirements may be desk-rejected without external peer review.

2. Assignment of Reviewers

Submissions that pass the initial check are assigned to at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise in cross-cultural education, comparative education, or related fields. Reviewer selection is based on:

• Subject-specific knowledge

• Academic and publication experience

• No recent collaboration or affiliation with the authors (e.g., within the last 3 years)

To maintain objectivity, the journal does not accept reviewer suggestions from authors.

3. Peer Review and Recommendations

Reviewers are asked to evaluate the manuscript based on:

• Conceptual and theoretical rigor

• Methodological soundness

• Relevance and contribution to the field of cross-cultural education

• Clarity and coherence of academic writing

Reviewers will recommend one of the following outcomes:

• Accept

• Minor Revision (Revisions Required)

• Major Revision (Resubmit for Review)

• Reject

4. Editorial Decision

Based on the reviewers’ evaluations, the Editor-in-Chief or assigned Associate Editor will make the final decision. If revisions are requested, authors must submit:

• A revised manuscript

• A point-by-point response letter addressing all reviewer comments

Typical revision timelines:

• Minor revisions: within 7–14 days

• Major revisions: within 14–30 days

Extensions may be requested by contacting the editorial office at contact@zycentre.com.

5. Ethical Handling of Editor Submissions

Editorial board members are not permitted to oversee the review process of their own submissions. Any manuscript submitted by editors will be handled by an uninvolved editor and reviewed by independent external reviewers to ensure transparency and impartiality.

6. Post-Acceptance Process

After acceptance, manuscripts proceed to the production phase, which includes:

• Copyediting

• Layout formatting

• Proofreading

Authors will receive page proofs for review prior to publication. Upon publication, each article will be assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and made publicly available online.

7. Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by contacting contact@zycentre.com with:

• A detailed explanation for the appeal

• A point-by-point response to the reviewers’ comments

Appeals will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated senior editor. All appeal decisions are final.