The publication process combines editorial screening, independent assessment and author revision. An invitation to submit or a payment arrangement does not guarantee acceptance.

Submission and initial assessment

The Editorial Office checks submission completeness, basic scope fit, anonymous files and required declarations. The handling editor assesses the research question, contribution, evidentiary basis and any ethical or confidentiality concerns. A manuscript may be returned for missing information or declined without external review when it does not meet the journal’s requirements.

Authors should respond accurately to requests for clarification and disclose relevant dissemination or concurrent work. Significant questions concerning consent, permissions or the integrity of the evidence must be resolved before the manuscript can proceed.

External review and editorial decision

Research and review articles are assessed through double-anonymous external peer review. Reviewers advise on the work’s contribution, methods, interpretation and presentation. The editor considers these reports alongside the manuscript and relevant policies; acceptance is an editorial decision.

Possible outcomes include rejection, a request for revision or acceptance. Revised manuscripts should be accompanied by a response explaining each substantive change and any reasoned disagreement. Further review may be required. Review duration depends on the manuscript and reviewer availability; the journal does not guarantee a decision date.

Acceptance and production

Following acceptance, authors receive publication and charge information. The standard APC is USD 400, subject to any written waiver or discount. Payment administration is separate from scholarly assessment. Authors should review the applicable licence and ensure that third-party permissions are complete.

Production checks may address formatting, references, metadata and language. Authors must review proofs carefully, including names, affiliations, tables and declarations. Proofs are for correcting errors; substantive changes to findings or authorship require editorial consideration.

Publication and the continuing record

The published record identifies the article’s bibliographic details and licence. Authors may share their published work under the stated licence. Errors or integrity concerns discovered later should be reported promptly and handled under Corrections & Retractions. Process concerns and decision appeals follow Complaints & Appeals.

Annual issue and rolling publication

The journal publishes one annual issue, formally released on 15 December each year. Accepted articles are published online on a rolling basis after editorial acceptance, production and author proof checks. Authors do not have to wait until December for their completed article to appear online. Each article retains its online publication date when included in the annual issue.

The annual issue date is a publication schedule, not a submission deadline or a guarantee that a particular manuscript will be accepted or published by that date.

Editorial review targets

These are editorial service targets, not measured performance statistics or guaranteed deadlines. Reviewer availability, manuscript complexity, additional review and research-integrity checks may extend assessment. The revision target excludes the time authors spend preparing their response. A first decision may request revision or decline the manuscript; it is not necessarily an acceptance decision. The journal does not promise a fixed submission-to-acceptance interval.

Updated 5 October 2026 · Questions: JPOII Editorial Office