The Peer Review Process is a vital part of the scholarly publishing procedure, in which manuscripts are assessed for quality before publication. Submitted manuscripts are reviewed by relevant field experts who evaluate and provide feedback to help editors decide whether the manuscript should be published in WIDYANATA.

Key Points in the Peer Review Process:

• Manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo an initial screening by the editorial team to ensure they meet the journal’s submission criteria.

• Manuscripts that pass the initial review are sent to at least two peer reviewers for detailed evaluation.

• Peer reviewers independently make recommendations to the editor on whether the manuscript should be accepted, rejected, or revised.

• The editor considers all feedback from the peer reviewers and makes the final decision to accept or reject the manuscript.

• The Peer Review Process is a quality control mechanism, where experts assess the manuscript to ensure the highest standards are maintained for published content. Peer reviewers provide recommendations, but they do not make the final decision on acceptance or rejection.

How Does It Work?

When a manuscript is submitted, it is initially evaluated to determine if it meets the journal’s submission criteria. If it does, the editorial team selects appropriate peer reviewers with expertise in the research field to assess the manuscript and provide feedback. Widyanata Journal adopts the Double-blind peer review system, meaning:

1. Double-blind Peer Review: In this system, both the authors and the reviewers remain anonymous to each other. The reviewers do not know the authors' identities, and the authors do not know the identities of the reviewers. This method ensures that the evaluation process is unbiased and impartial.

Why Peer Review?

Peer review is an essential part of academic publishing that ensures the validity, accuracy, and quality of the research being presented. Peer reviewers are professionals who volunteer their time to critically assess and refine the manuscript, helping to ensure that only the best and most credible research is published.

Steps in the Peer Review Process:

1. Submission of Manuscript
   Authors submit their manuscripts to WIDYANATA, usually through the journal’s online system, though email submissions are also accepted.

2. Editorial Assessment
   The editorial team reviews the manuscript to ensure it meets the journal's formatting requirements. At this stage, the manuscript’s content quality is not yet evaluated.

3. Assessment by the Editor-in-Chief
   The editor-in-chief checks the manuscript to ensure it aligns with the journal's scope, is sufficiently original, and is of interest to the journal’s readership. If the manuscript does not meet these criteria, it may be rejected without further review.

4. Invitation to Peer Reviewers
   The editor sends invitations to appropriate peer reviewers who have expertise in the relevant field. The peer reviewers remain anonymous to the authors as part of the Double-blind system.

5. Response to Invitation
   Reviewers consider the invitation based on their expertise, conflicts of interest, and availability. They either accept or decline the invitation. If they decline, they may suggest alternative reviewers.

6. Review Process
   The reviewers read the manuscript thoroughly, forming their opinions and providing detailed feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript. They provide recommendations to accept, reject, or request revisions. The reviewers' identities remain anonymous throughout this process.

7. Journal Evaluation of Reviews
   The editor evaluates all the reviews received before making a final decision. If there is a significant difference in the reviewers’ opinions, the editor may invite additional reviewers for further feedback.

8. Decision Communicated
   The editor communicates the decision to the author via email, including any relevant comments from the reviewers.

9. Next Steps
   If the manuscript is accepted, it moves to production. If it is rejected or needs revisions, authors are requested to make the necessary revisions based on the reviewers' feedback. The revised manuscript is sent back for another round of review, or if the revisions are minor, the editor will handle the review. If a revision is required, reviewers are also notified of the author’s revisions.