STEP 1: Editor Assigns Reviewer

From the My Queue list, find the Submission link of the manuscript from an Author that was assigned to you as an editor, and open it.

 

Hit the Send to Review button to move over the submitted file from the Submission Stage to the Review Stage.

 

In this example, there is only one submission file, which has been already selected. Hit the Send to Review button. Other files, such as images, data, etc. could also have been submitted.

After hitting the Send to Review button on the previous Submission stage, the submission files are moved over to the Review stage.

By default, you will be placed in Round 1 (future rounds are possible if this round does not result in a final decision). In this example, there is only one submission file, which now appears in the Review Files panel.

From the Reviewers panel, use the Add Reviewer link to assign a reviewer.

This window provides a list of available reviewers as well as information about their activity and interests, which will help you make a decision.

Select the radio button next to your choice and hit the Select Reviewer button at the bottom of the screen.

This will bring up a window with the review request email:

 

Scroll below the email to see review dates, files to be reviewed, and review type.

At this point you have the option to make any changes to the review assignment, including the text of the email, the due dates, the files to be reviewed, or even the review type.

Hit Add Reviewer to complete the assignment and send off the invitation email.

The reviewer is now assigned and listed on the submission record:

You can now either assign additional reviewers following the same process, or await the reviewer’s recommendation.

 

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After the reviewer has finished reviewing the article and returning it to the editor, then the next step is ...

STEP 3: Editor Checks Reviews

 

Once the reviews are in, the editor will see a notification under Tasks. Clicking the link will take you directly to the submission record.

The editor can select Read Review to open a window with the review.

A window opens with the review comments, any uploaded files, and the recommendation (in this case, Revisions Required). Hit the Confirm button to proceed.

 

You are now asked to acknowledge the reviewer by selecting the Thank Reviewer link:

 

This will open a window with a pre-written email:

Hit the Thank Reviewer button to proceed. If for any reason the recommendation changes, you can use the Revert Decision link to make any modifications

Based on the reviewer recommendations, their comments, and your own sense of the submission, you can now make an editorial decision. Use the buttons to the right.

Remember to strip any personal identification of reviewers before an email will be sent to an author. The filename which the reviewer has attached could include reviewer’s name. You can revise the title by clicking on the toggle to the left of the file and choosing Edit.

Edit the filename to erase reviewer’s identification

Now it is time to make your editorial decision

The first choice, Request Revisions will invite the author to make minor changes to the submission, which you as the editor can determine are sufficient to move to copyediting.

In addition to making revisions to the pre-written email, you can also choose to add the reviewer comments (using the “Add Reviews to Email” link) and attach a copy of the reviewer’s files (if any).

The second choice, Resubmit for Review, will ask the authors to make substantial changes and go through another round of peer review.

As with the previous choice, you can make revisions to the pre-written email, choose to add the reviewer comments or a copy of the reviewers files (if any).

The third choice, Send to Copyediting, accepts the submission as it is and moves it on to the next stage.

As with the previous choices, you can make revisions to the pre-written email, choose to add the reviewer comments or a copy of the reviewers files (if any).

The final choice, Decline Submission, rejects the submission from being considered.

As with the previous choices, you can make revisions to the pre-written email, choose to add the reviewer comments or a copy of the reviewers files (if any). This removes the submission from the current workflow and into the editorial archives.

 

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After the author makes repairs and submits to the editor. then now is the time for the editor to respond it.

STEP 5: Editor Responds to Author Revisions

 

You will have received an email notification that the author has uploaded a revision. Login to see the changes. Select the Review link next to the submission title under My Assigned.

From the submission record, you can see the Revised file under Revisions. Select the linked title to download and read the revised file. If further revisions are required, you can inform the author from the Review Discussions section. Use the Add Discussion link to initiate.

You may have a few back and forth messages with the author until the submission is ready for approval.

Once it finally is ready, go back to the decisions on the upper right and select Send to Copyediting.

This will open a window, where you can inform the author of your final decision, and also check the final revised file to move to the Copyediting stage.

It is still possible at this point to choose to Decline Submission, if the required revisions were not satisfactory.

That’s it, you have completed the review!