Publication Process
The publishing and content management process of the Journal of Information and Documentation includes the following basic steps:
- Step 1: Publication Planning
The editorial board develops a publication plan (designing the journal's content, section structure) and submits it to the Editor-in-Chief for approval.
- Step 2: Contacting Contributors
After the publication plan is approved by the Editor-in-Chief, the editorial board contacts contributors, requests articles, develops article outlines, and discusses articles with them according to the topics of the designed journal content (direct communication, telephone communication, or email invitations, etc.).
- Step 3: Initial Quality Check of Articles (Article Screening)
After authors submit their articles, the editorial board will respond directly or via email to confirm receipt of the article. Articles submitted (either commissioned by the Editorial Board or submitted proactively by the author) will be reviewed by the Editorial Board to assess their compliance with the Journal's procedures and standards (according to the submission regulations), and to verify information regarding copyright, research ethics, and plagiarism. This review aims to ensure fairness and a thorough evaluation of the author's research work.
Articles that fully meet the basic criteria, such as alignment with the Journal's mission and objectives, and content presentation according to the Journal's regulations, will be approved by the Editor-in-Chief and sent to the editorial office for two-way blind peer review.
- Step 4: Submitting the article to the peer reviewers
The Journal uses a blind peer review process throughout the review process. Reviewers are selected based on criteria related to their expertise, research activities, and the subject matter of the article. The review process typically takes between two weeks and one month.
The conclusion of the review process may be: The article is of good quality and ready for publication, requiring no revisions or only revisions to wording and spelling; The article needs revisions to content/structure, etc.; The article does not meet the requirements and is recommended for rejection.
- Step 5: Feedback to the author on the article's status
The journal's editorial board will decide whether to accept the article for publication without further revisions, with minor revisions, or with significant revisions; or to reject it for reasons that cannot be rectified.
If the article is accepted: The journal requires the author to revise the article according to the reviewer's or editorial board's requirements within a specific timeframe (deadline), then resubmit the revised article, along with an explanation detailing each revision and the changes made to the article after revision.
After the article is accepted, the journal will notify the author of the publication and issue a publication certificate to the author(s) (if necessary).
If the article is rejected: A rejection decision may be made if the editorial board deems the article unsuitable for publication, even if the article has been agreed upon by the reviewers.
In cases where the author has clear evidence that the decision regarding the article was influenced by a scientific misunderstanding or biased evaluation, they may request the editorial board to reconsider the rejection decision. If, during that time, the Journal has to process many submissions and must focus on ensuring the quality and progress of the publishing process, then reviewing this article will not be given the same priority as regular submissions.
The final decision on acceptance/rejection will be made by the Editor-in-Chief.
- Step 6: Editing
Editors edit the revised article, refining it according to the reviewer's comments and the Editor-in-Chief's approval.
- Step 7: Finalizing the print version and publication approval
The Editor-in-Chief approves the revised article. The editorial office sends the draft of the journal issue to the layout design unit, coordinating the review and correction of any errors that arise during the layout process, and submitting it to the Editor-in-Chief for printing approval.
- Step 8: Printing, depositing for archiving, and distribution
