Reviewer Policies

  1. Conflict of Interest and Financial Disclosures (specific to reviewers)
  2. Reviewers Guidelines

1. Conflict of Interest and Financial Disclosures (for Reviewers)

The International Journal of Management Research and Business Strategy expects its reviewers to disclose any potential conflicts of interest (COI) that might influence their judgment on a manuscript. This ensures the integrity and impartiality of the peer review process. Reviewers are required to consider the following:

Conflict of Interest (COI) Guidelines:

  • Personal Relationships: Reviewers must disclose any personal relationships with the authors, including familial ties, close friendships, or any other close personal or professional connections.
  • Professional Rivalries: Reviewers should disclose if they have professional rivalries with the authors, such as competition in research, teaching, or business interests.
  • Financial Interest: Reviewers must declare any financial interests in the research, including funding received from the same sources as the authors or any other financial relationships that could be seen as influencing the review.
  • Employment Status: Reviewers should disclose if they work at the same institution or organization as the authors or have any other close institutional affiliations.
  • Research Interest Overlap: If the reviewer is involved in similar research projects, or their own work overlaps substantially with the manuscript’s content, they should disclose this potential conflict.

Financial Disclosures:

  • Reviewers are encouraged to disclose if they have received funding from organizations or sponsors that could benefit from the publication of the manuscript under review.
  • If the reviewer has any financial involvement in the product, company, or research topic related to the manuscript, they must disclose these interests.

Procedure for Disclosure:

  • Reviewers should inform the journal’s editorial office at the time of accepting the review invitation if they believe any conflict of interest exists. If any conflict arises after the review process begins, they must notify the journal immediately.
  • The journal will evaluate the nature of the conflict and determine whether the reviewer should recuse themselves from the review process.

2. Reviewers' Guidelines

The International Journal of Management Research and Business Strategy has established the following set of guidelines for reviewers to ensure that the review process is thorough, constructive, and ethical:

Scope of Review:

  • Reviewers are asked to evaluate the manuscript in terms of its relevance, originality, quality of analysis, clarity of writing, and contribution to the field of management research and business strategy.
  • Reviewers should focus on assessing the methodology, research design, and appropriateness of statistical or analytical techniques used.
  • The manuscript should be evaluated for coherence, logical flow, and overall structure, in addition to whether the conclusions are supported by the data presented.

Ethical Guidelines:

  • Confidentiality: All manuscripts under review are confidential. Reviewers should not share the manuscript or discuss it with others without explicit permission from the editor. Reviews should be conducted in a private, professional manner.
  • Impartiality: Reviews should be based solely on the content of the manuscript. Reviewers should not let personal biases or opinions influence their review.
  • Constructive Feedback: Reviewers should provide constructive feedback to the authors. Comments should be respectful, clear, and focused on improving the manuscript, not simply criticizing it.
  • Timeliness: Reviewers are expected to provide feedback within the timeframe agreed upon. If a reviewer cannot meet the deadline, they should notify the editor as early as possible to allow for alternative arrangements.

Evaluation Criteria:

  • Originality and Innovation: Does the paper offer new insights or approaches in the field of management research and business strategy?
  • Relevance to the Field: Is the research relevant to the current trends and challenges in the field of management and business?
  • Quality of Research: Is the research design sound? Are the methods appropriately chosen, and are the data collection and analysis adequately explained?
  • Clarity and Structure: Is the paper well-organized and clearly written? Are key ideas presented logically, and is there a clear argument or narrative?
  • Contribution to Knowledge: Does the paper make a meaningful contribution to the existing body of literature on management and business strategy?
  • References and Citations: Are relevant references properly cited? Is the literature review comprehensive and up-to-date?

Confidentiality and Integrity:

  • Reviewers should ensure that their comments and evaluations are impartial and should avoid conflicts of interest.
  • They should avoid using any information from the manuscript for their own benefit or research, even after the review process has concluded.

Recommendation:

After reviewing the manuscript, the reviewer will be asked to provide a recommendation to the editor. The options generally include:

  • Accept: The manuscript is suitable for publication as is, or with minor revisions.
  • Major Revision: The manuscript requires substantial revisions, but could be suitable for publication after those changes are made.
  • Minor Revision: The manuscript requires minor revisions and is generally suitable for publication.
  • Reject: The manuscript is not suitable for publication in its current form.