Reviewer Guidelines

Overview

The Journal of State Management operates a double-blind peer review system. Reviewers are expected to provide fair, objective, timely, and constructive evaluations that assist both authors and editors.

Responsibilities of Reviewers
Accept review invitations only within their area of expertise.
Declare any actual or potential conflicts of interest.
Maintain strict confidentiality.
Evaluate manuscripts objectively.
Submit reviews within the agreed deadline.
Provide constructive comments supported by clear reasoning.
Report suspected ethical concerns to the editor.
Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers are asked to assess manuscripts according to the following criteria:

Originality
Does the manuscript present novel ideas or significant contributions?
Relevance
Is the topic consistent with the aims and scope of the Journal?
Scientific Quality
Is the research question clearly defined?
Is the methodology appropriate?
Are the conclusions supported by evidence?
Literature Review
Does the manuscript engage with relevant and up-to-date scholarship?
Organization and Writing
Is the manuscript logically organized?
Is the English language clear and academically appropriate?
Ethical Compliance
Does the manuscript comply with accepted ethical standards?
Reviewer Recommendations

At the conclusion of the review, reviewers should recommend one of the following decisions:

Accept Minor Revision Major Revision Reject
Reviewers are encouraged to distinguish clearly between comments intended for the authors and confidential comments intended for the editor.
Confidentiality

All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not:

Share manuscripts with others.
Use unpublished information for personal research.
Discuss the manuscript outside the review process.
Contact the authors directly.
Review Timeline

The Journal normally requests reviewers to:

Accept / Decline Invitation 7 days from invitation
Submit Completed Review 21 days from acceptance
If additional time is required, reviewers are encouraged to inform the Editorial Office as early as possible.
Publication Ethics

Reviewers are expected to follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers and support the Journal's commitment to research integrity. Further information is available at publicationethics.org.