The International Journal of Law and Business Studies (IJLBS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic quality and publication excellence. To ensure objectivity, transparency, and scholarly rigor, the journal follows a strict double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the evaluation process. This system ensures fairness, impartiality, and the elimination of potential bias.

The peer review mechanism is designed to ensure that all published manuscripts make a meaningful contribution to the fields of law, business, management, economics, and allied disciplines, while upholding the highest standards of research integrity.

1. Manuscript Submission and Initial Desk Review

All manuscripts submitted to IJLBS undergo an initial desk review conducted by the Editorial Board. At this stage, submissions are assessed for:

• Relevance to the journal’s scope
• Compliance with submission guidelines
• Academic suitability and basic formatting standards

Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria are filtered out during this preliminary screening.

Possible Outcomes:

• Passed: Manuscripts proceed to the double-blind peer review stage.
• Revision Required: Manuscripts are returned to authors with suggestions for improvement and resubmission.
• Rejected: Manuscripts that fall outside the journal’s scope or fail to meet minimum academic standards are declined.

2. Double-Blind Peer Review

Manuscripts that pass the desk review are assigned to at least two independent subject experts for evaluation. The double-blind review process ensures that neither the reviewers nor the authors are aware of each other’s identities, promoting unbiased and objective assessment.

Reviewers are generally expected to complete their evaluation within two weeks and provide detailed, constructive feedback.

Evaluation Criteria include:

• Relevance and significance of the research topic
• Originality and contribution to existing literature
• Soundness of research methodology and analysis
• Clarity, coherence, and organization of the manuscript
• Accuracy of citations and references

3. Reviewer Recommendations

Based on their evaluation, reviewers submit one of the following recommendations:

• Accepted – No revisions required
• Accepted with Minor Revisions – Minor editorial or content-related changes required
• Accepted with Major Revisions – Substantial revisions needed in structure, analysis, or interpretation
• Rejected – Manuscript does not meet publication standards or falls outside the journal’s focus

4. Editorial Decision

The Editorial Board carefully examines reviewers’ reports and makes the final decision regarding each manuscript.

• For minor revisions, authors are given one week to submit the revised manuscript.
• For major revisions, authors are allowed up to two weeks for resubmission.

All editorial decisions are transparent, well-documented, and based on scholarly merit and reviewer feedback.

5. Revision Stage

Authors receive a consolidated review report containing all comments from reviewers and editors. Authors must:

• Address each comment systematically
• Submit a revised manuscript
• Provide a detailed response sheet explaining how reviewer suggestions have been incorporated

This stage ensures significant improvement in academic quality, clarity, and presentation.

6. Final Review and Decision

Revised manuscripts undergo a final evaluation by the Editorial Board to verify that all required changes have been satisfactorily implemented. If revisions meet the journal’s standards, the manuscript is approved for publication. If significant deficiencies persist, the manuscript may still be rejected despite earlier recommendations.

7. Publication Confirmation

Once accepted, the manuscript proceeds to final formatting, copyediting, and proofreading. The final galley proof is shared with the corresponding author for approval of minor typographical corrections.

• Author Confirmation: Authors must approve the final version before publication.
• Online Publication: All accepted papers are published on the IJLBS website and made accessible to the global academic community.

Commitment to Excellence

The peer review process at IJLBS reflects the journal’s strong commitment to academic rigor, ethical publishing, and continuous improvement. This structured and transparent review system ensures that every published article meets international scholarly standards and contributes meaningfully to interdisciplinary research in law and business studies.