Peer Review Process

Peer Review Process

Journal of Narrative and Language Studies (NALANS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly quality, transparency, and research integrity. All submissions undergo a rigorous editorial screening and double-anonymized peer review process to ensure the publication of original, relevant, and high-quality research.

Initial Editorial Assessment

Upon submission, manuscripts are first evaluated by the Editorial Office and the Editor-in-Chief. At this stage, submissions are assessed for:

• Relevance to the aims and scope of the journal;
• Originality and scholarly contribution;
• Compliance with ethical publishing standards;
• Appropriate disclosure and use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, where applicable;
• Similarity and plagiarism screening;
• Basic compliance with submission requirements.

Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's basic requirements may be returned to the authors for correction or may be declined before external review.

Double-Anonymized Peer Review

NALANS operates a double-anonymized (double-blind) peer review system. Neither authors nor reviewers are informed of each other's identities throughout the review process.

Following successful editorial screening, each manuscript is assigned to at least two independent expert reviewers with relevant expertise in the subject area.

If a reviewer is unable to complete the review within the requested timeframe or declines the invitation, an alternative reviewer is appointed to ensure a timely evaluation process.

Reviewer Evaluation

Reviewers are asked to evaluate manuscripts with regard to:

• Originality and significance;
• Theoretical and methodological soundness;
• Scholarly rigor;
• Clarity of presentation and organization;
• Adequacy of references and engagement with relevant literature;
• Contribution to the field of narrative, language, literary, cultural, and interdisciplinary studies.

Editorial Contributions
Editor-in-Chief or co-editors cannot bypass or modify the journal's established peer review procedures. Authorship of editorial members is subject to the same double-anonymised peer review process as all other manuscripts. For such authorship, the contributor is excluded from all editorial decisions and reviewer selection in case of any conflict of interest.

Recommendations

Reviewers provide detailed reports and make one of the following recommendations:

• Accept (with Minor Revision)
• Accept (with Major Revision)
• Resubmission
• Decline

Revision Process

Authors receiving revision requests are expected to submit a revised manuscript together with a detailed response explaining how reviewer comments have been addressed.

Manuscripts requiring major revisions may be returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation. In cases where reviewer concerns indicate substantial methodological, theoretical, or scholarly weaknesses that cannot reasonably be addressed through revision, the manuscript may be rejected.

Editorial Decision

The final publication decision is based on reviewer reports, the recommendation of the handling editor, and the evaluation of the Editor-in-Chief.

Possible editorial decisions include:

• Accept for publication;
• Accept with Minor Revisions;
• Revise and Resubmit;
• Reject.

The Editor-in-Chief retains overall responsibility for all editorial decisions and publication outcomes.

Review Timeline

NALANS aims to complete the peer review process in a timely and efficient manner.

The average review period is approximately eight (8) weeks from the date a manuscript is sent for external review. Actual review times may vary depending on reviewer availability and the complexity of the submission.

Special Issues

Manuscripts submitted to special issues are subject to the same editorial screening, ethical standards, and double-anonymized peer review procedures as regular submissions.

Guest editors may assist in the management of special issues; however, all editorial decisions remain subject to the oversight of the Editor-in-Chief and the journal's editorial policies.