PEER REVIEW PROCESS

Manuscript Submission and Peer-Review Process

The manuscripts should be submitted by the corresponding author or by the submitting author to the email address of Revista Universitară de Sociologie: [email protected], before the article submission deadline mentioned in the “Call for Papers” section.

Stage 1: Editorial Assessment

Before entering the peer-review process, the Editorial Office checks the manuscript’s compliance with the Guidelines for Authors (e.g., formatting requirements, word count, language clarity, and overall structure).

The scientific quality of the paper is not assessed at this stage.

If a manuscript does not comply with the Journal Guidelines, it will be returned to the author for technical corrections.

If the manuscript does not correspond to the Aim & Scope of the journal or if, after resubmission, it still fails to meet the Journal Guidelines, it will be rejected and the author will be informed accordingly (“desk rejection”).

Only manuscripts that comply with the Journal Guidelines will be sent for peer review.

Stage 2: First Round of Peer Review

Submitted manuscripts are evaluated through a blind peer-review process by two independent reviewers (referees), who are experts in the relevant field. Reviewers assess the validity, significance, originality, and scientific quality of the manuscript.

The evaluation criteria include:

  • relevance to the journal’s profile and scope;
  • originality and relevance of the research topic;
  • contribution of new insights or perspectives;
  • scientific writing style and clarity;
  • logical structure and coherence of arguments;
  • appropriateness of study design and methodology;
  • reliability and significance of conclusions supported by research findings.

Reviewers submit their reports and recommendations to the Editor.

The handling editor considers all reviewer reports before making a final decision. If the reviewers’ opinions differ significantly, the editor may invite an additional reviewer.

Following the review process, one of the following decisions may be issued:

  • ACCEPTED – the article is accepted for publication;
  • ACCEPTED WITH MINOR REVISIONS – the author is requested to address minor editorial or scientific issues;
  • REJECTED – the manuscript does not meet the required criteria.

In cases of “Accepted with revisions” (minor or major), reviewer reports will be shared with the author together with additional editorial guidance.

Stage 3: Revision and Resubmission

For manuscripts accepted with revisions (minor or major), authors must revise their paper in accordance with reviewer comments and editorial recommendations.

The revised manuscript should be resubmitted together with a clear indication of the changes made.

After resubmission, the editor evaluates the revisions. The manuscript may be sent for a second round of peer review in order to assess whether the reviewer comments have been adequately addressed.

The manuscript may be rejected if the editor determines that the revisions are insufficient.