Peer Review Policy

Journal of English Language Teaching and Education (JELTE) applies a peer-review process to ensure the academic quality, originality, relevance, and integrity of manuscripts submitted for publication.

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening before being sent for peer review. The initial screening assesses the manuscript's relevance to the journal's scope, compliance with the author guidelines, originality, academic quality, and adherence to publication ethics.

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned to qualified reviewers with relevant expertise in the subject area of the manuscript. Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on its originality, theoretical foundation, research methodology, analysis, findings, discussion, contribution to the field, clarity of presentation, and appropriateness of references.

Review Process

The peer-review process generally follows these stages:

  1. Initial Submission
    The manuscript is submitted through the journal's online submission system.
  2. Editorial Screening
    The Editor checks the manuscript for scope, completeness, formatting, originality, and compliance with the journal's policies.
  3. Reviewer Assignment
    Manuscripts that meet the initial requirements are assigned to qualified reviewers whose expertise is relevant to the topic of the manuscript.
  4. Peer Review
    Reviewers independently assess the manuscript and provide comments and recommendations concerning its academic quality and suitability for publication.
  5. Editorial Decision
    Based on the reviewers' recommendations and the Editor's assessment, the manuscript may be:
    • accepted;
    • accepted with minor revisions;
    • invited for major revisions and further review; or
    •  
  6. Revision and Re-evaluation
    When revisions are required, authors must respond to reviewer comments and submit a revised manuscript within the specified period. The revised manuscript may be returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation when necessary.
  7. Final Decision
    The Editor-in-Chief or designated Editor makes the final publication decision after considering the reviewer reports, author responses, and overall quality of the manuscript.

Reviewer Selection

Reviewers are selected based on their academic expertise, research experience, subject knowledge, and relevance to the manuscript being evaluated. The journal seeks to avoid conflicts of interest in the selection of reviewers.

Reviewers should provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based evaluations. Personal criticism of authors is not acceptable.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts submitted to JELTE are treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, reproduce, distribute, or use unpublished information contained in a manuscript for personal or professional purposes.

Reviewers must also maintain the confidentiality of their review reports and should not disclose their recommendations or correspondence concerning a manuscript to third parties without permission from the Editor.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to:

  • evaluate manuscripts objectively and fairly;
  • assess the manuscript according to academic and ethical standards;
  • identify relevant published work that has not been appropriately cited;
  • inform the Editor of any potential conflict of interest;
  • maintain confidentiality throughout the review process;
  • provide clear and constructive comments to help improve the manuscript;
  • notify the Editor if they do not have sufficient expertise to review the manuscript; and
  • complete the review within the agreed timeframe.

Editorial Independence

The final decision regarding publication rests with the Editor-in-Chief or an authorized Editor. Reviewer recommendations are an important component of the editorial decision-making process but do not automatically determine the final outcome.

Editors must make publication decisions based on the academic quality, originality, relevance, and ethical standards of the manuscript and must not be influenced by personal, institutional, commercial, or other inappropriate considerations.

Appeals

Authors who believe that an editorial decision was based on a significant misunderstanding, procedural error, or relevant information that was not adequately considered may submit an appeal to the editorial office.

An appeal should provide a clear explanation of the grounds for the appeal and, where applicable, supporting evidence. Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or an appropriate independent Editor. The decision following an appeal will be communicated to the corresponding author.

Review Integrity

JELTE is committed to maintaining a fair, transparent, confidential, and ethical peer-review process. Any suspected manipulation of peer review, fabricated reviewer identities, inappropriate reviewer behavior, or other serious irregularities may be investigated in accordance with the journal's publication ethics and research misconduct policies.