J-STEAM is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly integrity, transparency, and scientific rigor. All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo a structured and impartial peer review process.
Upon submission, each manuscript is assessed by the editorial office to ensure that it falls within the journal’s aims and scope and complies with basic submission, ethical, and formatting requirements. Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria may be returned to authors without external peer review.
Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are subjected to double-blind peer review. In this process, the identities of both authors and reviewers are concealed throughout the review period.
Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent external reviewers with appropriate subject-matter expertise.
Reviewers are selected by the handling editor based on their academic expertise, publication record, and absence of conflicts of interest. Authors may suggest potential reviewers during submission; however, the final selection of reviewers is solely at the discretion of the editorial team.
Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are subjected to double-blind peer review. In this process, the identities of both authors and reviewers are concealed throughout the review period.
Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent external reviewers with appropriate subject-matter expertise.
In cases where reviewer opinions conflict or additional expertise is required, the Editor-in-Chief may seek evaluation from an additional independent reviewer.
Criteria for Editorial Decisions: Editorial decisions are based on the manuscript’s originality, scientific validity, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal’s scope. Decisions are not determined by novelty alone, anticipated impact, or author affiliation.
Appeals: Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a reasoned request to the editorial office. Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated senior editor, and decisions following appeal are final.
Authors are expected to address reviewer comments thoroughly and submit a revised manuscript along with a detailed point-by-point response to reviewers. Revised manuscripts may be sent for further peer review when necessary.
The final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of a manuscript rests with the Editor-in-Chief.
Editors do not act as reviewers for manuscripts over which they have editorial decision-making authority. Editorial decisions are based solely on scientific merit, originality, methodological quality, and relevance to the journal’s scope, and are made independently of the publisher or any external influence.
All submitted manuscripts and peer review reports are treated as confidential documents. Reviewers are required to maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and not to use any information obtained during the review process for personal or professional advantage.
The peer review process at J-STEAM is conducted in accordance with internationally recognized standards of publication ethics and best practices.
Peer reviewers are expected to conduct evaluations based on their own expertise. Reviewers should not upload manuscripts or confidential materials into generative artificial intelligence tools. If AI tools are used in a limited manner to support evaluation, such use must not compromise confidentiality and should be disclosed to the editor.
All manuscripts submitted to J-STEAM undergo double-blind peer review by independent external experts. Full details of the peer review process are available on the journal’s dedicated Peer Review Process