Publication Procedure

The Journal of Innovation in Multidisciplinary Research and Technology (JIMRT) is committed to a transparent, rigorous, and ethical publication process that upholds the highest standards of academic integrity and quality. This Publication Procedure outlines the detailed steps for submitting, reviewing, and publishing manuscripts in JIMRT, adhering to the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). JIMRT employs a double-blind peer review process to ensure fairness and impartiality, fostering trust and credibility in multidisciplinary research. The following steps guide authors, reviewers, and editors through the publication journey, ensuring compliance with COPE principles for ethical publishing.

Detailed Publication Procedure

1. Manuscript Submission

• Description: Authors submit their manuscript through the JIMRT Submission Portal in accordance with the journal’s Research Guidelines and COPE ethical standards.
• Requirements:
  • Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere, including preprints, unless explicitly permitted by JIMRT.
  • Accepted submission types include original research articles, review papers, case studies, and perspectives, covering multidisciplinary fields such as Engineering, Technology, Management, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Humanities, Applied Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Research.
  • Authors must include a cover letter confirming:
    • Originality of the work.
    • Compliance with ethical standards, including research ethics and authorship criteria.
    • Disclosure of any conflicts of interest or funding sources.
  • Manuscripts must be anonymized to support the double-blind peer review process, with all identifying information (e.g., author names, affiliations) removed from the main document and included in a separate title page or cover letter.
• Process:
  • Authors upload the manuscript, cover letter, and any supplementary materials (e.g., figures, datasets) via the Submission Portal.
  • A confirmation email with a unique manuscript ID is sent to authors for tracking purposes.
• COPE Alignment: Submissions are screened for plagiarism and ethical compliance, ensuring adherence to COPE’s principles on originality and transparency.

2. Initial Editorial Screening

• Description: The editorial office conducts an initial assessment to determine the manuscript’s suitability for JIMRT.
• Criteria:
  • Alignment with JIMRT’s multidisciplinary scope.
  • Adherence to formatting, ethical, and submission guidelines as outlined in the Research Guidelines.
  • Originality, verified through plagiarism detection software to prevent misconduct.
• Outcomes:
  • Proceed to Peer Review: Manuscripts meeting all criteria advance to the double-blind peer review process.
  • Desk Rejection: Manuscripts that are incomplete, outside the journal’s scope, or violate ethical standards are rejected with detailed feedback provided to authors, in line with COPE’s guidelines on fair and transparent decision-making.
• COPE Alignment: The editorial team ensures impartiality and provides constructive feedback for rejected manuscripts, following COPE’s recommendations for handling submissions ethically.

3. Double-Blind Peer Review

• Description: Manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process, where both author and reviewer identities are concealed to eliminate bias.
• Process:
  • The editorial team assigns the manuscript to at least two independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant field(s), ensuring no conflicts of interest.
  • Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on:
    • Originality: Novelty and contribution to existing knowledge.
    • Methodological Rigor: Soundness of research design, data collection, and analysis.
    • Clarity and Presentation: Logical structure, clear writing, and accessibility to a multidisciplinary audience.
    • Relevance: Alignment with JIMRT’s scope and potential impact.
    • Ethical Compliance: Adherence to ethical standards, including proper citation, data integrity, and research ethics.
  • Reviewers provide detailed, constructive feedback and recommend one of the following: Accept, Accept with Minor Revisions, Revise and Resubmit (Major Revisions), or Reject.
• COPE Alignment: Reviewers are required to maintain confidentiality, declare conflicts of interest, and provide objective, evidence-based feedback, as per COPE’s guidelines for peer reviewers. The editorial team oversees the process to ensure fairness and transparency.

4. Editorial Decision

• Description: The editorial team reviews all reviewer feedback and makes a final decision on the manuscript.
• Possible Decisions:
  • Accept: The manuscript meets JIMRT’s standards and is approved for publication without revisions.
  • Accept with Minor Revisions: Minor changes (e.g., clarifications, formatting) are required.
  • Revise and Resubmit: Major revisions are needed, and the revised manuscript may undergo further review.
  • Reject: The manuscript does not meet JIMRT’s standards, with detailed feedback provided to authors.
• Process:
  • Authors receive a decision letter with anonymized reviewer comments and clear instructions for revisions, if applicable.
  • The editorial team ensures decisions are fair, transparent, and aligned with COPE’s principles for handling peer review outcomes.
• COPE Alignment: Decisions are made impartially, and authors are given opportunities to respond to feedback or appeal decisions, as recommended by COPE.

5. Revision and Resubmission (if applicable)

• Description: Authors revise their manuscript based on reviewer and editorial feedback.
• Requirements:
  • Authors must submit a revised manuscript with a point-by-point response addressing each reviewer comment, clearly indicating changes made (e.g., via tracked changes or highlighted text).
  • Revised manuscripts may undergo additional peer review, depending on the extent of revisions required.
• Process:
  • Revised submissions are re-evaluated by the editorial team and, if necessary, original or new reviewers.
  • The editorial team ensures revisions address all concerns raised, maintaining alignment with COPE’s guidelines for handling revisions.
• COPE Alignment: Authors are provided clear guidance and fair opportunities to revise their work, ensuring transparency and constructive dialogue.

6. Final Acceptance

• Description: Once the manuscript meets JIMRT’s quality and ethical standards, it is formally accepted for publication.
• Process:
  • Authors receive an acceptance letter via email.
  • Authors may be required to sign a publication agreement and confirm payment of any applicable Article Processing Charge (APC), as outlined in the Terms and Conditions.
• COPE Alignment: The acceptance process is transparent, with clear communication to authors about next steps and publication requirements.

7. Production and Copyediting

• Description: The accepted manuscript enters the production phase for formatting and copyediting.
• Process:
  • The editorial team formats the manuscript to align with JIMRT’s style guidelines (e.g., layout, citation style, figure resolution).
  • Copyediting ensures clarity, grammatical accuracy, and consistency.
  • Authors receive proofs for final review and must approve or request minor corrections within a specified timeframe.
• COPE Alignment: Authors are given the opportunity to review proofs to ensure accuracy, in line with COPE’s recommendations for maintaining publication integrity.

8. Publication

• Description: The final article is published in JIMRT’s open-access format, freely accessible on the website .
• Process:
  • Articles are assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for permanent identification.
  • Published articles are archived for long-term preservation and submitted for indexing in major academic databases, where applicable.
  • Authors receive a notification with a link to the published article.
• COPE Alignment: JIMRT ensures open-access publication complies with ethical standards, including proper attribution and licensing under a Creative Commons license (e.g., CC BY).

9. Post-Publication

• Description: After publication, JIMRT promotes the article and addresses any post-publication issues.
• Activities:
  • Articles are promoted via JIMRT’s website, newsletter, and social media channels to enhance visibility.
  • Authors are encouraged to share their work to maximize impact.
  • Corrections (e.g., corrigenda, errata) or retractions are issued if errors or ethical issues are identified, following COPE’s retraction guidelines.
• COPE Alignment: Post-publication processes are handled transparently, with clear communication to authors and readers about corrections or retractions.