1. Purpose of Peer Review

The purpose of peer review is to evaluate the academic merit, relevance, originality and scholarly contribution of submitted manuscripts. The review process helps the editorial team assess whether a manuscript is suitable for publication in the journal and provides authors with constructive feedback for improving the quality of their work.

Peer review supports academic transparency and ensures that published articles meet the journal’s standards in relation to subject relevance, research design, data accuracy, analytical interpretation, ethical compliance and clarity of presentation.

2. Review Model

IJGESR follows a peer review system in which submitted manuscripts are evaluated by qualified reviewers having relevant academic, professional or research expertise in the subject area. Reviewers are selected on the basis of their knowledge of geography, earth sciences, environmental studies, GIS, remote sensing, spatial analysis or related interdisciplinary fields.

3. Initial Editorial Screening

Every submitted manuscript is first examined by the editorial office before being sent for peer review. During this stage, the editorial team checks whether the manuscript fits the journal’s aims and scope, follows author guidelines, contains original content and meets basic ethical and academic standards.

• Relevance to Geography, Earth Sciences and allied fields
• Originality and plagiarism status
• Completeness of manuscript structure
• Quality of abstract, keywords, tables, figures and references
• Ethical compliance and declaration requirements
• Basic language clarity and academic presentation

4. Reviewer Selection

Reviewers are selected according to their subject expertise, academic background, research experience and relevance to the manuscript topic. The journal aims to assign manuscripts to reviewers who can provide informed, objective and constructive assessments.

Reviewers are expected to declare any conflict of interest before accepting a review assignment. If a reviewer has any personal, academic, institutional, financial or professional conflict with the manuscript or its authors, the reviewer should decline the review invitation.

5. Review Criteria

Reviewers are requested to evaluate manuscripts using clear academic criteria. The following aspects are generally considered during the review process:

• Originality and novelty of the research
• Relevance to the journal’s scope
• Clarity of research problem, objectives and research questions
• Strength of literature review and conceptual foundation
• Appropriateness of methodology, data sources and analytical tools
• Accuracy and clarity of maps, tables, figures, graphs and images
• Interpretation of results and strength of discussion
• Contribution to geography, earth sciences or interdisciplinary research
• Quality of language, structure and academic presentation
• Ethical compliance, citation accuracy and reference quality

6. Possible Editorial Decisions

Based on the reviewer reports and editorial assessment, the manuscript may receive one of the following decisions:

7. Revision Process

If revisions are requested, authors must address reviewer and editor comments carefully and submit a revised manuscript within the given time. Authors should provide a clear response to comments explaining how each concern has been addressed. Revised manuscripts may be checked by the editor or sent again to reviewers, depending on the nature of the revisions.

8. Confidentiality

All manuscripts submitted to IJGESR are treated as confidential documents. Editors and reviewers must not disclose, share, copy, use or discuss submitted manuscripts with any unauthorised person. Reviewer comments and editorial communications are also treated as confidential.

9. Responsibilities of Reviewers

• Provide objective, fair and constructive feedback.
• Evaluate the manuscript based on academic merit and relevance.
• Maintain confidentiality of the manuscript and review process.
• Declare conflicts of interest before accepting the review assignment.
• Avoid personal criticism or biased comments.
• Inform the editor about suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication or ethical concerns.
• Submit the review report within the assigned timeline.

10. Responsibilities of Editors

• Ensure fair, transparent and timely handling of manuscripts.
• Select suitable reviewers based on subject expertise.
• Maintain confidentiality during editorial and review processes.
• Make publication decisions based on academic quality and reviewer recommendations.
• Handle conflicts of interest responsibly.
• Take appropriate action in cases of plagiarism, data fabrication or publication misconduct.

11. Ethical Concerns During Review

If reviewers or editors identify suspected plagiarism, duplicate submission, data fabrication, image manipulation, unethical authorship, undisclosed conflict of interest or any other form of academic misconduct, the manuscript may be rejected or investigated further according to the journal’s publication ethics policy.

12. Review Timeline

The time required for peer review may vary depending on reviewer availability, manuscript complexity and revision requirements. IJGESR aims to complete editorial screening and peer review within a reasonable timeframe while maintaining the quality and integrity of the review process.

13. Final Decision

The final decision regarding acceptance, revision or rejection rests with the editorial team. Reviewer recommendations are important, but the editor may also consider journal scope, originality, ethical compliance, academic quality and overall suitability before making the final decision.

14. Editorial Office

For queries related to peer review, manuscript status or editorial decisions, authors may contact the editorial office of IJGESR through the official website or email.

Website: www.ijgesr.com
Email: editor@ijgesr.com