All manuscripts submitted to Aureole — A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies and Research undergo peer review. No article is published without it, including articles authored by members of the editorial or advisory boards.
Review model
Aureole operates single-blind review. Reviewers are informed of the authors’ identity; reviewers’ identities are not disclosed to authors at any stage.
Review process
Stage 1 — Similarity screening. Every manuscript is screened for textual similarity before it is sent for review. Manuscripts exceeding the journal’s similarity threshold are returned to the author without further consideration. See the Plagiarism Policy.
Stage 2 — Editorial screening. The Chief Editor or a designated Associate Editor checks each submission for scope, completeness, language, and conformity to the author guidelines. Manuscripts outside the journal’s scope or falling below a basic threshold of presentation are declined at this stage without external review, with brief reasons given to the author.
Stage 3 — Expert review. Manuscripts passing screening are sent to reviewers with established expertise in the relevant subject. Reviewer selection is made by the Chief Editor in consultation with the relevant Associate Editor, and is subject to the exclusions set out below.
Reviewers assess originality and significance of the contribution; soundness of method and adequacy of evidence; engagement with relevant literature; clarity of argument and presentation; and ethical compliance.
Stage 4 — Author response. Authors receive the reviewer’s full written comments, not merely the decision. Authors responding to a request for revision must address each point raised, in a covering letter submitted alongside the revised manuscript.
Stage 5 — Decision. The Chief Editor takes the final decision on every manuscript, having read the reviewer’s report in full.
Outcomes
All manuscripts are subject to similarity screening and external review. Acceptance is not guaranteed, and a proportion of submissions is declined at each stage.
Timeline
Aureole publishes one volume per year. Submissions are acknowledged on receipt, and decisions are communicated within the annual publication cycle. Authors whose manuscripts are materially delayed are informed.
Reviewer exclusions
A reviewer must not be:
- from the author’s own department;
- a current or former research supervisor of the author, or their student;
- a co-author of the author on any work within the preceding three years;
- in any personal relationship with the author that would bear on their judgement.
Reviewers are required to declare any such relationship and decline. The Chief Editor is responsible for verifying this before a manuscript is dispatched.
Reviewer conduct
Reviewers treat manuscripts as confidential and must not use unpublished material for their own purposes. Reviewers unable to meet the deadline are asked to say so promptly so the manuscript can be reassigned.
Editorial board submissions
Manuscripts authored or co-authored by editorial board members are handled by an editor with no involvement in the work. The author-editor is excluded from all correspondence and decisions concerning it, and this exclusion is recorded in the editorial file.