All submissions will go through an initial screening from the journal editorial team. Submissions that are selected to proceed to peer review are allocated to a number of expert reviewers including a dedicated cross-disciplinary reviewer (usually from a discipline distinct from the author/s home discipline/s) to provide feedback on the clarity of communication and broad significance of the scholarship. To maximise the impact and accessibility of contributions, we urge authors to write with a broader than usual audience in mind, minimise their use of disciplinary jargon, and clearly define any jargon that is unavoidable.

For most content types the journal uses double anonymous peer review, meaning that both author and reviewer identities are concealed from each other throughout the review process unless a reviewer formally signs a review. Commentaries, Dialogues and Reflections will use a single anonymous peer review process with only the reviewer identity being anonymised. Editorials are internally reviewed.

As standard the journal seeks three expert reviewers including a cross-disciplinary reviewer. Expedited peer review involves either fewer reviewers and/or a shorter turnaround time for review. See more information on which article types are eligible for expedited peer review here.

Themed collection submissions go through exactly the same peer review process as standalone submissions.

Appeals

Appeals of editorial decisions will only be considered if they refer to a specific manuscript and must be based on evidence that either (1) an editor or reviewer made a significant factual error/a major misunderstanding of a manuscript, or (2) the integrity of the editorial decision making process was compromised.  In general, only one appeal per manuscript per decision stage will be considered. 

To appeal an editorial decision, contact the Editors-in-Chief and specify the reason for your appeal. Your appeal will be reviewed and the final decision regarding your appeal will rest with the Editors-in-Chief. New submissions take priority over appeals, so it may take a substantial period of time for the journal to reach a conclusion about your appeal.