Submission Process

REGIONAL LENS follows a transparent and rigorous editorial workflow to ensure the quality, integrity, and scholarly value of all published manuscripts. The publication process consists of the following stages:

1. Online Submission

Authors are required to submit their manuscripts through the journal's Online Journal System (OJS). During submission, authors should ensure that all required information, metadata, and supplementary files are provided and that the manuscript complies with the journal’s author guidelines.

2. Pre-Editorial Review

Upon submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial screening by the editorial office. This stage is designed to determine whether the manuscript meets the journal’s basic requirements and publication standards. The editorial team evaluates:

  • Relevance to the journal’s aims and scope.

  • Quality and completeness of the abstract.

  • Compliance with word count requirements.

  • Adherence to the prescribed referencing and citation style.

  • Similarity index and plagiarism screening.

  • Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and compliance with the journal’s AI policy.

  • Overall structure, formatting, and submission requirements.

Manuscripts that do not meet these standards may be returned to the authors for correction and resubmission before proceeding to the peer-review stage.

3. Double-Blind Peer Review

Manuscripts that successfully pass the pre-editorial review are subjected to a double-blind peer-review process. In this process, the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential to ensure an unbiased and objective evaluation.

Expert reviewers assess the manuscript based on originality, methodological rigor, relevance, scholarly contribution, clarity of presentation, ethical compliance, and overall quality.

4. Editorial Decision and Author Revisions

4a. Revision Required

If reviewers recommend revisions, the manuscript is returned to the author along with the reviewers’ comments and suggestions. Authors are expected to address all concerns and submit a revised version within the specified timeframe. Depending on the extent of revisions, the manuscript may undergo an additional round of review.

4b. Acceptance and Formatting

Once the manuscript is accepted for publication, it proceeds to the formatting stage. The editorial and production team formats the article according to the journal’s publication style, layout requirements, and technical specifications to ensure consistency across all published content.

5. Proofreading

After formatting, the manuscript undergoes professional proofreading. This stage focuses on correcting grammatical, typographical, punctuation, formatting, and language-related issues while preserving the integrity of the author’s work.

6. Galley Proof Review

A galley proof (final pre-publication version) is sent to the corresponding author for review. Authors are given an opportunity to identify and report any minor errors or corrections before publication. At this stage, only minor corrections are permitted; substantial changes to the content are generally not allowed.

7. Production and Online Publication

Following author approval of the galley proof, the manuscript enters the production stage and is published online on the journal’s website. The article becomes publicly accessible as part of the journal’s commitment to open-access dissemination of scholarly research.

8. DOI Assignment

Upon publication, each article is assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). The DOI provides a permanent and unique identifier that facilitates citation, discovery, tracking, and long-term accessibility of the published work.

9. Archiving and Indexing

After publication, articles are archived to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility. Published content is also submitted to relevant indexing and abstracting databases in accordance with the journal’s indexing policies and eligibility criteria. This process enhances the visibility, discoverability, and impact of published research.