Peer Review Process

The International Journal on Recent Trends in Business and Tourism (IJRTBT) is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal committed to maintaining high standards of academic quality, research integrity, transparency, fairness, and ethical publishing. All research articles and other manuscripts designated as peer-reviewed content undergo a structured editorial assessment and independent peer-review process before a final publication decision is made.

1. Peer Review Model

IJRTBT follows a double-anonymous (double-blind) peer-review process, in which the identities of the authors are not disclosed to the reviewers and the identities of the reviewers are not disclosed to the authors.

Authors are therefore required to prepare their manuscripts in a manner that does not reveal their identities, institutional affiliations, acknowledgements, or other identifying information within the anonymised manuscript file.

2. Initial Editorial Screening

Following submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial assessment by the Editorial Office and/or a designated Editor.

The initial screening considers:

• relevance to the aims and scope of IJRTBT;
• originality and potential scholarly contribution;
• overall academic and methodological quality;
• clarity and organisation of the manuscript;
• ethical and research-integrity requirements;
• plagiarism and similarity concerns;
• compliance with the journal's author guidelines; and
• suitability for external peer review.

Manuscripts that are clearly outside the journal's scope, do not meet minimum scholarly or ethical standards, contain significant integrity concerns, or do not substantially comply with submission requirements may be rejected without external peer review.

An initial editorial rejection does not imply that the research topic lacks academic value. Rather, it indicates that the manuscript is not considered suitable for further consideration by IJRTBT in its submitted form.

3. Selection of Peer Reviewers

Manuscripts that successfully complete the initial editorial screening are normally sent to at least two independent external reviewers with appropriate expertise in the subject area of the manuscript.

Reviewers are selected on the basis of factors including:

• subject-area expertise;
• relevant research and publication experience;
• suitability to assess the methodology and subject matter;
• independence from the authors and the submitted research;
• absence of relevant conflicts of interest; and
• ability to provide a fair, constructive, and timely review.

Where reviewer reports differ substantially, where specialist expertise is required, or where the Editor considers further assessment necessary, an additional reviewer may be invited.

The selection and appointment of reviewers remain the responsibility of the journal. Authors may suggest potential reviewers where permitted by IJRTBT; however, the journal is under no obligation to use any suggested reviewer.

4. Confidentiality

All manuscripts submitted to IJRTBT are treated as confidential documents.

Editors, reviewers, and other individuals involved in the editorial process must not disclose, distribute, reproduce, discuss, or use unpublished information contained in a submitted manuscript for personal, academic, commercial, or professional advantage.

Reviewers must maintain confidentiality throughout and after the peer-review process in accordance with the journal's editorial and publication-ethics policies.

Manuscript information should only be shared with individuals directly involved in the editorial and peer-review process where authorised by the journal.

5. Assessment by Reviewers

Reviewers are requested to evaluate manuscripts objectively, independently, and constructively. Depending on the nature of the submission, reviewers may consider:

• originality and significance of the research;
• relevance to the aims and scope of IJRTBT;
• clarity of the research objectives, questions, or hypotheses;
• adequacy of the theoretical or conceptual framework;
• appropriateness and rigour of the research methodology;
• suitability of the sampling and data-collection procedures;
• quality and depth of data analysis;
• accuracy and interpretation of the findings;
• validity of the conclusions and recommendations;
• engagement with relevant and current literature;
• contribution to business, tourism, management, hospitality, or related fields;
• ethical considerations and research integrity; and
• overall clarity, organisation, and scholarly presentation.

Reviewers should provide sufficiently detailed and constructive comments to assist the Editor in reaching an informed decision and to help authors improve the quality of their manuscripts.

Personal criticism, discriminatory remarks, unsupported allegations, offensive language, or comments unrelated to the scholarly quality of the manuscript are not acceptable.

6. Reviewer Recommendations

Following assessment, reviewers may recommend one of the following editorial outcomes:

• Accept – the manuscript is suitable for publication without substantive changes.
• Minor Revision – limited amendments or clarification are required before the manuscript can be considered for acceptance.
• Major Revision – substantial amendments, additional clarification, further analysis, restructuring, or methodological improvement are required.
• Reject – the manuscript is not considered suitable for publication in IJRTBT.

Reviewer recommendations are advisory. The final editorial decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief or an authorised handling Editor, who considers the reviewers' reports, the quality and relevance of the manuscript, ethical requirements, responses from the authors, and the journal's editorial standards.

The Editor is not required to follow a reviewer recommendation where there is a justified academic, ethical, or editorial reason for reaching a different decision.

7. Revision by Authors

Where revision is requested, authors receive the relevant reviewer and editorial comments and are expected to respond carefully and comprehensively to each point raised.

Authors should normally submit:

• a revised manuscript; and
• a point-by-point response explaining how each reviewer and editorial comment has been addressed.

Where authors disagree with a reviewer or editorial recommendation, they should provide a clear, respectful, evidence-based academic justification in their response.

Submission of a revised manuscript does not guarantee acceptance for publication.

8. Manuscripts Submitted by Editors or Editorial Board Members

Manuscripts submitted by an Editor, Editorial Board member, Reviewer Board member, journal staff member, or an individual closely associated with IJRTBT are subject to the same editorial standards and peer-review requirements as all other submissions.

Such manuscripts will be handled independently by an Editor who has no relevant conflict of interest. The submitting editor or board member will not participate in reviewer selection or the editorial decision concerning their own manuscript.

Appropriate safeguards will be maintained to preserve the independence and integrity of the peer-review process.

9. Research Integrity Concerns

If concerns regarding plagiarism, duplicate or redundant publication, fabricated or falsified data, inappropriate authorship, undisclosed conflicts of interest, unethical research practices, citation manipulation, image manipulation, peer-review manipulation, or other potential misconduct arise during the peer-review process, IJRTBT may suspend consideration of the manuscript while the matter is investigated.

Appropriate action will be taken in accordance with the journal's publication-ethics policies and recognised principles of responsible scholarly publishing.

10. Peer Review Timeline

IJRTBT aims to conduct peer review efficiently while ensuring that the quality, independence, and integrity of the review process are not compromised.

The journal generally aims to complete the initial peer-review process within approximately 2–8 weeks and the publication process within approximately 2–24 weeks, although actual processing times may vary.

Authors will be informed of editorial decisions through the journal's submission system and/or registered correspondence.

IJRTBT does not guarantee acceptance or publication within a specified period.

11. Editorial Decision

After consideration of the reviewer reports and any revisions submitted by the authors, the Editor-in-Chief or authorised handling Editor will make the final decision regarding the manuscript.

The final decision may be:

• acceptance;
• further revision;
• rejection; or
• another appropriate editorial action where ethical or procedural concerns arise.

The editorial decision is based on the manuscript's academic quality, originality, methodological soundness, relevance to IJRTBT, contribution to knowledge, ethical compliance, and consistency with the journal's publication standards.

Acceptance of a manuscript is not determined solely by reviewer recommendations.

12. Ethical Standards in Peer Review

IJRTBT is committed to conducting peer review fairly, independently, confidentially, and without discrimination on the basis of nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, religion, political belief, or other characteristics unrelated to the scholarly merit of the submission.

Editors and reviewers are expected to act with integrity and to preserve the independence of the editorial decision-making process.

The journal periodically reviews its peer-review procedures to maintain appropriate standards of quality, transparency, research integrity, and responsible scholarly publishing.