Peer Review Policy

International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research Noosphere

E-ISSN (Online): 3051-3413 | P-ISSN (Print): 3051-3405

Peer review is the cornerstone of scholarly publishing at the International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research Noosphere (IJABRN). This policy explains how manuscripts are evaluated, the responsibilities of authors, reviewers, and editors, and the ethical safeguards followed at every stage, in line with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) and DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) standards. The goal is to ensure that every published article meets high standards of scientific rigor, originality, and integrity, while treating authors and reviewers with fairness and transparency.

IJABRN follows a Double-Blind Peer Review process. Under this model, the identities of the author(s) and reviewer(s) are concealed from one another throughout the review process. Author names, affiliations, and acknowledgements are removed from the manuscript before it is sent for review, and reviewer identities are not disclosed to authors unless a reviewer chooses to sign their report. This approach minimizes bias related to gender, institutional affiliation, nationality, or prior publication history, allowing manuscripts to be judged strictly on their scientific merit.

1. Initial Editorial Screening: The Editor-in-Chief or a Handling Editor checks that the manuscript fits the journal's aims and scope, follows formatting guidelines, meets ethical requirements, and passes a similarity/plagiarism check before proceeding further.
2. Reviewer Assignment: A minimum of two independent, subject-matter expert reviewers are assigned to each manuscript. A third reviewer may be invited if the first two recommendations conflict.
3. Manuscript Evaluation: Reviewers assess the originality and novelty of the work, soundness of methodology and statistical analysis, clarity of presentation, relevance to the field, and compliance with ethical standards.
4. Editorial Decision: Based on reviewer feedback, the Handling Editor recommends Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject. The final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief, who reviews all recommendations before communicating the outcome to the corresponding author.
5. Revision and Re-review: Revised manuscripts are checked against reviewer comments and may be sent back to the original reviewers to confirm that concerns have been adequately addressed.

Reviewers are selected from the journal's Editorial Board, its reviewer database, or through recommendations from editors and authors, subject to independent verification. A qualified reviewer typically holds a postgraduate or doctoral qualification in biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, bioanalytical chemistry, enzymology, medicinal chemistry, clinical biochemistry, bioinformatics, pharmaceutical sciences, life sciences, chemical biology, or a related discipline; has an active record of peer-reviewed publications or demonstrable subject expertise; has no direct conflict of interest with the author(s) or the submitted work; and agrees to review in accordance with the journal's guidelines and standards of conduct.

1. Objectivity – evaluate manuscripts fairly, without personal, institutional, or ideological bias.
2. Confidentiality – treat manuscripts under review as privileged information and never share or discuss them with third parties.
3. Constructive Feedback – provide clear, specific, and evidence-based comments that help authors strengthen their work, regardless of the final recommendation.
4. Conflict Disclosure – promptly disclose any financial, professional, or personal relationship with the author(s) and recuse themselves from any conflicting assignment.

No Misuse of Information – refrain from using unpublished material or ideas obtained through review for personal or professional advantage.

Integrity – report any suspicion of plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate submission, image manipulation, or other ethical violation to the Handling Editor immediately.

1. Ensure every submitted manuscript receives a fair, unbiased, and rigorous evaluation regardless of the author's background.
2. Select reviewers with appropriate expertise and no conflicting interests, and maintain the confidentiality of the review process.
3. Base editorial decisions solely on the manuscript's academic merit, originality, and relevance to the journal's scope.
4. Handle allegations of misconduct, disputes, or complaints fairly and in accordance with COPE guidelines.

All manuscripts, reviewer identities, review reports, and related correspondence are treated as strictly confidential and are not disclosed to anyone outside the corresponding author, assigned reviewers, and editorial board members, except where duly authorized. Editors, reviewers, and authors are required to disclose any competing financial, professional, or personal interests that could influence, or appear to influence, the objectivity of the review. Any editor or reviewer with a conflict of interest concerning a manuscript must recuse themselves, and the manuscript is reassigned accordingly.

Authors are expected to conduct and report research in accordance with internationally accepted standards of research integrity and publication ethics. Manuscripts submitted to IJABRN must:

1. Be original and not previously published or under consideration elsewhere.
2. Be free from plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, and inappropriate image manipulation, as verified through similarity-detection tools.
3. Accurately present research methods, results, and conclusions without misleading or selective reporting.
4. Properly acknowledge all sources through appropriate citation and referencing.
5. Disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the research or its interpretation.
6. Comply with applicable institutional, national, and international ethical requirements relevant to the submitted research.

Suspected violations of research or publication ethics are handled in accordance with COPE flowcharts and may result in manuscript rejection, publication of corrections, article retraction, or notification to the author's institution where appropriate.

This Peer Review Policy is reviewed periodically by the Editorial Board to ensure continued alignment with international publishing standards, including those of COPE and DOAJ. Any amendments to this policy are published on the journal's official website along with the effective date of revision.