Peer-Review and Publication Policy

International Humanities Research Nexus (IHRN)

The International Humanities Research Nexus (IHRN) is committed to maintaining a rigorous, transparent, and timely peer-review process to uphold the highest standards of academic publishing. The following outlines the step-by-step manuscript submission and publication workflow for authors submitting to IHRN:

  1. Manuscript Submission

Authors are required to submit their manuscripts through the official IHRN online submission system. Submissions must conform to the journal’s formatting and ethical guidelines.

  1. Initial Editorial Screening (Desk Review)

Objective:

To assess whether the manuscript aligns with the journal's aims, scope, and baseline quality standards.

  • Initial Review: Upon submission, the editorial team conducts a desk review of the manuscript.
  • Possible Outcomes:
    • Forwarded for Peer Review: If the manuscript meets the initial criteria, it is assigned to a Section Editor and sent for external peer review.
    • Desk Rejection: If the manuscript does not align with the journal’s scope or falls below quality expectations, it is returned to the author with a formal decision. Constructive feedback may be provided where feasible.

Expected Time Frame: 5–10 working days.

  1. Editorial Assignment

If the manuscript passes the desk review, an editorial team member (usually a Section Editor) is assigned to oversee the peer-review process.

  1. Peer Reviewer Assignment

The Section Editor selects 2 to 3 qualified peer reviewers with subject-matter expertise relevant to the manuscript.

  1. Peer Review Process

The reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on:

  • Originality and significance of the contribution
  • Theoretical and methodological soundness
  • Coherence of argument and clarity of writing
  • Relevance to the humanities and interdisciplinary scope of IHRN

Reviewers will recommend one of the following outcomes:

  • Minor Revision: Manuscript requires small changes before acceptance.
  • Major Revision: Substantial revisions are needed; the manuscript will be re-evaluated upon resubmission.
  • Rejection: The manuscript is not suitable for publication in IHRN.
  1. Review Evaluation by Section Editor

The Section Editor reviews all feedback and provides a synthesized editorial recommendation to the Editor-in-Chief.

  1. Final Decision

The Editor-in-Chief or designated senior editor makes the final publication decision based on the reviewers’ comments and the Section Editor’s assessment.

Possible Final Outcomes:

  • Accepted: The manuscript is accepted for publication following final revisions.
  • Rejected: The manuscript is declined for publication.
  1. Production Stage

Accepted manuscripts proceed to the production phase, where they undergo:

  • Professional formatting and typesetting
  • Language and layout proofreading
  • Final author approval before publication
  1. Online Publication

The final version is published under the Gold Open Access model and made immediately accessible on the IHRN journal website under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.

IHRN is committed to fair, double-blind peer review, timely editorial decisions, and maintaining academic excellence in the humanities