SOP of Manuscript Management
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of Manuscript Management
Life Sciences, Technology and Sustainability Education (LSTSE) implements a structured manuscript management system to ensure that every submitted article is processed transparently, efficiently, and according to international academic publishing standards. The manuscript management workflow is designed to maintain scientific quality, ethical integrity, and consistency throughout the publication process.
All manuscripts submitted to LSTSE are managed through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform. The system records every stage of manuscript processing, including submission, editorial screening, peer review, revision, decision making, copyediting, proofreading, and publication. This digital workflow ensures accountability and provides clear documentation of editorial activities.
1. Manuscript Submission
Authors submit manuscripts through the online submission system provided by LSTSE. During submission, authors must provide complete manuscript information, including title, abstract, keywords, author affiliations, correspondence details, funding information, conflict of interest statements, and ethical declarations where applicable.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted manuscripts are original works, have not been published previously, and are not under consideration by another journal. Manuscripts must follow the journal template and author guidelines before entering the editorial evaluation process.
2. Initial Editorial Screening
After submission, manuscripts undergo an initial screening conducted by the editorial team. This stage evaluates:
- Compatibility with the journal scope
- Manuscript structure and formatting
- Originality and academic contribution
- Research ethics compliance
- Completeness of submission documents
Manuscripts that do not meet basic requirements may be returned to authors for correction before entering peer review.
3. Peer Review Process
Manuscripts that pass initial screening are assigned to qualified reviewers with relevant expertise. LSTSE applies a double-anonymized peer review system to maintain objectivity and minimize potential bias.
Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on:
- Scientific originality
- Theoretical contribution
- Methodological rigor
- Data analysis quality
- Interpretation of findings
- Relevance to international scholarship
Reviewer recommendations include:
- Accept without revision
- Minor revision
- Major revision
- Reject
The final decision remains the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief based on reviewer comments and editorial evaluation.
4. Revision and Editorial Decision
Authors receiving revision requests must submit revised manuscripts together with responses addressing reviewer comments. Editors evaluate whether revisions adequately respond to academic concerns.
The journal may request additional revisions when necessary to improve scientific quality. Manuscripts that fail to address essential concerns may be rejected.
5. Production and Publication
Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, layout editing, proofreading, metadata verification, DOI registration, and online publication.
Before publication, authors receive the final proof version to verify accuracy. Published articles become permanently available through the journal website and digital preservation systems.