JSciMath.org: Open Review Process
Decentralized Open Peer Review Process
Step 1
All submissions must be formatted as "camera-ready" pdf files. Manuscripts are refereed and scored by the scientific community based on their intellectual merit, potential broader impacts, and overall quality.
Step 2
A "Review Period" is at least 40 days. Authors can replace their own papers anytime they wish, but this will restart the minimum 40-day Review Period. Only at the time of replacement, authors have the option of removing previous scores and reviews. Referees may also delete their own reviews and scores at any time. During a Review Period, text such as the following appears across the top of the pdf file:
"Under
consideration for publication in J. Sci. Math.
Res. Submitted
17 Jan 2007"
Manuscripts must receive passing scores from a Level-2 Referee (and no failing scores from either Level-1 or Level-2 Referees) in the "Critical Quality" category and wait the minimum 40-day Review Period in order to be published.
Step 3
If, after a 40-day Review Period, the Critical Quality criteria have NOT yet been met, the manuscript will remain in this state indefinitely, accumulating reviews, until it accumulates the required number of favorable reviews, is deleted, or is replaced by its submitting author (or successfully appealed - see below). The submitter may hide select reviews and scores only when replacing the manuscript with a new revision. If replaced, a new 40-day Review Period then begins (Step 1), and the manuscript must accumulate the required Critical Quality score.
Step 4
If, after a 40-day Review Period, the Critical Quality criteria have
been met, an option to "Publish" will appear beside the manuscript title in the submitting author's list of manuscripts. It will remain in this state indefinitely, accumulating reviews, until it is approved and published by the submitting author. If it is instead replaced by the submitting author, a new Review Period begins (Step 1).
Approval
When the author clicks "Publish," the manuscript is published, its header is changed to indicate this fact, and all reviews and scores are taken down (but saved internally). Other authors wanting to cite a paper will know to only cite it when its header indicates that it has been published, because only then will it be permanent. Referees may no longer post reviews or scores of the manuscript after it is published.
The number of days remaining in a "Review Period" will be listed beside each of the "Manuscripts needing review," so that potential referees may see how many days they have to complete their review.
Appeal Process
If an author feels that his or her manuscript was rejected unfairly, he or she may appeal. If, during the appeal review, two or more Level-2 referees are willing to affirm the correctness of the author's point, the manuscript will be accepted (upon final review by the editor).
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