The Journal of Quality Management and Business (JQMB) applies a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the originality, scientific validity, methodological quality, ethical integrity, and academic relevance of every manuscript considered for publication.

All manuscripts are evaluated fairly based on their scholarly merit and relevance to the journal’s focus and scope, regardless of the authors’ nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, religion, ethnicity, or political views.

Editorial Screening

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial screening by the editorial team. At this stage, the editor evaluates:

• Compliance with the focus and scope of JQMB

• Conformity with the Author Guidelines and official article template

• Completeness of manuscript and submission metadata

• Originality and relevance of the topic

• Clarity of the research objectives

• Adequacy of the research method

• Potential theoretical, empirical, managerial, or practical contribution

• Quality and appropriateness of the references

• Compliance with research and publication ethics

• Language quality and overall readability

The manuscript will also be screened using plagiarism-detection software. Manuscripts that are outside the journal’s scope, have serious methodological weaknesses, do not comply with submission requirements, or demonstrate indications of publication misconduct may be rejected at this stage without being sent for external review.

The initial editorial screening generally takes approximately 5–10 working days.

Double-Blind Peer Review

JQMB applies a double-blind peer-review system. The identities of the authors are concealed from the reviewers, and the identities of the reviewers are concealed from the authors.

Authors must remove their names, affiliations, acknowledgments, and other identifying information from the manuscript file intended for review. Information about the authors must be entered separately into the journal’s online submission system.

Although the journal takes reasonable measures to protect anonymity, absolute anonymity cannot be guaranteed when authors disclose identifying information through self-citations, institutional contexts, datasets, repositories, or other manuscript content.

Reviewer Selection

Manuscripts that pass the editorial screening will be sent to at least two independent reviewers with relevant academic or professional expertise.

Reviewers are selected based on:

• Expertise relevant to the manuscript’s subject

• Knowledge of the research method employed

• Academic and publication record

• Independence from the authors and their institutions

• Absence of financial, professional, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest

• Ability to complete the review within the specified period

Editors must not appoint reviewers whose relationships with the authors or research could compromise the objectivity of the review.

Review Criteria

Reviewers are requested to evaluate manuscripts according to the following criteria:

• Originality and novelty

• Relevance to the focus and scope of JQMB

• Clarity of the research problem and objectives

• Strength of the theoretical foundation

• Adequacy and rigor of the research method

• Accuracy and transparency of the analysis

• Validity of the findings and conclusions

• Quality and depth of the discussion

• Theoretical, empirical, managerial, or practical contribution

• Appropriate use of tables and figures

• Relevance, quality, and recency of references

• Compliance with research and publication ethics

• Clarity, coherence, and academic quality of the writing

Reviewers should provide clear, specific, constructive, and evidence-based comments to help authors improve their manuscripts.

Editorial Decision

After considering the reviewers’ reports, the editor will make one of the following decisions:

• Accept Submission: The manuscript is accepted without substantive revision.

• Revisions Required: The manuscript requires minor revisions before it can be accepted.

• Resubmit for Review: The manuscript requires major revisions and must undergo another round of peer review.

• Decline Submission: The manuscript does not meet the journal’s standards or publication requirements.

Reviewers provide recommendations, but the final decision remains the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief or the assigned editor. Editorial decisions are based on the manuscript’s scholarly quality, reviewers’ assessments, ethical considerations, and relevance to JQMB.

When reviewers provide conflicting recommendations, the editor may invite an additional reviewer or conduct a further editorial assessment before reaching a decision.

Revision Process

Authors must revise their manuscripts in accordance with the editors’ and reviewers’ comments within the specified period.

The revised submission must include:

• A revised manuscript with the changes clearly identified

• A detailed response to each reviewer comment

• A clear explanation when a recommendation has not been followed

• Any additional documents requested by the editor

Responses to reviewers must be professional, respectful, specific, and supported by appropriate academic reasoning or evidence.

Minor revisions should generally be submitted within 7–14 days, while major revisions should generally be submitted within 14–30 days. Authors who require additional time must contact the editor before the revision deadline.

Failure to submit a revision within the specified period without prior communication may result in the manuscript being administratively closed or treated as a new submission.

Re-Review and Additional Review Rounds

Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers or sent to other qualified reviewers when necessary. Major revisions generally undergo another review round.

The review and revision process may continue until the editor determines that the manuscript:

• Meets the scientific and ethical standards of JQMB

• Requires further revision

• Cannot be accepted for publication

Acceptance is not guaranteed merely because an author has submitted a revised manuscript.

Review Timeline

The initial editorial screening generally takes 5–10 working days. The external peer-review process typically takes approximately 2–4 weeks, depending on reviewer availability, manuscript complexity, and the number of review rounds required.

The overall period from submission to the first decision may vary. The journal is committed to conducting the process efficiently but does not guarantee a specific decision or publication date.

Confidentiality

All submitted manuscripts and review materials are confidential documents. Editors and reviewers must not:

• Share the manuscript or review materials with unauthorized parties

• Discuss the manuscript outside the editorial process

• Use unpublished information for personal, academic, commercial, or professional advantage

• Retain or distribute manuscript files after completing the review process

Reviewers who wish to consult another individual must obtain permission from the editor before doing so. Any approved contributor to the review must also comply with the journal’s confidentiality and ethical requirements.

Conflicts of Interest

Editors and reviewers must disclose any financial, personal, professional, institutional, academic, or other conflict that could influence—or reasonably be perceived to influence—their judgment.

A reviewer must decline the invitation when:

• The manuscript falls outside the reviewer’s area of expertise

• The reviewer cannot complete the assessment within the required period

• A conflict of interest exists

• The reviewer cannot provide an impartial evaluation

• The reviewer has been directly involved in the research or manuscript preparation

When an editor has a conflict of interest, responsibility for the manuscript must be transferred to another qualified editor.

Reviewer Ethics

Reviewers are expected to:

• Evaluate manuscripts objectively, fairly, and independently

• Provide constructive, respectful, and evidence-based comments

• Maintain the confidentiality of all manuscript materials

• Avoid personal criticism and discriminatory comments

• Disclose and avoid conflicts of interest

• Identify relevant literature that has not been appropriately cited

• Inform the editor of suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data manipulation, citation manipulation, or other ethical concerns

• Refrain from using unpublished ideas or information obtained through peer review

• Complete the review within the agreed period

• Promptly notify the editor if unable to complete the review

Reviewers must not request authors to cite the reviewer’s own publications unless those references are genuinely relevant and academically necessary.

Research and Publication Misconduct

If editors or reviewers identify indications of plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, unethical research, citation manipulation, or other publication misconduct, the journal will investigate the matter in accordance with its Publication Ethics policy.

Depending on the findings, JQMB may:

• Request an explanation or supporting documentation

• Suspend the review process

• Reject the manuscript

• Withdraw an acceptance decision

• Publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction

• Notify the authors’ institutions or other relevant parties when appropriate

All allegations will be handled fairly, confidentially, and with due consideration for the rights of all parties involved.

Post-Acceptance Editorial Review

Accepted manuscripts may undergo copyediting, language editing, reference checking, layout preparation, and proofreading before publication.

Authors must review and approve the final proof within the period specified by the editorial team. At the proofreading stage, authors may correct typographical or production errors but may not make substantial changes to the manuscript without editorial approval.

Acceptance following peer review does not prevent the journal from taking corrective action if a serious ethical, legal, or scientific problem is subsequently discovered.