All manuscripts are reviewed initially by the Chief Editor, Executive Editor and the Associate Editor who is responsible for the respective scientific field. A submission is rejected outright if the majority opinion finds that (1) the material does not have sufficient merit to warrant further review or (2) the subject matter is outside the scope of the Journal. The submission may also be returned for inadequate presentation or failure to comply with the HJVES’s submission instructions.
Papers deemed suitable are then sent to two independent expert reviewers to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The identities of these reviewers are kept confidential. Within 20 days, the reviewers give the Editors a confidential opinion on the importance, originality, and scientific merit of the manuscript and suggest changes that will improve the paper. The Associate Editors are responsible for the final decision on the disposition of the manuscript and convey this decision to the corresponding author along with the reasons for the decision and the comments from the reviewers. If revisions are requested, the Editors expect the authors to revise the manuscript promptly and to indicate the changes that have been made and/or explain their difference of opinion with the reviewers.
The revised manuscripts are reviewed by the same reviewers who made the initial evaluation. Reviewers are expected to concentrate their appraisal on whether the authors have adequately addressed the previous comments. The Associate Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. The Editor’s decision is final. Editors are not involved in decisions about papers which they have written themselves or have been written by family members or colleagues or which relate to products or services in which the editor has an interest. Any such submission is subject to all of the journal’s usual procedures, with peer review handled independently of the relevant editor and their research groups.