Peer Review Process

Editorial Policy

Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to Agrifood Research and Enterprise (Agrifood Res. Enterp.) undergo a double-blind peer review, in which the identities of authors and reviewers are kept confidential throughout the process. Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with subject-matter expertise relevant to the manuscript's track, coordinated by the corresponding section editor.

1

Initial Editorial Screening

The relevant section editor checks each submission for alignment with the journal's Aims and Scope, completeness, formatting compliance, and similarity/plagiarism screening. Manuscripts that are clearly out of scope, incomplete, or fail similarity screening are desk-rejected without external review.
2

Reviewer Assignment

Manuscripts that pass screening are assigned to at least two independent reviewers. For submissions bridging both tracks, reviewers may be drawn from each track to cover the technical and economic/business dimensions. All identifying information is removed prior to review to preserve double-blind anonymity.
3

Review Evaluation

Reviewers assess each manuscript on:

  • Originality and novelty of contribution
  • Methodological rigor and validity
  • Relevance to the journal's aims and scope
  • Scientific, practical, or managerial contribution
  • Transparency of data and proportionality of claims
  • Clarity of writing and English readability
4

Editorial Decision

Based on the reviewers' recommendations, the section editor proposes a decision, which is confirmed by the Editor-in-Chief:

Accepted   Minor Revision   Major Revision   Rejected
5

Revision and Re-Review

Manuscripts requiring minor revision are verified directly by the section editor. Manuscripts requiring major revision are typically returned to the original reviewers for re-evaluation before a final decision is issued.
6

Copyediting and Publication

Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, layout, and DOI assignment, and are scheduled for the journal's next issue (published in January or August).

Typical Timeline

Initial editorial screening 5–7 days
Reviewer invitation up to 7 days
First review round 3–6 weeks
Minor revision 1–3 weeks
Major revision 4–8 weeks
Typical time to first decision 6–10 weeks

These timeframes are editorial targets and may vary depending on reviewer and author responsiveness.