Review process

Reviewers

NIR applies the procedure of two-sided anonymous review of all papers. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two reviewers. The reviewers act independently of each other, and their identities are mutually unknown. Reviewers are selected solely based on whether they have the relevant knowledge for manuscript evaluation. They must not be from the same institution as the authors of the manuscript, nor be their co-authors in the recent past. Possible suggestions of named reviewers by the authors of the manuscript are not taken into account.

The goal of the review is to help the editors in making a decision on whether the paper should be accepted or rejected. The goal is also to improve the quality of the manuscript in the process of communication with the editor, authors and other reviewers.

Review process

Manuscripts are submitted for peer review only after an initial assessment of whether they are suitable for publication in the journal, given their form and thematic scope. Special attention is paid to ensure that the initial assessment does not last longer than necessary.

Under regular circumstances, the review process lasts a maximum of four weeks, and only exceptionally up to three months. The period from the receipt of the work to its publication lasts an average of 90 days.

During the review process, the Editor-in-Chief may require authors to provide additional information, including primary data, if it is necessary to make a judgment about the manuscript. The editor and reviewers must keep such information confidential and must not use it for any other purpose.

The entire review process takes place under the supervision of an editor in an online environment based on the OJS platform. The system also allows manuscript authors to track the review process.

Resolution of disagreements

In case the authors have serious and well-founded objections to the review, the editors check whether the review is objective and meets academic standards. If there is doubt about the objectivity or quality of the review, the editor engages additional reviewers.

Additional reviewers are also engaged in cases where the reviewers' decisions (reject/accept) are mutually contradictory or otherwise irreconcilable.

The final decision on the acceptance of a manuscript for publication is made solely by the editor-in-chief.