Peer Review Policy Statement

Peer Review Policy Statement

Scientific Conference with International Participation “Economy of Integration” (ICEI) and its Conference Proceedings (ISSN 2490-2616)

Publisher: Faculty of Economics, University of Tuzla

1. Purpose and scope

All papers in the ICEI Conference Proceedings undergo double-blind peer review by at least two independent reviewers and a review by the Editors.

This statement sets out the peer review policy of the Scientific Conference with International Participation “Economy of Integration” (ICEI) and its Conference Proceedings (ISSN 2490-2616). The conference is held every two years. The policy applies to every paper submitted to the conference and considered for publication in the Conference Proceedings.a

The Conference Proceedings are published by the Faculty of Economics, University of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this statement, “the Editors” means the editors of the Conference Proceedings appointed by the Faculty.

2. Type of peer review

ICEI uses double-blind peer review: reviewers do not know who the authors are, and authors do not know who reviewed their paper.

Each paper is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with expertise in its field. In addition to the reviewers’ reports, the Editors review every paper and give the authors their own comments.

3. Review process

Every paper passes through seven stages, from initial editorial assessment to publication in the Conference Proceedings.

Peer review flow from submission to publication

Papers that do not meet the requirements, or that the Editors reject after review, are not published.

  1. Initial editorial assessment. The Editors check each submission for fit with the conference scope, compliance with the submission guidelines and basic academic quality. Papers that do not meet these requirements may be returned to the authors or rejected without external review.
  2. Assignment to reviewers. The Editors send each paper to at least two reviewers, chosen from the members of the Program Committee and external experts. Reviewers receive the paper without the authors’ names, affiliations or other identifying details.
  3. Reviewers assess the paper against these criteria:
    • relevance to the scope of the conference;
    • originality and contribution to knowledge;
    • clarity of the research problem, aims and questions;
    • appropriateness of the methodology;
    • validity of the results and conclusions;
    • use of the relevant literature;
    • structure, clarity and language quality.
  4. Each reviewer completes the ICEI review form, with comments for the authors and one of four recommendations: accept, accept with minor revisions, accept after major revisions, or reject.
  5. Editorial comments and decision. The Editors review the paper together with the reviewers’ reports and add their own comments. They decide on the basis of both. Where the reviewers’ recommendations differ substantially, the Editors may request an additional review.
  6. Authors revise their papers in line with the reviewers’ and the Editors’ comments. The Editors check the revised version and, where necessary, return it to the reviewers.
  7. Final acceptance and publication. Only papers that have completed the review process and have been presented at the conference are published in the Conference Proceedings.

4. Confidentiality and conflicts of interest

Papers under review are confidential. Reviewers may not share, cite or use any part of a paper they review, and may not contact its authors.

Reviewers with a conflict of interest, such as recent co-authorship or a close professional or personal relationship with an author, must decline the review. Editors with such a conflict take no part in decisions on that paper.

Papers by the Editors or by members of the conference committees go through the same double-blind review. Decisions on these papers are made by an Editor or Program Committee member who is not among the authors.

5. Responsibilities of reviewers and authors

Reviewers are expected to:

  • assess papers objectively and give constructive, well-reasoned comments;
  • submit their reports by the deadline set by the Editors, or decline the invitation promptly;
  • keep the paper and their review confidential;
  • inform the Editors of any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication or data fabrication.

Authors are expected to:

  • submit original work that has not been published and is not under consideration elsewhere;
  • remove names, affiliations and other identifying details from the version sent for review;
  • cite all sources properly and acknowledge the contributions of others;
  • address the reviewers’ and the Editors’ comments when revising their papers.

6. Ethics, editorial independence and appeals

The review process is guided by the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers. Suspected misconduct is handled in line with COPE guidance.

Editorial decisions are based solely on academic merit and relevance to the conference. The publisher does not take part in decisions on individual papers.

Authors may appeal a decision by sending the Editors a written explanation of their reasons. The Editors consider the appeal and may seek an additional independent review. Their decision on the appeal is final.

7. Publisher and contact

Publisher: Faculty of Economics, University of Tuzla, Urfeta Vejzagića 8, 75000 Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Conference website: www.icei.ba

Questions about this policy can be sent to the Editors through the contact details amra.gadzo@untz.ba