Peer Review Process
Indonesian Journal of Islamic Elementary Education (IJIEE) operates a double-blind (double-anonymous) peer-review process to maintain the highest standards of scientific quality, integrity, and validity in the scholarship of primary education and madrasah ibtidaiyah. Throughout the evaluation process, the identities of both the authors and the reviewers remain strictly concealed from each other. All submitted manuscripts undergo the following systematic stages:
1. Initial Screening
Upon receiving a manuscript submitted via the online Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform, the editorial office performs an initial screening to confirm that the manuscript aligns with the journal’s focus and scope and complies with the IJIEE Author Guidelines and Template. Only submissions that pass this screening or satisfy minor technical adjustments proceed to the subsequent evaluation phase.
2. Desk Review by the Editor-in-Chief
Manuscripts that pass the initial administrative check are evaluated substantively by the Editor-in-Chief. This desk review determines whether the paper demonstrates sufficient academic originality, substantial contributions to the discipline, and sound methodological foundations. If a manuscript contains major methodological flaws, lacks relevance, or does not meet the journal's publication threshold, the editorial board reserves the right to reject the submission outright without forwarding it for external peer review. Desk review are typically completed within one to two weeks.
3. Reviewer Assignment
Submissions cleared by the Editor-in-Chief are assigned to at least three independent external peer reviewers who possess recognized expertise and an active research record in the manuscript's specific topic. To ensure complete impartiality and avoid conflicts of interest, reviewers are selected from academic institutions distinct from those of the submitting authors. All identifying details, including author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, and funding statements, are removed from the review file prior to dissemination. Reviewer confirmation and formal assignment are typically completed within one to two weeks.
4. Peer Review Evaluation
The assigned peer reviewers thoroughly evaluate the manuscript regarding theoretical grounding, methodological soundness, clarity of data presentation, depth of discussion, and novel contributions. Reviewers are granted three to four weeks to complete their evaluations and provide constructive, detailed feedback. Upon concluding their assessment, reviewers recommend one of four official decisions: accept submission without revision, revisions required (minor revision), resubmit for review (major revision), or decline submission (rejection). While a manuscript is actively undergoing review, authors are strictly prohibited from withdrawing their submission without formal written consent from the Editor-in-Chief.
5. Editorial Decision
The Handling Editor and Editor-in-Chief examine all submitted reviewer reports to reach a comprehensive editorial determination. If the recommendations and evaluations of the two reviewers diverge substantially, an additional third reviewer may be consulted to secure an objective tie-breaking assessment. The formal editorial decision, accompanied by the anonymized reviewer remarks, is communicated to the corresponding author via the online journal portal. The typical timeframe from initial submission to the delivery of the first editorial decision averages one to two weeks.
6. Revision and Resubmission
If revisions are requested, the author must address all reviewer feedback and submit the revised documentation within the established deadlines, specifically within three weeks for minor revisions and four weeks for major revisions. Resubmitted files must include a revised manuscript highlighting all amendments, a point-by-point rebuttal response letter explaining how each comment was resolved, and an updated similarity verification report conforming to journal thresholds. Minor revisions are generally evaluated directly by the Handling Editor, whereas major revisions are reassigned to the original reviewers to confirm that all technical and conceptual concerns have been resolved.
7. Final Acceptance, Copyediting, and Publication
Once the revised manuscript satisfies all scholarly, ethical, and formatting standards, the Editor-in-Chief issues an official Letter of Acceptance. The accepted paper enters production for professional copyediting, reference checking, layout formatting in accordance with IJIEE galley specifications, and final author proofreading. The transition from final acceptance to online publication takes approximately two to three weeks, and the resulting articles are immediately published as open-access downloadable PDF documents.
