General information
We ask authors and peer reviewers to submit their manuscripts and reports via our secure online system. There is an online help guide to assist in using this system, and a helpdesk email account for any technical problems.

Editorial decisions
Editorial decisions are not a matter of counting votes or numerical rank assessments, and we do not always follow the majority recommendation. We try to evaluate the strength of the arguments raised by each reviewer and by the authors, and we may also consider other information not available to either party. Our primary responsibilities are to our readers and to the scientific community at large, and in deciding how best to serve them, we must weigh the claims of each paper against the many others also under consideration.

Reviewers are welcome to recommend a particular course of action, but they should bear in mind that the other reviewers of a particular paper may have different technical expertise and/or views, and the editors may have to make a decision based on conflicting advice. The most useful reports, therefore, provide the editors with the information on which a decision should be based. Setting out the arguments for and against publication is often more helpful to the editors than a direct recommendation one way or the other.

Double-blind peer review

JOST uses a double-blind peer review process. The identities of authors are concealed from reviewers, and the identities of reviewers are concealed from authors.

Authors are responsible for submitting a blinded main manuscript that does not contain author names, affiliations, identifying acknowledgments, identifying funding information, or other details that may reveal their identity. A separate title page should be uploaded during submission.

Authors may suggest preferred and non-preferred reviewers during manuscript submission; however, the final selection of reviewers is made by the editors.

Peer review process
The peer-review process is the main mechanism for ensuring the quality of published articles. To this end, the submitted articles are rigorously peer-reviewed to ensure the high quality submissions are accepted and published. The decision to accept a manuscript is not based solely on the scientific validity and originality of the study content; other factors are considered, including the level of innovation, extent and importance of new information in the paper as compared with that in other papers being considered, the Journal's need to represent a wide range of topics, and the overall suitability for Journal. The peer review process follows the steps below:

1. First, the editors conduct an initial editorial screening to assess the manuscript’s scope, novelty, relevance to readers, methodological quality, ethical compliance, and suitability for external peer review. Yet the process avoids futile cycles of review for manuscripts that are better suited for a more specialized journal, saving time for authors and reviewers. Modifications/corrections may be requested from the authors at this stage before starting the peer review.
2. In the second step, the editors typically invite at least two independent expert reviewers with relevant subject expertise. Often, we also include one expert for statistics or a particular technique. peer reviewers will make suggestions to the editor(s).
3. The authors can monitor the progress of the manuscript throughout the review process in his/her profile.
4. Submitted manuscripts will be rendered one of the following decisions: Accept Submission: The submission will be accepted without revisions. Request Revisions: The submission need changes and may be accepted. Decline Submission: The submission will not be published with the journal.
5. If the author(s) believe that the journal has rejected their article in error, perhaps because the reviewers have misunderstood its scientific content, an appeal may be submitted by e-mail to the editorial office (journal's email). However, appeals are ineffective in most cases and are discouraged.

Editing referees' reports
As a matter of policy, we do not suppress reviewers' reports; any comments that were intended for the authors are transmitted, regardless of what we may think of the content. On rare occasions, we may edit a report to remove offensive language or comments that reveal confidential information about other matters. We ask reviewers to avoid statements that may cause needless offence; conversely, we strongly encourage reviewers to state plainly their opinion of a paper.

Timing
JOST is committed to rapid editorial decisions and publication, and we believe that an efficient editorial process is a valuable service both to our authors and to the scientific community as a whole. We therefore ask reviewers to respond promptly within the number of days agreed. If reviewers anticipate a longer delay than previously expected, we ask them to let us know so that we can keep the authors informed and, where necessary, find alternatives.

Reviewers are also expected to follow the journal’s Reviewer Guidelines, which provide detailed guidance on reviewer responsibilities, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, ethical concerns, and preparation of review reports.