Peer Review Policy

Mechanics and Advanced Technologies  journal applies a rigorous and transparent double-blind peer review process to ensure the quality, originality, and scientific integrity of submitted manuscripts. Peer review is a mandatory condition for publication.

All manuscripts undergo double-blind review, where both authors and reviewers remain anonymous.

All submitted manuscripts are initially evaluated by the editorial office within 5–7 working days to ensure compliance with the journal scope, formatting requirements, and ethical standards, including plagiarism screening.

Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements may be rejected without external review.

Peer Review Process

Each manuscripts that pass the initial screening are sent to at least two independent reviewers in the relevant field who are not affiliated with the same institutions as the authors. Reviewers are selected based on their academic qualifications, research experience, and publication record.

The review process takes 2–4 weeks from the date of submission, depending on reviewer availability and the complexity of the manuscript. The total time from submission to final decision may vary depending on revisions and editorial evaluation.

Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on originality, scientific quality, methodology, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

In case of conflicting reviewer opinions, an additional independent reviewer may be assigned.

Editorial Decision

The final decision on manuscript acceptance is made by the Editor-in-Chief or delegated editor based on the reviewers’ recommendations.

Possible decisions include:

  • accept
  • minor revision
  • major revision
  • reject

The editorial office retains peer review reports for at least 3 years.

Revision Process

Authors may be asked to revise their manuscripts in response to reviewer comments.

Revised manuscripts should be accompanied by a detailed response to reviewers’ comments.

The revised manuscript may be sent for re-evaluation.

Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest. If a conflict is identified, the reviewer will be replaced.

Confidentiality

All manuscripts and review reports are treated as confidential and are not shared outside the editorial process.

Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions within 30 days of notification.

Appeals are reviewed by an independent editorial member who was not involved in the original decision. Additional expert opinions may be requested if necessary.

The decision on the appeal is final.

Handling Papers from Editorial Board Members

Editorial board members may occasionally submit their own manuscripts for possible publication in the journal. This situation constitutes a potential conflict of interest.

To ensure transparency and impartiality, the following measures will be taken:

  1. Editorial Independence
    During the peer review process, submitting editorial board members will not participate in the selection of reviewers or editorial decisions regarding their manuscript. The process will be overseen by a senior editor who is not in a conflict of interest and will act independently of the submitting editor. In some cases, an external expert editor may be assigned to handle the submission to further minimize potential bias.
  2. Peer Review
    Submissions from editorial board members will undergo double-blind peer review. The submitting editors will not have access to any information about the review process beyond what is available to all authors.
  3. External Reviewers
    At least three external, independent reviewers will be invited to evaluate the manuscript to ensure an objective assessment.
  4. Editorial Treatment
    Manuscripts submitted by editorial board members will be treated in the same manner as all other submissions and may be subject to any editorial outcome, including rejection without review, requests for revision, or rejection after peer review.
  5. Transparency Note
    If accepted, the published article will include a note indicating that the submission was handled according to the journal's policy for editorial board member manuscripts, with transparent procedures in place to avoid conflicts of interest.