Peer-Review Policy

The Editorial Team reviews all submitted materials. All reviewers are among the large number of referees, recognized experts in the field, including members of the network of associate editors and the Editorial Board.

The Editorial Team adopts the single-blind review type, that means that the names of the reviewers are hidden from the author.

The Editorial Team is fully aware of the possible drawbacks that single-blind review could be accompanied with. According to Elsevier the points to consider regarding single-blind review include (cf. https://www.elsevier.com/reviewers/what-is-peer-review):

• Reviewer anonymity allows for impartial decisions – the reviewers should not be influenced by the authors.
• Authors may be concerned that reviewers in their field could delay publication, giving the reviewers a chance to publish first.
• Reviewers may use their anonymity as justification for being unnecessarily critical or harsh when commenting on the authors’ work.

An increasing call towards more transparency around the peer review process leads to the practice when in case of the negative decision made by on of the reviewers the related material could become a matter of close attention of the Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor. In such a case the material could be send to an independent external reader or readers to clarify the matter the issue or to gain more diversity in opinions considered.