Peer Review Policy

Polish Journal of Environmental Studies: Politics, Economy and Industry (PJOESPEAI)
The Polish Journal of Environmental Studies: Politics, Economy and Industry (PJOESPEAI), published by HARD Publishing Company, is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and scientific integrity. All manuscripts undergo a rigorous and transparent peer review process to ensure the quality and significance of the research.

---

1. Initial Screening & Technical Integrity
Upon submission, every manuscript is subjected to an immediate internal assessment to verify its suitability for the journal.

• Plagiarism Detection: We use iThenticate (by Turnitin) to screen all submissions for originality. Manuscripts with high similarity scores or signs of redundant publication are flagged for immediate editorial review.
• AI Writing Detection: Using Turnitin’s AI detection technology, we screen for undisclosed generative AI content. The journal requires that all manuscripts represent original human scholarship.
• Editorial Assessment: The Editor-in-Chief and Statistical Editor perform a pre-evaluation to ensure the research falls within the journal’s scope and meets formal formatting requirements.

2. Reviewer Assignment (Single-Blind Model)
Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are moved to the formal peer review stage.

• The Single-Blind Protocol: We employ a single-blind review system. The identities of the reviewers remain anonymous to the authors, while reviewers are provided with the authors' identities to help identify potential conflicts of interest.
• Expert Selection: The Executive Editor assigns a minimum of two independent, external reviewers. Reviewers are selected based on their specific expertise in environmental policy, economics, or industrial science.
• Ethics & Bias: All reviewers must declare any potential conflicts of interest before accepting the assignment to ensure a fair and objective evaluation.

3. Editorial Decision Process
The Executive Editor and the Editor-in-Chief jointly determine the fate of the manuscript based on the technical reports provided by the peer reviewers.

• Possible Outcomes:
  
  • Accepted for Publication: The paper is technically sound and requires no further changes.
  • Minor Revision: The author must make small corrections or clarifications.
  • Major Revision: The paper requires significant rework and may undergo a second round of peer review.
  • Rejected: The paper does not meet the journal’s scientific or ethical standards.
• Final Authority: The final decision regarding acceptance rests solely with the Editor-in-Chief.

4. Mandatory Revision Procedures
If a manuscript is returned for revision, the following steps are required:

• Detailed Response: Authors must address every reviewer comment in a point-by-point format and provide a formal Explanation Letter.
• Final Verification: The Executive Editor verifies that all concerns have been addressed. The final accepted version may undergo a final integrity re-check before proceeding to production.