PEER REVIEW

The manuscripts submitted to the journal International Problems/Međunarodni problemi undergo a peer review process. The purpose of peer review is to assist the Editor-inChief in making decisions whether to accept or reject manuscript as well as the author in improving the paper. In normal circumstances, Journal strives to provide authors with the decision within 30 days of submission.

Peer review is double-blinded – both authors and reviewers are unknown to each other before, during and after the reviewing process. Editor-in-Chief is obliged to exclude all personal data on authors (name and affiliation) before sending manuscript to reviewers and to act in all reasonable ways to prevent the disclosure of authors’ identity to reviewers. Reviewers of a manuscript act independently from each other during the reviewing process. Reviewers are not aware of each other`s identities. If judgements of reviewers differ, Editor-in-Chief may ask for additional assessment.

The choice of reviewers is at the Editor-in-Chief`s discretion. The reviewers must be knowledgeable about the subject area of the manuscript; they must not be from the authors` own institution and they should not have recent joint publications with any of the authors.

Editor-in-Chief sends a submitted manuscript along with the Review Form to two reviewers with the expertise in the field in which the manuscript`s topic falls. In order to secure independent, impartial and objective evaluation, the reviews are not requested from the persons affiliated with the same institution as the author.

The Review Form includes a series of questions to help reviewers to cover all aspects that can decide the fate of a submission. In the final section of the Review Form, the reviewers must include observations and suggestions aimed at improving the submitted manuscript.

During the reviewing process, Editor-in-Chief may require authors to provide additional information (including raw data) if they are necessary for the evaluation of the scientific contribution of the manuscript. These materials shall be kept confidential and must not be used for personal gain.

With respect to reviewers whose reviews are seriously and convincingly questioned by authors, Editor-in-Chief will examine whether the reviews are objective and high in academic standard. If there is any doubt regarding the objectivity of the reviewers or quality of the reviews, Editor-in-Chief will assign additional reviewers.