Frequently Asked Questions
How long can the peer review process take?
The double blind peer review process allows reviewers to evaluate a manuscript based on the quality and the originality of the research. This can take anything from four weeks to two months. During this time your paper would be assessed by two independent experts on a range of issues. The timeframe for reaching a decision can often depend on the subject area of research as well as on the volume of submission for a particular issue. While we understand that publication delays can be quite frustrating we do not urge our peer reviewers to complete a review process in haste. Since the main aim of the peer review process is to inform the editors about the validity of the foundational arguments in a paper, veracity of the claims and the coherence of the theoretical proposition, it may often be time-taking. While we cannot assure you of a fixed time period within which the peer review of your manuscript would be completed, all our editorial decisions would be accompanied with detailed comments of the peer reviewers. This would give you a critical yet constructive insight which would help edit your document, and perhaps stand a better chance of having it accepted in any other publication you may want to consider.
Would manuscripts having an interdisciplinary bent be given preference in the process?
No, while it is our professed aim to promote interdisciplinary research, it would not be a criterion for accepting or rejecting submissions. As long as the research question has a lot to add to the existing scholarship on the subject and can open new vistas for future scholarship you need not worry. Besides how relevant, informative and topical your research was it is often on this that an acceptance or rejection is sent out. Keeping the journal’s scope and readership in mind, which essentially is one spread across the traditional disciplines, we encourage innovative and definitive research, provided the methodological tools used for a particular research are well defined.
I am a student. Can I be a part of this?
Yes, you certainly can. As a part of JSHC you will have the hands on experience of being a part of a research journal which in many ways hopes to bridge the gap between academics and researchers. Whether you are a student, a researcher or a young academic associated with an institution this would certainly give you greater visibility. We also welcome independent researchers on board who can enrich us with new ideas away from the rigours of a departmental routine. Not only would you have a great learning experience but also find your duties rewarding for your future endeavours.
We do not have any in-house staff and much of our work is done by full-time support teams, who are themselves, students or researchers, and part-time members as well. While we would be expecting you to prioritize our journal, you wouldn’t be assigned with anything time-consuming since most of us have to balance various responsibilities. If you are willing to work at various levels as part of the publication while implementing new ideas to take our journal forward, feel free to send us a mail at staff@jshc.org and we will get back to you.
