🔍 Type of Peer Review

Lumina Quest Publishing follows a double-blind peer review system, in which:

1. The identities of authors are concealed from reviewers
2. The identities of reviewers are concealed from authors

This approach ensures an objective, unbiased, and independent evaluation of all submitted manuscripts.

📋 Peer Review Process

The peer review process consists of the following stages:

1. Initial Technical Screening

   The Managing Editor performs a preliminary assessment to ensure that the manuscript:

   • Complies with submission guidelines
   • Meets formatting and language requirements
   • Includes required ethical approvals and declarations
   • Passes plagiarism screening according to publisher policy

   Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements may be returned to authors or rejected at this stage.

2. Editorial Assessment

   An Academic Editor (Editorial Board Member or Editor-in-Chief) evaluates the manuscript for:

   • Scope relevance
   • Originality and significance
   • Scientific and scholarly merit

   At this stage, the editor may:

   • Reject the manuscript
   • Request minor or major revisions before external review
   • Proceed to external peer review
3. Reviewer Assignment
   • Manuscripts proceeding to review are assigned to at least two independent expert reviewers
   • Reviewers are selected based on subject expertise, academic credentials, and publication record
   • Reviewer and author identities remain fully anonymized
4. Peer Review Evaluation

   Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on:

   • Scientific or academic quality
   • Methodological rigor and data integrity
   • Originality and contribution to the field
   • Ethical compliance and transparency
   • Clarity of presentation

   Reviewers submit detailed, structured reports with recommendations.

5. Author Revisions
   • Authors must respond to all reviewer comments in a point-by-point manner
   • Revised manuscripts may be returned to reviewers or assessed by the editorial team, depending on the extent of revisions
6. Final Editorial Decision

   Based on reviewer reports and revision quality, the editor issues a final decision:

   • Accept
   • Minor revision
   • Major revision
   • Reject

   The Editor-in-Chief holds final authority over all editorial decisions.

7. Copy-Editing and Publication

   Accepted manuscripts undergo:

   • Professional copy-editing
   • Final proofreading
   • Formatting and DOI assignment (where applicable) before publication.

⚖️ Ethical Standards in Peer Review

Lumina Quest Publishing adheres strictly to the ethical principles outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All participants in the peer review process must uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.

👨‍🔬 Reviewer Eligibility Criteria

Reviewers must:

1. Have no conflicts of interest with the authors
2. Not be affiliated with the same institution as the authors
3. Have no recent co-authorship (within the last three years) with the authors
4. Hold a PhD, MD, or equivalent qualification
5. Possess a verifiable publication record (e.g., Scopus, ORCID)
6. Have a recognized academic or professional affiliation

🧾 Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to:

1. Review manuscripts only within their area of expertise
2. Submit reviews within the agreed timeframe
3. Provide constructive, objective, and evidence-based feedback
4. Maintain strict confidentiality of manuscript content
5. Declare any potential conflicts of interest immediately

🚫 Reviewers must not use AI-generated tools (e.g., ChatGPT or similar systems) to prepare review reports, in order to preserve confidentiality and ethical integrity.

🔒 Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest

1. All manuscripts are treated as confidential documents
2. Reviewer identities remain anonymous
3. Reviewers must disclose any:
   • Institutional affiliations
   • Recent collaborations
   • Financial or personal interests
   • Academic or ideological biases

📝 Manuscript Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers assess manuscripts based on:

1. Scientific Quality and Originality
   • Novelty of research
   • Relevance to the field
   • Clear research objectives
2. Methodology and Data Integrity
   • Appropriateness of study design
   • Validity and reproducibility of results
   • Ethical compliance
3. Impact and Significance
   • Contribution to existing knowledge
   • Potential academic or practical impact
4. Presentation and Clarity
   • Logical structure and readability
   • Accuracy of figures, tables, and references

📌 Decision Categories

Manuscripts are classified as:

1. Accept in Present Form
2. Accept after Minor Revisions (resubmission within 5 days)
3. Reconsider after Major Revisions (resubmission within 10 days)
4. Reject

🎖 Recognition of Reviewers

Lumina Quest Publishing values the contribution of reviewers and offers:

1. Certificates of recognition
2. Discounts on Article Processing Charges (where applicable)
3. Consideration for Editorial Board membership
4. Annual reviewer acknowledgments
5. Eligibility for outstanding reviewer recognition

📍 Applicability

This Peer Review Policy applies to all journals published by Lumina Quest Publishing, unless otherwise specified on an individual journal’s website.