Peer Review Process

Journal of Sport and Exercise Studies applies a rigorous editorial screening and double-blind peer review process to ensure the academic quality, methodological soundness, ethical integrity, and relevance of published manuscripts.

Peer Review Model

The journal normally uses a double-blind peer review model. Under this model, the identities of authors and reviewers are not disclosed to each other during the review process.

Authors are required to submit an anonymized manuscript file that does not contain author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, funding details, or other information that may directly identify the authors. A separate title page should be uploaded with author information and required declarations.

Review Timeline

The journal aims to conduct peer review in a timely and responsible manner. The following timeline is indicative and may vary depending on reviewer availability, manuscript complexity, revision quality, ethical issues, or the need for additional expert evaluation.

Stage Estimated Time Description
Administrative Check 3–7 working days The Editorial Office checks submission completeness, file format, anonymization, declarations, and basic compliance with author guidelines.
Initial Editorial Screening 1–2 weeks The editor assesses journal fit, originality, scholarly relevance, methodological clarity, ethical compliance, and overall readiness for external review.
Reviewer Invitation 1–2 weeks Qualified reviewers are invited according to manuscript topic, methodology, disciplinary focus, and absence of conflicts of interest.
External Peer Review 3–5 weeks after reviewers are confirmed Reviewers evaluate the manuscript’s originality, methodology, theoretical contribution, ethical integrity, clarity, and relevance to sport and exercise studies.
First Decision Normally within 6–10 weeks after submission The editor makes an initial decision based on reviewer reports and editorial assessment.
Author Revision Minor revision: 1–2 weeks
Major revision: 3–4 weeks		 Authors submit a revised manuscript and a detailed response letter explaining how reviewer and editor comments have been addressed.
Final Evaluation 1–3 weeks The editor evaluates the revised manuscript. Major revisions may be returned to the original reviewers for further assessment.
Production and Proofing 1–3 weeks after acceptance Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, typesetting, author proofing, metadata preparation, and final publication scheduling.

The timeline above is an expected schedule rather than a guaranteed deadline. Manuscripts requiring additional ethical review, statistical clarification, methodological verification, language revision, or repeated reviewer invitations may take longer.

Quarterly Publication Schedule

Journal of Sport and Exercise Studies is published as a quarterly journal, with four issues per year. Accepted manuscripts are normally scheduled for publication in the nearest available quarterly issue after completion of peer review, acceptance, copyediting, proofing, metadata preparation, and publication processing.

The assignment of an accepted manuscript to a particular issue depends on the date of acceptance, completion of production, author proof approval, payment or waiver confirmation where applicable, and the journal’s issue planning.

Editorial Screening

All submissions first undergo administrative and editorial screening. At this stage, the Editorial Office and assigned editor may check whether the manuscript is complete, properly anonymized, within the journal’s scope, written in clear English, and prepared according to the journal’s author guidelines.

A manuscript may be declined before external review if it:

  • Falls outside the aims and scope of the journal;
  • Lacks sufficient scholarly contribution;
  • Has serious methodological or ethical problems;
  • Is incomplete or poorly prepared;
  • Contains excessive similarity, plagiarism, or suspected duplicate publication;
  • Does not meet basic academic, language, or formatting standards.

Reviewer Selection

Reviewers are selected based on their academic expertise, methodological competence, research experience, and relevance to the manuscript topic. The journal seeks to invite reviewers who are able to provide fair, constructive, and independent assessments.

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review invitation. If a conflict of interest exists, the reviewer should decline the invitation or notify the editor immediately.

Review Criteria

Reviewers are normally asked to evaluate manuscripts according to the following criteria:

  • Relevance to the aims and scope of the journal;
  • Originality and scholarly contribution;
  • Clarity of research question, purpose, or argument;
  • Appropriateness of theoretical framework or literature engagement;
  • Methodological rigor and transparency;
  • Ethical compliance, including treatment of human participants where applicable;
  • Quality of data analysis, interpretation, and evidence;
  • Clarity of writing, structure, tables, figures, and presentation;
  • Relevance of conclusions and implications;
  • Accuracy and appropriateness of references.

Editorial Decisions

After peer review, the editor may make one of the following decisions:

  • Accept: The manuscript is accepted for publication, subject to final editorial and production checks.
  • Minor Revision: The manuscript requires limited revisions before it can be considered for acceptance.
  • Major Revision: The manuscript requires substantial revision and may be sent for further review.
  • Revise and Resubmit: The manuscript shows potential but requires extensive revision before it can be reconsidered as a new or substantially revised submission.
  • Reject: The manuscript is not suitable for publication in the journal.

A request for revision does not guarantee acceptance. Revised manuscripts are evaluated according to the quality and completeness of the authors’ response, the revised manuscript’s scholarly merit, and the editor’s judgment.

Revision and Response Letter

When submitting a revised manuscript, authors should provide a detailed response letter. The response letter should address each editor and reviewer comment point by point and indicate where changes have been made in the revised manuscript.

If authors disagree with a reviewer’s comment, they should provide a clear, respectful, and evidence-based explanation. The editor will evaluate whether the response is adequate.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts under review are treated as confidential documents. Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must not share, discuss, reproduce, or use unpublished manuscript content except for the purpose of editorial evaluation.

Reviewers must not use privileged information obtained through peer review for personal, professional, or competitive advantage.

Conflicts of Interest

Editors and reviewers must avoid handling manuscripts where a real or perceived conflict of interest may affect impartial judgment. Conflicts may include recent collaboration, institutional affiliation, personal relationship, financial interest, academic competition, or other circumstances that could compromise independence.

If a conflict of interest is identified during the review process, the editor may assign a different reviewer, transfer editorial responsibility, or take other appropriate action to protect the integrity of the review process.

Special Issues and Invited Manuscripts

Manuscripts submitted to special issues or invited sections are subject to the same standards of editorial screening, peer review, ethical evaluation, and editorial independence as regular submissions.

Invitation to submit a manuscript does not guarantee acceptance. All accepted manuscripts must meet the journal’s academic and ethical standards.

Review Process Summary

Review model: Double-blind peer review.

First decision: Normally within 6–10 weeks after submission.

Revision period: Normally 1–2 weeks for minor revision and 3–4 weeks for major revision.

Publication frequency: Quarterly, four issues per year.

Publication scheduling: Accepted manuscripts are normally assigned to the nearest available quarterly issue after production is complete.