Decision-Making Process

Kashmir Journal of Academic Research and Development (KJARD)

At KJARD, we are committed to a transparent, rigorous, and impartial editorial process that upholds the highest standards of academic publishing. Each manuscript undergoes structured evaluation to ensure originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal’s core focus on education, humanities, and social sciences.

1. Initial Submission Screening

Preliminary Editorial Review
Manuscripts are first checked for formatting, plagiarism (≤10% similarity; HEC threshold 19%), ethical declarations, funding disclosures, and license agreements.

Scope and Relevance Check
The Editor-in-Chief or Section Editor determines whether the submission aligns with KJARD’s scope (education, humanities, and social sciences). Out-of-scope papers may be desk-rejected.

2. Peer Review Process

  • Reviewer Assignment: Sent for double-blind peer review with at least two independent reviewers.

  • Evaluation Criteria: Originality, contribution to the field, methodological rigor, clarity of findings, ethical standards, and adherence to academic reporting norms.

  • Reviewer Recommendations: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject.

3. Editorial Evaluation and Final Decision

Editors synthesize reviewer feedback; in case of conflict, a third review or board consultation may be sought. Final decision lies with the Editor-in-Chief.

4. Revisions and Resubmission

  • Minor Revisions: 2–4 weeks. Editor checks compliance.

  • Major Revisions: 4–8 weeks. May go for re-review.

  • Rejection: Normally final, though resubmission as a new paper may be allowed if improvements are substantial.

5. Communication and Appeals

Authors are informed via a formal letter with consolidated reviewer feedback. Appeals may be made in writing; final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief.

6. Post-Acceptance Workflow

Final submission must include revised manuscript, bios, copyright/license, and high-resolution figures/tables. Articles undergo copyediting and proofing before publication.

7. Ethical Oversight

All authors, reviewers, and editors must declare conflicts of interest. Research ethics compliance is mandatory for studies involving human subjects. KJARD enforces strict integrity, and misconduct may result in retraction.