Peer Review Process

Overview

Pakistan Social Sciences Review (PSSR) follows a rigorous, transparent, and ethical double-blind peer review process to ensure the quality, originality, and academic integrity of all manuscripts submitted to the journal. In a double-blind system, the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from each other throughout the review process.

The peer review policy of PSSR is developed in accordance with the principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and internationally recognized scholarly publishing standards.

1. Submission and Acknowledgement

Manuscripts are submitted electronically through the journal’s online submission system. Upon successful submission, the corresponding author receives an acknowledgement email confirming receipt of the manuscript.

2. Initial Editorial Screening (Pre-Editorial Review)

Each submission undergoes an initial assessment by the editorial office to determine:

  • Relevance to the aims and scope of the journal

  • Compliance with author guidelines

  • Adherence to ethical standards

  • Plagiarism screening using appropriate detection tools

  • Accuracy and relevance of citations

Manuscripts that do not meet these basic requirements may be rejected at this stage without external peer review.

3. Editorial Assessment

Submissions that pass the initial screening are evaluated by a member of the editorial team to assess:

  • Academic merit and originality

  • Methodological soundness

  • Theoretical and/or empirical contribution

  • Clarity of presentation and structure

Based on this assessment, the manuscript may be:

  • Sent for external peer review

  • Returned to authors for preliminary revision

  • Rejected with a reasoned editorial decision

4. External Peer Review

Manuscripts approved for peer review are evaluated by independent external experts in the relevant field.

Review Model

  • Double-blind peer review

  • A minimum of two independent reviewers

  • Reviewers may be selected from national and international institutions

  • Reviewers are chosen based on subject expertise and research experience

Reviewers assess manuscripts on the basis of:

  • Originality and significance of the research

  • Appropriateness of methodology

  • Validity and reliability of results

  • Quality of analysis and discussion

  • Ethical compliance and referencing

5. Reviewer Recommendations and Editorial Decision

Based on reviewers’ reports, the editor may reach one of the following decisions:

  • Accept without revision

  • Accept with minor revisions

  • Invite major revisions

  • Reject

Anonymous reviewer comments are communicated to authors to support transparency and scholarly improvement.

6. Revision Process

Authors invited to revise their manuscripts must submit:

  • A revised version of the manuscript

  • A point-by-point response addressing all reviewer comments

Revised submissions may be reassessed by the original reviewers or evaluated by the editorial team. Multiple rounds of revision may be required before a final decision is made.

7. Final Decision and Acceptance

Once the manuscript satisfactorily meets all scholarly, ethical, and editorial requirements, it is formally accepted for publication. An official acceptance letter is issued to the corresponding author.

8. Post-Acceptance Processing

After acceptance, manuscripts undergo the production process, which includes:

  • Copyediting and language refinement

  • Layout and formatting

  • Assignment of a Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • Preparation of galley proofs for author approval

9. Publication

The final, approved version of the article is published online as part of the scheduled issue and made immediately available under the journal’s open access policy.

10. Peer Review Workflow (Illustration)

(Insert the peer review flowchart image here)

The diagram illustrates the complete submission, review, revision, acceptance, and publication workflow followed by Pakistan Social Sciences Review (PSSR).

11. Ethical Oversight and Confidentiality

  • All reviewers and editors are required to disclose conflicts of interest

  • Reviewers must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents

  • Editorial decisions are based solely on academic merit and reviewer recommendations

  • Appeals, complaints, or ethical concerns are handled in accordance with the journal’s Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Compliance Statement

Pakistan Social Sciences Review (PSSR) adheres to the standards and recommendations of:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)

  • Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

  • Scopus Content Selection & Advisory Board (CSAB)