Review Guidelines
Reviewer Guidelines
Principles and responsibilities for fair, confidential, constructive, and ethical peer review.
The International Journal for Research in Tourism and Hospitality (IJRTH) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing. The journal follows the principles and best practice guidelines recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Reviewers play a vital role in maintaining the quality, credibility, and scholarly rigor of research published in the field of tourism and hospitality studies.
Role of Reviewers
Peer review is essential to ensuring that published research meets established academic and professional standards. Reviewers support the editorial board in making informed editorial decisions and assist authors in improving the quality of their manuscripts through constructive and unbiased feedback.
Reviewers are expected to provide objective and evidence-based evaluations focusing on the academic merit, originality, and relevance of the research rather than personal opinions about the authors.
Protecting the Review Process
All manuscripts submitted to the International Journal for Research in Tourism and Hospitality are considered confidential documents. Reviewers must treat all materials received for review as strictly confidential and must not share, discuss, or disclose any part of the manuscript with third parties without prior permission from the editor.
Manuscripts and related data must not be used for personal research, competitive advantage, or professional gain prior to publication.
Objectivity and Constructive Feedback
Reviews must be conducted objectively and professionally. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate. Reviewer comments should be clear, constructive, and supported by reasoned arguments.
Reviewers are encouraged to provide specific suggestions that help authors improve their manuscripts and to highlight both the strengths and weaknesses of the research.
Conflict of Interest
Reviewers should decline to review a manuscript if they have any conflict of interest that may affect their impartiality. Conflicts may arise due to competitive, collaborative, financial, institutional, or personal relationships with the authors or related organizations.
Any potential conflict of interest must be disclosed to the editor immediately.
Ethical Vigilance
Reviewers are expected to inform the editor if they identify any potential ethical concerns during the review process, including but not limited to:
Plagiarism or substantial similarity with previously published work
Data fabrication or falsification
Ethical concerns related to research involving human participants
Undisclosed conflicts of interest
Duplicate submission or redundant publication
Evaluation Criteria
Reviewers are requested to evaluate manuscripts based on the following criteria:
Originality and contribution to tourism and hospitality research
Relevance to the journal’s aims and scope
Methodological rigor and research design
Validity and reliability of results
Clarity, organization, and coherence of the manuscript
Appropriateness and accuracy of references
Compliance with ethical and reporting standards
Reviewers should provide a clear recommendation such as acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection, supported by detailed comments.
Timeliness and Professional Conduct
Reviewers are expected to complete the review within the specified timeframe. If reviewers are unable to meet the deadline, they should notify the editorial office promptly.
Review invitations should only be accepted if the reviewer has appropriate subject expertise and sufficient time to conduct a thorough and fair evaluation.
Anonymity and Review Model
The International Journal for Research in Tourism and Hospitality follows a double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the review process.
Reviewers must respect the anonymity requirements and avoid any actions that could compromise the integrity of the peer review system.
By accepting a review invitation, reviewers agree to uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct, maintain confidentiality, declare any conflicts of interest, and contribute to the advancement of scholarly research in tourism and hospitality studies.
