The International Journal of Animal and Wildlife Research (IJAWR) follows a structured and impartial peer-review process to evaluate the scientific quality, originality, methodological soundness, ethical compliance, and scholarly contribution of submitted manuscripts.

The peer-review process is intended to ensure that manuscripts published by IJAWR meet appropriate standards of scientific rigor, research integrity, clarity, and scholarly relevance in animal biology, wildlife ecology, biodiversity, veterinary science, animal behaviour, and wildlife conservation.

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1. Initial Editorial Screening

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening before being considered for external peer review. During this stage, the editorial team may assess the manuscript for:

Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's basic requirements may be returned to the authors for correction or declined before external peer review.

2. Similarity & Originality Check

Manuscripts may be checked for textual similarity using appropriate similarity-detection tools as part of the editorial screening process.

Similarity results are evaluated in context and are not treated as an automatic indication of plagiarism. The editorial team may consider the nature, location, extent, and source of matching text when determining whether further action is required.

For animal and wildlife research, the editorial team may also consider the originality and appropriate attribution of species observations, field data, wildlife photographs, datasets, research methods, and previously published findings.

Where substantial or inappropriate similarity is identified, the manuscript may be returned to the authors for revision, clarification, or appropriate citation, or may be rejected depending on the nature and severity of the issue.

3. Double-Blind Peer Review

IJAWR follows a double-blind peer-review process, in which the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from one another during the review process, to the extent practicable.

Authors should prepare manuscripts for double-blind review in accordance with the journal's manuscript preparation requirements and remove identifying information where required.

For wildlife studies, authors should also ensure that sensitive information, such as precise locations of endangered species or vulnerable wildlife populations, is handled responsibly and disclosed only where scientifically necessary and appropriate.

4. Selection of Reviewers

Manuscripts that proceed beyond the initial editorial screening are assigned to qualified and independent reviewers with relevant academic or subject expertise.

Depending on the subject of the manuscript, reviewers may have expertise in animal biology, zoology, wildlife ecology, conservation biology, veterinary science, animal behaviour, biodiversity, wildlife management, or related scientific disciplines.

IJAWR normally seeks evaluation from two or more independent reviewers, depending on the nature of the manuscript and the requirements of the editorial process.

Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, confidential, and scientifically appropriate assessments of the manuscript. They should disclose relevant conflicts of interest and decline assignments where they cannot provide an impartial evaluation.

5. Review Criteria

Reviewers may evaluate manuscripts with consideration of the following factors:

The specific criteria may vary according to the article type, discipline, methodology, species studied, and subject matter.

6. Reviewer Recommendations

Following evaluation, reviewers provide comments and recommendations to assist the editor in reaching a publication decision. Possible recommendations include:

7. Revision by Authors

When revisions are requested, authors are expected to address the reviewers' comments carefully and provide a clear response to the issues raised. Authors may be required to submit:

Where appropriate, revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation.

Authors should not alter research findings, animal observations, images, or datasets in a misleading manner when responding to reviewer comments. Any additional experiments, analyses, or changes to the research methods should be reported accurately.

8. Editorial Decision

The editorial decision is based on the manuscript's scientific quality, originality, research methodology, ethical compliance, reviewer evaluations, and overall suitability for publication in IJAWR.

The editor may consider reviewer recommendations but retains independent editorial judgment and may reach a decision that differs from a particular reviewer recommendation where appropriate.

Manuscripts that raise unresolved concerns regarding animal welfare, research integrity, wildlife permits, or compliance with applicable conservation regulations may require clarification or further assessment before a publication decision is made.

9. Final Acceptance & Publication

Once a manuscript has successfully completed the peer-review and editorial process and has been formally accepted, it proceeds to the journal's publication and production procedures.

Where applicable, information regarding the Article Processing Charge (APC), copyright and licensing, formatting, production, DOI assignment, and publication procedures is communicated to the authors in accordance with the relevant IJAWR policies.

10. Confidentiality & Editorial Independence

Manuscripts submitted to IJAWR and the contents of peer-review reports are treated as confidential within the editorial and peer-review process, subject to applicable policies and legal or ethical requirements.

Editorial and peer-review decisions are intended to be based on scientific and scholarly considerations. Commercial considerations, including Article Processing Charges, should not determine whether a manuscript is accepted or rejected.

Editors and reviewers should disclose relevant conflicts of interest and avoid allowing personal, institutional, financial, or professional relationships to compromise the impartiality of the review process.

Confidential research data and sensitive wildlife location information should be handled responsibly and should not be disclosed or used beyond authorised purposes.

11. Estimated Review Timeline

The duration of peer review may vary depending on the subject area, reviewer availability, manuscript complexity, specialist expertise required, revision requirements, and other factors affecting the editorial process.

IJAWR does not guarantee a specific peer-review or publication timeline. Authors may be contacted when additional information, clarification, ethical documentation, or revisions are required.

12. Author Responsibility

Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted manuscripts are original, scientifically accurate, properly referenced, ethically conducted where applicable, and prepared in accordance with the journal's submission and publication requirements.

Authors must accurately report research methods, findings, species information, animal welfare measures, and relevant ethical approvals or research permits. They should also ensure that their work complies with applicable wildlife protection laws and does not misrepresent or conceal significant ethical concerns.

By submitting a manuscript to IJAWR, authors acknowledge that the manuscript may undergo editorial screening, similarity checking, peer review, revision, and final editorial evaluation before a publication decision is made.