Peer Review Policy

The Entrepreneurship and Micro and Small Business Management Magazine follows a structured peer review process to maintain the academic quality, originality, and scholarly integrity of the research published in the journal. All submitted manuscripts are subject to editorial assessment and, where appropriate, external peer review before a final publication decision is made.

Initial Editorial Assessment

Upon submission, each manuscript is first examined by the editorial team to determine whether it falls within the scope of the journal and meets the basic requirements for scholarly publication. The editorial assessment may consider the originality, relevance, academic quality, research methodology, clarity of presentation, ethical considerations, and compliance with the journal's submission requirements. Manuscripts that are clearly outside the journal's scope or do not meet basic academic or submission standards may be declined at this stage.

Peer Review Process

Manuscripts that pass the initial editorial assessment may be sent to qualified reviewers with relevant expertise in the subject area of the submission. The journal may use a double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of authors and reviewers are kept confidential during the review process. Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and academically relevant comments on the manuscript.

Review Criteria

Reviewers may evaluate manuscripts on the basis of the originality and significance of the research, clarity of the research problem and objectives, adequacy of the literature review, appropriateness of the theoretical framework, suitability of the research methodology, quality of data analysis, accuracy and clarity of results, quality of discussion, relevance of conclusions, organization and presentation, adequacy of references, and overall contribution to the field of entrepreneurship and micro and small business management.

For empirical research, reviewers may additionally consider the suitability of the sample, data collection procedures, measurement instruments, analytical methods, interpretation of statistical results, and consistency between the research objectives, methodology, findings, and conclusions.

Reviewer Recommendations

Following peer review, reviewers may recommend that a manuscript be accepted, accepted subject to minor revisions, revised and resubmitted for further consideration, or rejected. Reviewer recommendations are advisory, and the final decision rests with the editorial team. The editors may consider the reviewers' comments, the overall quality of the manuscript, the journal's scope, and the contribution of the research when making an editorial decision.

Revision of Manuscripts

When revisions are requested, authors should carefully consider and respond to the reviewers' comments. Authors may be asked to submit a revised manuscript together with a response explaining how the reviewers' observations have been addressed. Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers or evaluated by the editorial team, depending on the nature and extent of the revisions.

Reviewer Confidentiality

Reviewers are expected to maintain strict confidentiality regarding manuscripts received for evaluation. They should not disclose, reproduce, distribute, or use unpublished information from a manuscript for personal or professional purposes. Reviewer comments should be objective, respectful, and supported by appropriate academic reasoning.

Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers should disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that could affect their impartiality. A reviewer should decline the assignment where a personal, professional, institutional, financial, or other relationship could compromise independent evaluation of the manuscript.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are based on academic and scholarly considerations. The journal seeks to ensure that manuscripts are evaluated fairly and without discrimination based on factors such as nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, religion, ethnicity, or personal characteristics unrelated to the scholarly quality of the work.

Research Integrity and Ethical Considerations

The journal expects authors and reviewers to adhere to accepted standards of research integrity. Manuscripts may be assessed for plagiarism, duplicate publication, inappropriate citation, data-related concerns, authorship issues, and other forms of academic misconduct. Where ethical concerns arise during or after the review process, the journal may undertake appropriate investigation and action.

Final Editorial Decision

The final decision regarding publication is made by the editorial team after considering the manuscript's academic quality, relevance, originality, reviewer feedback, and compliance with the journal's policies. Receipt of favourable reviewer comments does not automatically guarantee publication, as the final decision remains an editorial responsibility.

The peer review process is intended to provide constructive academic evaluation while supporting the quality, credibility, and development of scholarly research published by the Entrepreneurship and Micro and Small Business Management Magazine.