All manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the ScholarOne Manuscripts system. Submission constitutes confirmation that the authors agree to comply with the journal’s editorial, ethical, and publication policies.

Authors are expected to ensure that their manuscript complies with the journal’s scope, article categories, and manuscript preparation requirements prior to submission.
 

Submission Requirements

At the time of submission, authors must upload:

• A Title Page
• An anonymised Main Manuscript
• A Cover Letter

The Cover Letter must include, at the end of the document following the author’s signature and declaration, the names and full contact details of three (3) suggested reviewers. Suggested reviewers must be independent and free from conflicts of interest. The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to use or decline the suggested reviewers.

Incomplete or non-compliant submissions may be returned without review.
 

Initial Editorial Assessment

All submissions undergo preliminary screening by the editorial team. The assessment considers:

• Relevance to the journal’s scope
• Scholarly contribution and originality
• Compliance with technical and ethical requirements

Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria may be declined at this stage without external review.
 

Peer Review Process

Manuscripts that pass the initial editorial screening are evaluated through a double-blind peer-review process.

Each manuscript is normally evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise. Reviewer identities are not disclosed to authors, and author identities are not disclosed to reviewers.

Reviewers are selected based on their expertise and are expected to provide independent and unbiased evaluations of the manuscript.

Based on the reviewers’ reports, authors may be invited to revise their manuscripts. Revised submissions should address all reviewer and editor comments in a clear and structured manner.

In cases where reviewer recommendations differ substantially, the editor may invite an additional reviewer before making a final decision.

The final decision regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection of a manuscript rests with the Editor-in-Chief, who considers the reviewers’ reports together with the journal’s editorial standards and scope.
 

Editorial Decision

The final decision regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection rests with the Editor-in-Chief. Decisions are based on reviewer reports, the scholarly quality of the manuscript, and alignment with the journal’s editorial standards.

Where a manuscript is submitted by the Editor-in-Chief, editorial responsibility is transferred to the International Liaison Editor or a designated Managing Editor. The appointed editor will oversee the peer-review process and make the final decision. The Editor-in-Chief will not be involved at any stage of the review or decision-making process.

The decision made in such cases is final.
 

Acceptance and Publication

Once a manuscript is accepted, it enters the production stage, which includes copyediting and formatting prior to publication.

Upon acceptance, authors are required to complete the relevant copyright transfer or licensing agreement with UPM Press. Publication will not proceed until the completed agreement has been received.

Copyright of all articles published in JQoLS is vested in UPM Press unless otherwise specified under the applicable agreement.