REVIEW PROCESS FOR ARTICLES

Review for Conformity to Guidelines

All submissions are initially reviewed for conformity to the guidelines discussed above by the editorial office, under the direction of the managing editor. Non-conforming submissions will be returned to the author without further review, as will manuscripts that are clearly outside the scope of JLR.

At this stage, submissions are also reviewed for similarity with other published and unpublished manuscripts using Crossref similarity check powered by iThenticate. JLR handles cases of suspected plagiarism (see definition above) in accordance with the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Co-editor Review

Conforming manuscripts are reviewed by three co-editors with subject matter expertise. The co-editors will review the submission for its fit with JLR’s scope and editorial priorities, substance of the research and argument, and scholarly quality. The co-editors will decide that the manuscript either be rejected or that it be sent for external review. In rare cases, the co-editors may decide to request a revised submission.

External Review

Manuscripts recommended for external review are reviewed double-anonymised by one external reviewer who is an expert on the subject of the manuscript. The external reviewer is asked to provide feedback on the scholarly contribution, knowledge of the subject and sourcing, and quality of argument and analysis.

Decision

The three co-editors assigned to the manuscript make a publication decision in light of the external reviewer’s report. This decision is then reviewed by all co-editors before being finalized. The final decision may be (1) publish, (2) accept with minor revisions, (3) accept with major revisions, (4) revise and resubmit, (5) reject. Manuscripts that receive a revise and resubmit decision may be reviewed externally upon resubmission.

Timelines

It is JLR’s goal to make a decision on all article manuscripts within 60 days of submission, but a 60-day decision cannot be guaranteed.

REVIEW PROCESS FOR ESSAYS, BOOK REVIEWS, AND REVIEW ESSAYS

Essays

Essays are reviewed by three co-editors with subject expertise who make a decision on publication. This decision is then reviewed by all co-editors before being finalized. The final decision may be (1) publish, (2) accept with minor revisions, (3) accept with major revisions, (4) revise and resubmit, (5) reject.

Book Reviews

Book reviews are reviewed by the book review editor(s) and/or the managing editor. Book reviews may be accepted for publication, returned for revision, or rejected.

Review Essays

Review essays are reviewed by the special content editor, book review editor(s), and/or managing editor, with input from the co-editors as needed. Review essays may be accepted for publication, returned for revision, or rejected.

Timelines

It is JLR’s goal to make a decision on all essay, review essay, and book review manuscripts within 30 days of submission, but a 30-day decision cannot be guaranteed.

Appeals

To appeal an editorial decision, please contact the Managing Editor (at [email protected]) and specify the reason for your appeal. 

Your appeal will be reviewed by the Co-Editors/or a Co-Editor who did not review the manuscript. The final decision regarding your appeal will rest with the JLR Co-Editors and International Advisory Board.