2. Editorial Screening

Each manuscript undergoes an initial editorial assessment conducted by the editorial board.

The editorial screening evaluates:

• Relevance to the journal scope
• Research originality and significance
• Clarity of objectives and methodology
• Language quality and academic writing
• Compliance with publication ethics
• Structural organization of the manuscript

Articles that do not satisfy the journal’s basic academic and ethical standards may be desk rejected or returned for modification.

3. Plagiarism and AI-Generated Content Screening

All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software such as Turnitin and AI-content evaluation tools.

Research Stars Standards:

• Manuscripts must contain a minimum of 80% original content excluding references.
• AI-generated content should be less than 30% and must be properly supervised and verified by the authors.
• Authors must disclose the use of AI tools in manuscript preparation when applicable.

The screening process verifies:

• Text originality
• Citation authenticity
• Proper paraphrasing
• Duplicate publication risks
• Ethical use of Artificial Intelligence tools

Manuscripts failing plagiarism or AI-content standards will be rejected during the preliminary stage.

4. Blind Peer Review Process

Research Stars Journals follows a Blind Peer Review System to ensure fairness, confidentiality, and unbiased academic evaluation.

Reviewer Assignment

• Manuscripts passing editorial checks are assigned to at least two expert reviewers in the relevant subject area.
• Depending on reviewer availability and the need for fast-track review support.
• The journal primarily considers reviewer reports submitted within the specified review timeline.
• If the initial reviewers provide conflicting recommendations, additional reviewer opinions may be considered before making the final decision.
• Author-suggested reviewers may be considered if they belong to different institutions and have no conflict of interest.

Roles and Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

1. Evaluate the originality and contribution of the study.
2. Assess the quality of literature review and theoretical support.
3. Examine the appropriateness of methodology and data analysis.
4. Verify the validity of results and interpretations.
5. Assess ethical compliance and citation practices.
6. Provide constructive comments for improvement.
7. Maintain confidentiality throughout the review process.
8. Avoid personal criticism or biased judgments.
9. Declare conflicts of interest when applicable.
10. Submit review reports within the assigned deadline.

Review Criteria

Reviewers generally assess:

• Research novelty
• Scientific contribution
• Methodological accuracy
• Clarity of presentation
• Statistical and analytical quality
• Relevance of references
• Practical and theoretical implications
• Language and formatting quality

5. Editorial Decision and Revision Process

Based on reviewer recommendations, the editorial board communicates one of the following decisions:

• Accepted without revisions
• Minor revisions required
• Major revisions required
• Resubmission recommended
• Rejected

Revision Process

Authors receiving revision comments must:

• Submit a revised manuscript within the specified timeline
• Clearly respond to each reviewer comment
• Highlight modifications made in the manuscript

Revised manuscripts may be re-evaluated by the editor and, when necessary, returned to the original reviewers for further assessment.

Review Timeline

• Average peer review duration: 2–4 weeks
• Final editorial decision: usually within 5 weeks from submission

6. Final Acceptance

After final acceptance, manuscripts enter the production stage.

Production activities include:

• Final formatting and typesetting
• Verification of author details and affiliations
• Reference and citation consistency checking
• DOI and metadata preparation
• Proofreading and quality assurance

Authors may be contacted for final clarification or proofreading approval during this stage.

The accepted article is generally published online within two week after final acceptance.

Author Responsibilities

Authors are expected to:

• Follow the journal’s prescribed manuscript format
• Use proper section and subsection numbering
• Provide accurate and valid references with DOI
• Ensure proper numbering and citation of tables and figures
• Maintain research ethics and originality
• Avoid plagiarism and data fabrication
• Respond promptly to editorial communications
• Disclose conflicts of interest and AI tool usage where applicable

Publication Ethics

Research Stars Journals is committed to maintaining high ethical standards in scholarly publishing.

The journal strictly prohibits:

• Plagiarism
• Data fabrication and falsification
• Duplicate or simultaneous submissions
• Improper authorship practices
• Citation manipulation
• Unethical AI-generated research content

Any ethical misconduct identified during review or after publication may result in manuscript rejection, article retraction, or notification to affiliated institutions.

Confidentiality Policy

All submitted manuscripts, reviewer comments, and editorial communications are treated as confidential documents. Reviewer identities are protected under the blind peer review system unless disclosure is officially approved by the journal.

Fast-Track Review Option

The journal may provide a fast-track review and publication process for urgent scholarly submissions, conference-related manuscripts, or time-sensitive research. Fast-track submissions will still undergo plagiarism screening, editorial assessment, and peer review to maintain publication quality standards.