Peer Review Process

Type of Peer Review The Journal Software, Hardware, and Information Technology (SHIFT) operates a strict double-anonymous (double-blind) peer review process. Throughout this process, both the authors' and reviewers' identities are strictly concealed from each other to ensure a fair, objective, and unbiased evaluation.

1. Initial Evaluation (Desk Review) Upon submission, the editorial team performs an initial evaluation. This stage checks for the manuscript's adherence to the journal's author guidelines, relevance to the focus and scope, and originality using a similarity check software (e.g., Turnitin). Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria, show high similarity indexes, or lack fundamental scientific rigor may be rejected directly at this stage (Desk Reject).

2. Reviewer Assignment & Evaluation Once a manuscript passes the initial evaluation, the editor selects at least two independent experts in the relevant field to review the paper. The reviewing process typically takes between 3 to 6 weeks from the date the reviewers are assigned. Reviewers provide objective feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript and suggest improvements. We strictly ensure that reviewers are not influenced by the author's reputation, institution, or any other personal information.

3. Author Revision After the review is complete, the authors will receive comprehensive feedback, comments, and recommendations from the reviewers. In cases where manuscript revisions are deemed necessary, authors are strongly encouraged to promptly address the identified issues and submit the revised version within the specified timeframe to facilitate the production process.

4. Final Decision The Editor-in-Chief, carefully considering the reviewers' recommendations and the revised manuscript, makes the final decision on whether to accept, reject, or request further revisions. The decision is communicated to the authors along with the reviewers' comments. The Editorial Board reserves the ultimate right to make the final decision on all submitted manuscripts.