Review Policy

Horizons – International Scientific Journal (HISJ) follows a rigorous double-blind peer-review process.

Under this model, the identities of both authors and reviewers are kept confidential throughout the review process. This approach ensures an objective and impartial evaluation of submitted manuscripts, minimizes potential bias, and supports the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and scholarly rigor.

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial assessment, followed by a rigorous double-blind peer-review process conducted by at least two independent experts with relevant knowledge and experience in the respective research field. This process ensures objectivity, transparency, fairness, and adherence to the highest standards of academic quality.

Initial Editorial Assessment

All manuscripts submitted to HISJ undergo an initial editorial assessment. During this stage, manuscripts are evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Alignment with the journal’s aims and scope: The manuscript must correspond to the thematic, disciplinary, and methodological focus of the journal, with particular consideration given to high-quality multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research contributions.
• Compliance with submission requirements: The manuscript must meet the journal’s formal requirements, including structure, formatting, language quality, and other technical guidelines provided in the author instructions.
• Compliance with publication ethics standards: The manuscript must comply with the journal’s ethical policies, including requirements related to originality, authorship, research integrity, transparency, and responsible scholarly practices.
• Overall scientific quality: The manuscript must demonstrate academic rigor, methodological soundness, relevance, clarity of presentation, and a meaningful contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the respective field.

Manuscripts that successfully pass the initial editorial assessment proceed to the external peer-review stage, where they are evaluated in greater depth by independent experts with relevant disciplinary expertise.

Manuscripts that do not meet the required standards may be rejected at this stage or returned to authors with comments and recommendations for improvement before further consideration.

Reviewer Requirements

Reviewers invited to evaluate manuscripts submitted to HISJ must meet the following minimum requirements:

• hold a PhD degree or equivalent doctoral qualification and demonstrate recognized expertise in a scientific field relevant to the manuscript and the journal’s scope;

• possess an established research record, including relevant scholarly publications and academic contributions;

• be affiliated with a recognized academic or research institution or demonstrate equivalent independent research experience;

• conduct manuscript evaluations in accordance with HISJ’s ethical standards, reviewer guidelines, and principles of research integrity;

• provide objective, fair, constructive, and timely reviews that contribute to the improvement of submitted manuscripts;

• communicate effectively in English and be familiar with electronic manuscript submission and online peer-review systems.

HISJ selects reviewers based on their academic qualifications, subject-matter expertise, research experience, and commitment to maintaining high standards of scholarly evaluation.

Volunteer for Review

Reviewers play a vital role in maintaining the quality, integrity, and academic standards of scholarly publishing. By serving as a reviewer for HISJ, scholars contribute to the advancement of research while gaining valuable experience in the peer-review process and academic publishing.

Researchers interested in becoming HISJ reviewers are invited to submit their application through the reviewer registration form.

Benefits for Reviewers

• Contributing to the advancement of scholarly communication and supporting the dissemination of high-quality research;
• Enhancing knowledge of international peer-review standards, research evaluation practices, and academic publishing processes;
• Receiving recognition for scholarly service, including a personalized Reviewer Certificate upon successful completion of the review process;
• Being considered for future opportunities to contribute to the HISJ Editorial Board, based on expertise, experience, and demonstrated commitment to the journal.

Reviewer Selection

Reviewers are selected for individual manuscripts based on their expertise, research background, methodological knowledge, and suitability for evaluating the specific topic addressed in the submission. Reviewer selection is conducted on an article-by-article basis to ensure the most appropriate assessment of each manuscript.

Before assigning a manuscript, HISJ may contact potential reviewers to confirm their availability and suitability. Such communications, as well as all information related to submitted manuscripts, are considered confidential.

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect, or appear to affect, the objectivity and impartiality of their evaluation. Conflicts may include personal, professional, institutional, academic, or financial relationships with the authors, institutions, or research presented in the manuscript.

Maintaining the Integrity of the Double-Blind Review Process

To preserve the confidentiality and impartiality of the double-blind peer-review process, HISJ requires authors and reviewers to avoid any actions that may reveal their identities to each other.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted manuscripts do not contain identifying information, including institutional affiliations, acknowledgements, self-references written in a manner that reveals authorship, or other elements that could compromise anonymity.

Reviewers are required to treat all manuscript materials and review-related information as confidential and must not disclose, discuss, or use unpublished information obtained through the review process.

