Peer Review Procces

Darunnajah in Language (DIL) applies a rigorous double-blind peer-review process to ensure the quality, originality, academic integrity, and scholarly contribution of all manuscripts considered for publication.

1. Initial Editorial Screening

All submitted manuscripts are first screened by the editorial team to determine whether they meet the journal's basic requirements and are relevant to the Focus and Scope of DIL.

The initial screening considers:

  • Relevance to the journal's scope
  • Originality and potential scholarly contribution
  • Compliance with the Author Guidelines
  • Academic and methodological quality
  • Manuscript structure and clarity
  • Citation and referencing practices
  • Research ethics and integrity
  • Potential plagiarism or other forms of publication misconduct

Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's basic requirements or fall outside the journal's scope may be rejected at this stage without external peer review.

2. Reviewer Assignment

Manuscripts that pass the initial editorial screening are assigned to qualified reviewers with expertise relevant to the subject of the manuscript.

DIL normally assigns at least two independent reviewers to evaluate each research manuscript. Reviewers are selected based on their academic expertise, research experience, methodological competence, and relevance to the manuscript's topic.

Reviewers should disclose any potential conflict of interest before accepting an assignment.

3. Double-Blind Review

DIL uses a double-blind peer-review system, in which:

  • The identities of the authors are not disclosed to the reviewers.
  • The identities of the reviewers are not disclosed to the authors.
  • Reviewers are expected to evaluate manuscripts objectively and independently.

Authors should therefore remove identifying information from the main manuscript where appropriate.

4. Review Criteria

Reviewers are asked to evaluate manuscripts based on several criteria, including:

  1. Relevance and significance of the research topic.
  2. Originality and novelty of the research.
  3. Clarity of research objectives and questions.
  4. Adequacy of the theoretical or conceptual framework.
  5. Appropriateness and rigor of the methodology.
  6. Quality and validity of data or evidence.
  7. Clarity and coherence of results and analysis.
  8. Depth and relevance of the discussion.
  9. Contribution to language studies and related fields.
  10. Quality and accuracy of references and citations.
  11. Clarity, organization, and academic quality of the manuscript.
  12. Compliance with research and publication ethics.

For studies involving particular languages, reviewers may also consider the adequacy of linguistic data, contextualization, analytical procedures, and the relevance of the language-specific evidence.

5. Reviewer's Recommendation

After evaluating the manuscript, reviewers provide comments and recommendations to the editor. The possible recommendations include:

  • Accept
  • Accept with Minor Revisions
  • Major Revisions / Revise and Resubmit
  • Reject

The final editorial decision is the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief or the designated editor and is not determined solely by an individual reviewer's recommendation.

6. Revision Process

When revisions are required, authors must revise the manuscript carefully in response to the reviewers' comments.

Authors should provide a point-by-point response explaining how each substantive comment has been addressed. Where an author chooses not to implement a recommendation, a clear academic justification should be provided.

Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation when necessary.

7. Editorial Decision

Following the peer-review process, the editor evaluates the reviewers' reports and makes an editorial decision based on the overall quality, originality, relevance, and scholarly contribution of the manuscript.

The editor may:

  • Accept the manuscript for publication;
  • Request minor revisions;
  • Request major revisions and further review;
  • Reject the manuscript.

In cases where reviewer recommendations substantially differ, the editor may seek an additional review or consult another qualified editor before making a final decision.

8. Reviewer Confidentiality and Responsibilities

Reviewers must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents.

Reviewers should:

  • Maintain confidentiality throughout the review process.
  • Provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based comments.
  • Avoid personal or inappropriate criticism of authors.
  • Identify relevant published work that has not been properly cited, where appropriate.
  • Disclose potential conflicts of interest.
  • Not use unpublished information from the manuscript for personal research or professional advantage.
  • Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe whenever possible.

9. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are based on the scholarly quality, originality, relevance, and integrity of the manuscript. Decisions should not be influenced by the authors' nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, ethnicity, religion, political views, or other personal characteristics.

10. Post-Publication Review and Corrections

DIL recognizes that scholarly evaluation may continue after publication. The journal may consider corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern, or retractions when significant errors, ethical concerns, or publication misconduct are identified.

Post-publication issues will be handled in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies and applicable standards of scholarly publishing.

Estimated Review Timeline

DIL aims to conduct the review process efficiently while maintaining rigorous academic standards. The typical process may include:

Initial Editorial Screening: 1–2 weeks
Peer Review: 2–6 weeks
Revision: Depending on the extent of revisions required
Final Decision and Production: Following completion of the editorial process

Actual processing times may vary depending on reviewer availability, manuscript complexity, revision requirements, and the volume of submissions.

Through this peer-review process, Darunnajah in Language (DIL) is committed to maintaining high standards of academic quality, integrity, transparency, and fairness in scholarly publishing.