Peer Review Process

Journal of Sports and Physical Activity is a double-blind peer-reviewed journal. Every manuscript submitted for publication undergoes a rigorous peer review process to ensure scientific quality and credibility. This review is conducted by at least two experts with similar competencies to the author. The purpose of the peer review is to assess the academic suitability of the manuscript before publication, uphold quality standards, and enhance the credibility of the journal.

The Peer Review Process at Journal of Sports and Physical Activity Consists of Nine Stages:

  1. Manuscript Submission
    The author submits the manuscript through an online system supported by the Open Journal System (OJS). To facilitate authors, the journal also temporarily accepts manuscript submissions via email.
  2. Editorial Office Assessment
    The submitted manuscript is first reviewed by the editor to determine its suitability with the journal's focus and scope. The manuscript’s structure and formatting are assessed based on the Author Guidelines to ensure it includes the required sections and follows the necessary formatting rules. At this stage, a preliminary quality assessment is conducted, including an evaluation of potential major methodological flaws. Manuscripts that pass this stage are checked using Turnitin to measure the similarity index and prevent plagiarism before being sent for peer review.
  3. Review by the Editor-in-Chief
    The Editor-in-Chief examines the manuscript to determine whether it is sufficiently original, relevant, and significant for publication. If the manuscript does not meet these criteria, it may be rejected without further review.
  4. Reviewer Invitation
    The handling editor invites experts in the relevant field to review the manuscript. Reviewers are selected based on their expertise, research interests, and absence of conflicts of interest. To maintain objectivity, the journal employs a double-blind peer review system, ensuring that both the author's and reviewers' identities remain anonymous.
  5. Response to Review Invitations
    Potential reviewers assess the invitation based on their expertise, potential conflicts of interest, and availability. If they decline, they may suggest an alternative reviewer with suitable qualifications.
  6. Manuscript Review Process
    Reviewers carefully read and analyze the manuscript multiple times. During the initial reading, they form a preliminary impression of the work. If major issues are identified at this stage, they may reject the manuscript without further review. Otherwise, they conduct a detailed evaluation and provide structured feedback, along with a recommendation to accept, reject, or request revisions (categorized as either major or minor) before reconsideration.
  7. Evaluation of Review Reports
    The Editor-in-Chief and handling editor analyze all returned reviews before making a final decision. If the reviewers provide significantly differing opinions, the editor may invite an additional reviewer to obtain further input before making a judgment.
  8. Decision Communication
    The editor communicates the final decision to the author, along with anonymous reviewer comments. Authors receive feedback for necessary revisions or improvements. At this stage, reviewers are also notified of the final decision regarding the manuscript they evaluated.
  9. Final Steps
    If the manuscript is accepted, it proceeds to the copy-editing stage. If it is rejected or requires revisions, the editor provides constructive feedback from the reviewers to help the author improve the manuscript. The author is expected to revise and resubmit the manuscript following the reviewers’ comments and guidelines.

    If the manuscript is resubmitted for revisions, reviewers will typically reassess the revised version unless they opt out of further participation. However, for minor revisions, the final review may be conducted solely by the handling editor.

    Once the editor is satisfied with the revised manuscript, it is officially accepted. The accepted papers are then published online and made freely available as downloadable PDF files.