Peer Review Process

MAERIFA: Multidisciplinary Research for Academia adopts a blind review process closely monitored by the editors. Editors undertake editorial review to assess the quality and type of submission before sending it to the review process. Manuscripts not meeting scientific standards will not be considered for the review process. Authors are expected to follow the instructions for authors and also indicate the category they are submitting if it is not a Review article. Editors will also check the readability, grammatical usage, and may ask for resubmission if papers perform poorly in these parameters.

Editors request reviewers to advise on the scientific merit as well as the likely appeal the paper will have for a broad scientific readership. Editors will be in contact with the reviewers once the paper is sent to them, with periodic reminders of their due date. Once all reviews are in, the Editor handling the manuscript will most likely make a decision within a day or two. The editor will then contact the corresponding author with the decision. Reviewers invest precious time in the belief that they are making important contributions to the scientific process.

Authors can disagree with the reviewer comments supported by a rational explanation, which will be examined by the Editor and can be sent back to the reviewer again. However, offensive remarks on reviewer comments will lead to the cancellation of publication.

Editorial assessment is also done after the referee process is completed before finally recommending the paper for the journal or otherwise.

All efforts are made to complete the whole process within one month from submission, with the first decision on average made within 20 days to inform the status of the article.

The entire review process of articles submitted to MAERIFA: Multidisciplinary Research for Academia is conducted online and digitally. Authors must use the online submission system for submitting their manuscript. Only if they are unable to do so should they contact the editor via email.

Submission & Peer Review Process (Key Steps)

  • Author submits all required materials, including the copyright form, and a separate cover letter.

  • The submitted article is first checked by the editor(s) to determine if it falls within the broad scope of the journal and has sufficient merit. Editor(s) will also pay attention to readability, grammar, and usage before formally initiating the review process. The author will be informed quickly if their paper is rejected at this stage. There will also be a technical rejection if authors provide their names and affiliations in the main manuscript, or if tables and figures as indicated in the text are missing or have not followed the instructions for authors.

  • After initial approval by the editor, the completed submission is sent to two or three reviewers.

  • Reviewers review the article and send it back to the editorial office for processing.

  • After the initial review, the Editor-in-Chief releases reviews to authors.

  • Authors are asked to respond to reviewers and make necessary corrections.

  • The article is sent out for re-review.

  • The Editor-in-Chief may accept, reject, accept with minor alterations, or send it out for a third review.

  • If accepted, the author must submit the final version. The version will be added to the "in-press" queue with the publisher.

  • Prior to publication, the publisher will send galleys to authors. No edits may be made after galleys are approved.