Peer Review Process

Peer Review Process

The Journal of Lifestyle Medicine Coaches and Wellness (JLCW) employs a Double-Blind Peer Review system to ensure academic quality, transparency, fairness, and impartiality throughout the review process. Under this system, the identities of both authors and reviewers are concealed from one another. All submitted manuscripts undergo the following stages before publication.

1. Manuscript Submission

Authors must submit their manuscripts through the journal’s online submission system together with all required supporting documents. Manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with the journal’s author guidelines and formatting requirements.

2. Plagiarism Screening

Upon submission, all manuscripts are screened for textual similarity using plagiarism detection software such as CopyCatch or other tools designated by the journal.

If the similarity index exceeds the journal’s acceptable threshold, the manuscript will be returned to the author for revision and resubmission. The manuscript will proceed to the next stage only after it successfully passes the plagiarism screening process.

3. Editorial Screening

Manuscripts that pass the plagiarism screening are subjected to an initial editorial review conducted by the Editorial Board. This process normally takes approximately 3–5 working days.

The editorial review includes evaluation of:

  • Relevance to the journal’s aims and scope
  • Completeness of academic components
  • Compliance with manuscript preparation guidelines
  • Accuracy of citations and references
  • Language quality and overall presentation

If revisions are required, the manuscript will be returned to the author with editorial comments and recommendations. The author must revise and resubmit the manuscript for further consideration.

4. Acceptance into the Review Process

Once a manuscript successfully passes the editorial screening stage, the journal will formally acknowledge that the manuscript has been accepted into the peer-review process (Manuscript Acceptance for Review Process).

This notification confirms only that the manuscript has passed the preliminary editorial assessment and entered the peer-review stage. It does not constitute acceptance for publication.

5. Publication Fee Payment

Authors are required to pay the publication processing fee in accordance with the journal’s regulations and within the timeframe specified by the Editorial Office.

6. Issuance of Review Process Certificate

Upon confirmation of payment, the journal will issue a Certificate of Manuscript Acceptance for Review Process as evidence that the manuscript has officially entered the peer-review stage.

7. Peer Review by Experts

The manuscript is then assigned to three independent reviewers who possess expertise relevant to the manuscript’s subject area.

The review is conducted under a Double-Blind Peer Review system.

Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on:

  • Significance and originality of the study
  • Theoretical framework and conceptual foundation
  • Appropriateness of research methodology
  • Accuracy of data analysis and interpretation
  • Quality of discussion and conclusions
  • Academic contribution and practical implications
  • Accuracy and adequacy of references

This stage normally requires approximately 14–21 days, depending on reviewer availability.

8. Review Results and Editorial Decision

After receiving all review reports, the Editorial Board consolidates reviewers’ comments and communicates the decision to the author.

Possible editorial decisions include:

  1. Accept – accepted without revision
  2. Minor Revision – accepted subject to minor revisions
  3. Major Revision – substantial revisions required before reconsideration
  4. Reject – not accepted for publication

9. Manuscript Revision

Authors must revise their manuscripts according to reviewers’ comments and submit a detailed Response to Reviewers document explaining how each comment has been addressed.

For manuscripts requiring major revisions, the revised version may be returned to the reviewers for an additional round of evaluation before a final decision is made.

10. Final Acceptance

When the manuscript has satisfactorily addressed all reviewers’ and editors’ comments, the Editorial Board will issue an official Letter of Acceptance.

11. Copyediting and Proofreading

Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, proofreading, formatting, reference verification, and final quality control to ensure compliance with the journal’s publication standards.

12. Publication

The final approved manuscript will be published in the scheduled issue of the journal and made available through the journal’s online platform under the journal’s Open Access policy.

Estimated Processing Time

The entire review and publication process generally takes approximately 8–12 weeks, depending on the completeness of the manuscript, the extent of revisions required, and reviewer availability.

Important Note

The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject a manuscript at any stage of the review process if it is found to be outside the journal’s scope, exceeds the acceptable similarity threshold, violates research or publication ethics, or fails to meet the academic standards required by the journal.