The Editor-in-Chief assigns a submitted manuscript to the Section Editor who is responsible for a review process and provides recommendations.

NOTE – as the PPP operates with a so-called “double blind” peer review policy the section editor is responsible for monitoring all submitted files; e.g., text and attachments to ensure that there is none information regarding authors and their affiliations available. The same rule applies to reviews (reviews have to be anonymous)

The Section Editor after logging in reads a manuscript and has two options for further action:
I. Forwards a manuscript based on its merits to a refereeing process and follows the requirements “The procedure of the peer-review process”
• PROCEDURE OF THE PEER-REVIEW PROCESS (.pdf)
II. Rejects a manuscript due to inadequate merits

Note to I. Manuscript accepted and forwarded to further refereeing process.
First a manuscript needs to be checked whether it meets all technical requirements.
The editor opens “for author” and gets familiar with the requirements regarding technical specifications. If a manuscript contains statistical information, the Section Editor validates them. If the statistical information is not readable the Section Editor passes a manuscript to the Statistical Editor. The Section Editor selects the name of the statistical editor and proceeds a typescript, as in the case of selecting the Reviewer. It is described below (see – TYPESCRIPT PROCEEDS STEPS).

If a manuscript has technical or statistical errors, the Section Editor sends it back to an author for corrections. The steps are presented below as TYPESCRIPT PROCEEDS STEPS.

If a manuscript meets all requirements the Section Editor takes further steps of the publishing process.

TYPESCRIPT PROCCED STEPS

The Section Editor opens “Text” and there are four following symbols:
First symbol “exclamation mark” indicates that a manuscript has not been sent neither to reviewer nor author.
Second symbol “white page” indicates that it is an original version of a manuscript submitted by an author.
Third symbol “cross” indicates that the Editor rejected a manuscript and sent it back to an author for corrections, for example due to technical errors.
Fourth symbol “check sign in circle” indicates that the Section Editor accepted a manuscript for further steps.

When a manuscript is accepted for further steps the second symbol “white page” changes into a green bird symbol indicating “current file status: accepted”.

NOTE – if a manuscript contains attachments please repeat all steps as for a main file. From now on the Section Editor begins sending files to reviewers.

The Section Editor assigns two reviewers and there are two ways to choose them:
1. By opening a pull down menu “all groups” and selecting a particular subject group and then from a column “reviewer names” choosing a name.
2. By adding a reviewer to an existing list, please click “add a reviewer” and fill all required fields.
Note – while adding a second reviewer click “add” and proceed as above.

Upon selection of both reviewers please click “send an invitation” and a system message is sent to them.
The Section Editors can send own comments as well.

The selected reviewers should reply within 5 days.
(I) A reviewer does not respond to the invitation to review a manuscript or
(II) A reviewer accepts an invitation.

Note. I – A reviewer does not respond to the invitation to review a manuscript The responsibility of the Section Editor is to monitor receiving a confirmation from a selected reviewer. A reviewer should respond within 5 days. Lack of respond is marked as an “envelope” in Section "Reviews / Reviewers", next to the Reviewer name. The Section Editor is obligated to remind a selected reviewer to accept an invitation. If the reviewer does not respond to the second reminder, the Editor can cancel cooperation and select a new reviewer.

NOTE – symbol “envelope” allows the Section Editor to communicate with a reviewer.

Note. II – A reviewer accepts an invitation. If a reviewer accepts an invitation, a submitted manuscript status changes to “invitation accepted”. The reviewer needs to evaluate a publication within 21 days. If the reviewer does not respond within required time frame, the Section Editor has to send a reminder in the following way: in Section "Reviews / Reviewers" red symbol appears next to the reviewer name and by opening it a new message can be sent. The same massage can be also sent by using a symbol “envelope”.

NOTE – The Section Editor does not communicate with an author until both reviews are returned.

Before sending both reviews to an author the Section Editor has to accept review files in the following way: four symbols appear (see – TYPESCRIPT PROCEEDS STEPS.) and click a green symbol “accepting”. Upon this step the Section Editor sends both reviews to a corresponding author using a symbol “green exclamation mark” on author section – send for corrections.
There is space to add comments as well. The Section Editor waits 10 days for a message from the author. If there is no respond from the author within required time, the Section Editor sends a reminder (symbol “envelope” in section “author”). If the author submits a corrected manuscript, an automatic message with that information is sent to the Section Editor. The material needs to be checked for correctness using above describe procedure (see – TYPESCRIPT PROCEEDS STEPS.).

At this step the Section Editor has three options to choose from:
1. Send a manuscript back to a reviewer - steps how to: section “Reviews/Reviewers, symbol “send for re-review”. A reviewer receives a system email and the Section Editor proceeds in the same way as in with the first review. After getting a re-review back (review files will differ with a version number) the Section Editor makes a decision: Sends it back to an author or accepts for publishing. The Section Editor opens “After review” in a section “Change manuscript status”. This is the last step for the Section Editor indicating that a manuscript merit was accepted.

2. Accepts a manuscript for publishing without returning to a reviewer

3. Rejects a manuscript.

Note. II. Rejection of a manuscript (see – TYPESCRIPT PROCEEDS STEPS)

The Section Editor might not accept a manuscript for further procedure due to merit, technical or statistical errors. The Section Editor opens section “Text” and clicks a symbol “cross” that changes a symbol “white page” into a “red cross” that indicates that a manuscript was rejected.

The Editor-in-Chief accepts a manuscript after the Section Editor makes a final decision regarding a manuscript.

Attention
The Section Editors are asked to enter names of reviewers into a database.

Instruction for users of Editorial Software – download