Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to the International Journal of Community Service and Empowerment (IJCSE) undergo a double-blind peer review process to ensure the quality, originality, and relevance of the published work.

1. Initial Screening

Upon submission, the editorial team conducts a preliminary review to ensure that the manuscript:

  • Fits the journal’s focus and scope

  • Follows the required formatting and author guidelines

  • Passes plagiarism screening (maximum similarity index: 20%)

Manuscripts that do not meet these basic requirements will be returned to the author for revision or rejected outright.

2. Double-Blind Peer Review

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are sent to two independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant field. In the double-blind process:

  • Authors do not know the identity of reviewers

  • Reviewers do not know the identity of authors

3. Review Criteria

Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on the following criteria:

  • Relevance to community service and empowerment

  • Originality and contribution to the field

  • Clarity and coherence of the writing

  • Appropriateness of the methodology

  • Significance and impact of results

  • Accuracy of references and citations

4. Decision Categories

Based on the reviewers' recommendations, the editor will make one of the following decisions:

  • Accept Submission

  • Minor Revisions Required

  • Major Revisions Required

  • Reject Submission

Authors will receive reviewer comments and are expected to revise and resubmit their manuscript within a specified time frame.

5. Final Decision

The editorial team makes the final decision based on the reviewers’ recommendations and the quality of the revised manuscript. All accepted papers will go through final editing and layout before publication.