Peer Review Process
Eco-Tourism and Sustainable Development follows a strict double-blind peer review process to ensure the academic quality and integrity of all published content. Throughout the review, both authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other. Reviewer reports are confidential and not made public.
1. Initial Screening
All submitted manuscripts are first screened by the editorial office to verify:
- Relevance to the journal’s aims and scope
- Adherence to formatting and structural requirements
- Originality and absence of plagiarism (checked using iThenticate)
Manuscripts that do not meet these basic criteria may be desk-rejected without external review.
2. Assignment of Reviewers
Manuscripts that pass the initial check will be assigned to at least two independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript’s topic. Reviewers are selected based on:
- Subject matter knowledge
- Prior research experience
- No recent collaboration or affiliation with the authors (e.g., within the past 3 years)
The journal does not accept author-suggested reviewers to avoid conflicts of interest.
3. Peer Review and Recommendations
Reviewers are asked to provide detailed and constructive comments evaluating the manuscript’s:
- Scientific validity
- Methodological soundness
- Originality and relevance
- Clarity of writing
Reviewers recommend one of the following outcomes:
Accept
Minor Revision (Revisions Required)
Major Revision (Resubmit for Review)
Reject
4. Editorial Decision
Based on the reviewers’ reports, the Editor-in-Chief or assigned Associate Editor will make the final decision. If revisions are required, authors will receive reviewer feedback and must submit a revised manuscript along with a point-by-point response letter addressing all comments.
Typical revision deadlines:
- Minor revisions: within 7–14 days
- Major revisions: within 14–30 days
Extensions may be granted upon request by emailing the editorial office at etsd@zycentre.com.
5. Ethical Handling of Editor Submissions
Editorial board members are not permitted to handle their own papers. Submissions by editors will be managed by an uninvolved editor to ensure impartiality, and reviewed by external, independent reviewers.
6. Post-Acceptance Process
Once accepted, manuscripts enter the production stage, which includes:
- Copyediting
- Layout editing
- Proofreading
Authors will receive the final proof for review before publication to ensure accuracy. Upon publication, each article will be assigned a DOI and made available online.
7. Appeals
Authors may appeal a rejection decision by emailing contact@zycentre.com with:
- A detailed justification
- A point-by-point response to all reviewer comments
The appeal will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or an appointed senior editor. All appeal decisions are final.
