Peer Review Policy

Pedagogy Scientia: Elementary School Research Journal applies a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the quality, originality, relevance, and academic contribution of every manuscript submitted to the journal. All submitted manuscripts are evaluated based on their suitability with the journal’s focus and scope, scientific merit, methodological quality, clarity of presentation, ethical compliance, and contribution to the development of elementary school education.

Review Model

This journal uses a double-blind peer review system. In this process, the identities of authors and reviewers are kept confidential from each other. The purpose of this review model is to maintain objectivity, fairness, independence, and academic integrity throughout the manuscript evaluation process.

Initial Editorial Screening

Every manuscript submitted to Pedagogy Scientia: Elementary School Research Journal will first be screened by the editorial team. At this stage, the editors evaluate whether the manuscript:

• fits the focus and scope of the journal;
• follows the journal template and author guidelines;
• contains complete manuscript components;
• has clear academic writing and logical structure;
• meets the minimum standard of originality and novelty;
• complies with publication ethics and research ethics.

Manuscripts that do not meet the basic requirements may be returned to the author for correction or rejected before entering the peer-review stage.

Similarity and Plagiarism Check

Before being sent to reviewers, manuscripts may be checked using plagiarism detection tools to ensure originality. Manuscripts with indications of plagiarism, duplicate publication, excessive similarity, data fabrication, data falsification, or unethical writing practices may be rejected by the editorial team. Authors are responsible for ensuring that all cited sources are properly acknowledged and written according to the required citation style.

Reviewer Assignment

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening will be assigned to at least two independent reviewers who have expertise relevant to the manuscript topic. Reviewers are selected based on their academic competence, research experience, subject expertise, and absence of conflict of interest. The reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based recommendations to improve the quality of the manuscript.

Review Criteria

Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on several academic criteria, including:

• relevance to the focus and scope of elementary school education;
• originality, novelty, and contribution to knowledge;
• clarity of research objectives and research gap;
• appropriateness of research method, design, instruments, and analysis;
• validity and reliability of data or trustworthiness of qualitative findings;
• clarity, depth, and critical quality of results and discussion;
• relevance and recency of references;
• quality of academic language, structure, and presentation;
• ethical compliance and transparency of research reporting.

Review Results and Editorial Decision

After the review process is completed, reviewers provide recommendations to the editor. The final decision is made by the editor based on reviewers’ comments, academic quality, ethical considerations, and the journal’s publication standards. The possible editorial decisions include:

• Accepted: the manuscript is accepted for publication without substantial revision;
• Minor Revision: the manuscript requires small improvements before acceptance;
• Major Revision: the manuscript requires substantial improvement and may be reviewed again;
• Rejected: the manuscript does not meet the journal’s academic or ethical standards.

Revision Process

Authors are required to revise their manuscripts according to reviewers’ and editors’ comments. Revised manuscripts must be accompanied by a response to reviewers explaining how each comment has been addressed. The revised manuscript will be re-evaluated by the editor and, if necessary, returned to the reviewers for further assessment. Failure to submit revisions within the specified time may result in rejection or withdrawal from the publication process.

Review Timeline

The peer-review process generally takes approximately 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the availability of reviewers, the quality of the manuscript, and the extent of required revisions. The editorial team is committed to maintaining an efficient, transparent, and accountable review process while ensuring that every manuscript is evaluated carefully and fairly.

Confidentiality

All manuscripts, review reports, correspondence, and editorial decisions are treated as confidential documents. Reviewers and editors are not permitted to disclose, distribute, or use any information from submitted manuscripts for personal or professional purposes before publication. Confidentiality is maintained to protect the rights of authors and the integrity of the review process.

Conflict of Interest

Editors and reviewers must declare any potential conflict of interest related to the manuscript, author, institution, funding source, or research topic. If a conflict of interest is identified, the reviewer or editor must withdraw from the evaluation process. The journal ensures that all editorial decisions are made independently, objectively, and free from personal or institutional bias.

Final Acceptance and Publication

Manuscripts that have successfully passed the peer-review process, revision stage, editorial evaluation, copyediting, and layout editing will be accepted for publication. The final published article represents the scholarly contribution of the authors and must comply with the academic, ethical, and editorial standards of Pedagogy Scientia: Elementary School Research Journal.