Editorial and Publishing Workflow

A traceable OJS sequence from submission to publication and post-publication stewardship

JPM uses Open Journal Systems (OJS) as the authoritative system for submission, correspondence, review, decisions, revisions, production, and publication records. The exact software version may change following tested maintenance and security updates; therefore, a version number is not fixed in this policy.

Editorial and Publishing Stages

1. Submission: the corresponding author uploads the anonymized manuscript, title-page information, metadata, declarations, and supplementary files through OJS. Email does not replace OJS submission.
2. Administrative check: journal staff verify scope selection, file format, template, anonymization, author metadata, declarations, permissions, and basic completeness. Incomplete submissions are returned without a scientific decision.
3. Editorial screening: an unconflicted editor evaluates fit with scope, originality indicators, scholarly contribution, methodological plausibility, ethics, integrity, and readiness for external review.
4. Integrity screening: similarity, authorship, conflicts, ethics approval or exemption, data availability, permissions, and material AI use are checked as applicable. A similarity score is not an automatic decision.
5. Reviewer appointment: the handling editor invites at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise after considering availability and conflicts of interest.
6. Double-anonymized peer review: reviewers evaluate the manuscript and submit reasoned confidential comments and a recommendation. Reviewers advise; editors decide.
7. Editorial decision: the editor records one of the stated outcomes—minor revision, major revision, decline, or acceptance—supported by the reviews and editorial assessment.
8. Author revision: authors upload a revised manuscript and a numbered response explaining how each comment was addressed or respectfully rebutted.
9. Re-review and verification: major revisions may return to the original or additional reviewers; editors verify ethics, data, reporting, and integrity matters before acceptance.
10. Formal acceptance: acceptance is issued only after scholarly and ethical requirements are met. APC processing begins only after this stage and remains administratively separate from the decision.
11. Production: copyediting, reference and metadata checking, layout, DOI preparation, author proofreading, licensing confirmation, and final quality control are completed without altering scholarly meaning without author/editor approval.
12. Publication and preservation: the Version of Record is published with accurate dates, authorship, affiliations, abstract, keywords, references, license, DOI, and issue data, then included in backup and preservation processes.
13. Post-publication: evidence-based discussion, corrections, Expressions of Concern, and retractions are handled through their dedicated procedures while preserving the publication record.

Service Targets and Records

JPM aims to complete the initial administrative and editorial screening promptly and ordinarily seeks reviewer reports within two to four weeks after reviewer acceptance. Actual time varies with subject complexity, reviewer availability, revision, ethics checks, or investigation. No fee guarantees a decision, acceptance, or publication date. Material delays are communicated through OJS.