Peer Review Process

The International Journal of Yoga, Physical Education and Sports (IJYPES), published by AASTEMER (https://aastemer.org/), is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of scholarly publishing through a rigorous, transparent, and fair peer review process. Our double-blind peer review ensures that all manuscripts, including research articles, reviews, short communications, and conference papers, are evaluated for scientific quality, originality, and relevance to the fields of yoga, physical education, and sports sciences.

Overview of the Peer Review Process

IJYPES employs a double-blind peer review process, where both authors’ and reviewers’ identities are anonymized to ensure impartiality. The process is designed to support the journal’s mission to advance knowledge and foster global collaboration in yoga, physical education, and sports. Below is an outline of the steps involved:

  1. Submission:

    • Authors submit manuscripts through the online submission portal at https://ijypes.aastemer.org/, including a similarity index report to confirm originality, as per IJYPES’s Plagiarism Policy.
    • Submissions must adhere to the journal’s guidelines, available on the website, and align with the journal’s scope.

  2. Initial Editorial Assessment:

    • The editorial office conducts an initial review to ensure the manuscript meets IJYPES’s scope, formatting requirements, and ethical standards (e.g., originality, disclosure of generative AI use per the Generative AI Policy).
    • Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria are returned to authors with feedback or rejected. This step typically takes 5–7 business days.

  3. Assignment to Reviewers:

    • Suitable manuscripts are assigned to at least two independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant field (e.g., yoga, physical education, sports sciences).
    • Reviewers are selected based on their academic qualifications and absence of conflicts of interest, as outlined in IJYPES’s Publishing Ethics Policy.

  4. Double-Blind Peer Review:

    • Reviewers evaluate the manuscript for scientific rigor, originality, methodology, clarity, and relevance to IJYPES’s scope.
    • Reviewers provide detailed feedback and recommend one of the following: accept, minor revisions, major revisions, or reject.
    • The review process typically takes 3–6 weeks, depending on the complexity of the manuscript and reviewer availability.

  5. Editorial Decision:

    • The handling editor, in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief, makes a decision based on reviewer reports and their own assessment. Decisions include:
      • Accept: The manuscript is suitable for publication with no or minor revisions.
      • Minor Revisions: The manuscript requires small changes to meet publication standards.
      • Major Revisions: Significant revisions are needed, with a possible second round of review.
      • Reject: The manuscript does not meet IJYPES’s standards or scope.
    • Authors are notified of the decision with anonymized reviewer feedback and, if applicable, revision instructions via the submission portal. This step is typically completed within 1–2 weeks after reviews are received.

  6. Revisions (if applicable):

    • Authors revise their manuscript based on reviewer and editor feedback, submitting the revised version through the online portal with a detailed response to comments.
    • Revised manuscripts may undergo additional review, depending on the extent of changes required.

  7. Final Decision and Publication:

    • Once accepted, the manuscript is prepared for publication, including copyediting and formatting.
    • Accepted papers are published online in the earliest available issue (March, June, September, or December) and featured on a dedicated page on the journal’s website, ensuring open-access availability.
    • The entire process from submission to publication typically takes 8–12 weeks, depending on revisions and reviewer availability.

Ethical Standards

  • Confidentiality: Reviewers and editors maintain strict confidentiality of manuscripts, as outlined in the Publishing Ethics Policy. Manuscript content must not be shared or entered into generative AI tools.
  • Objectivity: Reviewers provide unbiased, evidence-based feedback, free from personal or professional conflicts of interest.
  • Transparency: Authors must disclose any use of generative AI tools, as per the Generative AI Policy, and ensure originality, as per the Plagiarism Policy.
  • Appeals: Authors may appeal editorial decisions based on procedural errors or misinterpretations, as outlined in IJYPES’s Editorial Decision Appeals Policy.

Why Peer Review with IJYPES?

  • Rigorous and Fair: The double-blind process ensures impartial evaluation by qualified experts.
  • Global Standards: IJYPES adheres to guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and industry best practices.
  • Timely Feedback: The journal strives for efficient reviews and prompt communication with authors via the submission portal.
  • Open Access: Peer-reviewed papers are freely accessible, maximizing their impact in the global academic community.

Contact

For inquiries about the peer review process or submission guidelines, please contact the editorial office at editor@ijypes.aastemer.org or visit https://ijypes.aastemer.org/. We aim to respond within five business days.

IJYPES is dedicated to fostering high-quality research through a robust peer review process. We invite researchers and practitioners to contribute to advancing knowledge in yoga, physical education, and sports sciences through our online submission portal.