Criteria for Publication

Manuscripts considered for publication in HISJ should demonstrate significant scholarly value and contribute meaningfully to their respective research areas. Evaluation criteria include:

• Originality: the extent to which the manuscript provides new empirical findings, theoretical insights, methodological contributions, or innovative perspectives;
• Scientific significance: the relevance and importance of the research contribution to the academic community;
• Interdisciplinary relevance: the potential contribution to broader scholarly discussions beyond a narrowly defined field, in line with HISJ’s interdisciplinary orientation;
• Quality and rigor: the soundness of methodology, analysis, argumentation, and presentation;
• Relevance to readers: the potential interest and usefulness of the research for the journal’s diverse international readership.

Generative AI Policy for Peer Reviewers

HISJ does not permit reviewers to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools or AI-assisted systems for evaluating manuscripts. Peer review requires independent expert judgment, critical analysis, and professional responsibility.

The use of AI tools to assess the scientific content, originality, methodology, or quality of a submitted manuscript may introduce inaccuracies, incomplete evaluations, or unintended biases.

Reviewers remain fully responsible for the accuracy, confidentiality, and integrity of their review reports. Any evaluation submitted to HISJ must represent the reviewer’s own independent assessment and expertise.

Authors and reviewers affiliated with the University “St. Kliment Ohridski” – Bitola (UKLO) are expected to comply with relevant institutional guidelines and official acts governing the ethical use of AI in academic activities, including:

• The UKLO Code of Ethics;
• The Declaration on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools at the University "St. Kliment Ohridski" – Bitola;
• Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence for Authors and Researchers Affiliated with the University "St. Kliment Ohridski" – Bitola.

Peer-Review Process

Upon receipt of a manuscript, the corresponding author receives a confirmation of submission.

Manuscripts that successfully pass the initial editorial assessment are forwarded for external peer review. HISJ applies a double-blind peer-review process, whereby the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the evaluation process.

Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise. Reviewers do not have access to information that may identify the authors, and reviewers’ identities are not disclosed to authors.

The editors reserve the right to return manuscripts without external review if they do not comply with the journal’s formatting requirements, ethical standards, or submission guidelines.

All submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening before being sent to reviewers. HISJ uses Grammarly plagiarism detection tools as part of its initial integrity checks.

Editorial Decisions

Following the peer-review process, possible editorial decisions are:

• Accept: the manuscript is accepted in its current form;
• Minor Revision: the manuscript requires limited revisions before acceptance;
• Major Revision: substantial revisions are required and the revised manuscript may be subject to further evaluation;
• Reject: the manuscript does not meet the journal’s criteria for publication or is outside the scope of HISJ.

The corresponding author is informed of the editorial decision together with reviewers’ comments and additional guidance from the editorial team.

The average time from submission to publication is approximately six months. However, HISJ reserves the right to extend this timeframe when necessary depending on the complexity of the review process, the need for additional revisions, or other circumstances related to manuscript evaluation.

The final decision regarding publication is made by the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with Associate Editors and relevant members of the International Editorial Council (IEC), taking into consideration reviewers’ recommendations and the overall quality and contribution of the manuscript.

Differences of Opinion Between Reviewers

In cases where reviewers provide conflicting recommendations, the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with Associate Editors, evaluates all reviewer comments and makes a balanced decision based on the scientific merit, relevance, and quality of the manuscript.

When substantial disagreement exists between reviewers, the Editor-in-Chief may request additional clarification, seek an additional independent review, or invite further comments from authors.

Expectations After Review

In accordance with the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers, reviewers should:

• continue to treat all manuscript-related information as strictly confidential;
• respond promptly to requests from the journal concerning their review;
• inform the editorial office if new information becomes available that may affect their original evaluation or recommendation;
• make reasonable efforts to review revised manuscripts or resubmissions of manuscripts they have previously evaluated.

Reviewer Recognition and Acknowledgment

HISJ recognizes the essential contribution of peer reviewers in maintaining the quality, integrity, and academic standards of the journal.

HISJ is registered with ReviewerCredits (RC) and encourages reviewers to create a profile and record their reviewing activities. Reviewers who successfully complete reviews receive a personalized Reviewer Certificate acknowledging their contribution.

Editorial Office Materials Handling Policy

The HISJ Editorial Office maintains confidentiality and appropriate handling of all submitted materials.

Electronic files of manuscripts that are rejected or not accepted for publication are not retained beyond the period necessary for editorial administration and are not returned to authors.

Original peer-review reports and related editorial documentation are securely stored in the journal’s records for a period of one year.

HISJ sincerely appreciates the time, expertise, and commitment of its reviewers, whose contributions are fundamental to ensuring the quality, integrity, and continuous development of the journal.