Peer Reviewe Process

All manuscripts submitted to the JLWE undergo an initial editorial screening conducted by the Editorial Team. At this stage, the manuscript is evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • relevance to the focus and scope of the journal;
  • compliance with the journal’s author guidelines and manuscript preparation requirements;
  • clarity and appropriateness of academic English;
  • similarity screening using Turnitin or other plagiarism detection tools; and
  • overall suitability for peer review.

Manuscripts that do not meet these basic requirements may be returned to the authors for correction before peer review or may be declined at the editorial screening stage.

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are sent for double-blind peer review, in which both the authors and the reviewers remain anonymous throughout the review process. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the subject matter of the submission.

The assigned handling editor invites reviewers based on their academic expertise, research interests, publication background, and the absence of any potential conflict of interest. Invited reviewers are asked to consider whether they have the appropriate expertise, sufficient time, and no competing interests before accepting the invitation.

If a reviewer declines the invitation, the editor may invite another reviewer. In some cases, the invited reviewer may also suggest an alternative qualified reviewer.

Reviewers are requested to evaluate the manuscript critically and constructively. The review focuses on the originality, scholarly contribution, methodological rigor, theoretical grounding, relevance to the journal’s scope, clarity of presentation, and overall quality of the manuscript. Based on their evaluation, reviewers may recommend one of the following decisions:

  • accept without revision;
  • accept with minor revisions;
  • reconsider after major revisions; or
  • reject.

After receiving the reviewers’ reports, the Editor-in-Chief and/or handling editor consider the comments and recommendations before making an editorial decision. If the reviewers’ recommendations differ substantially, the editor may assign the manuscript to an additional reviewer in order to obtain a further independent assessment.

The editorial decision is then communicated to the corresponding author, together with the anonymous reviewer comments. Authors are expected to revise the manuscript carefully and submit a revised version along with a point-by-point response to the reviewers’ and editors’ comments.

For manuscripts requiring major revisions, the revised version may be sent back to the original reviewers for further evaluation. For manuscripts requiring only minor revisions, the revised version may be assessed directly by the handling editor without being returned to the reviewers.

A manuscript is considered accepted only when the editor is satisfied that all substantive concerns raised during peer review have been adequately addressed. Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, layout editing, proofreading, and final publication.

All articles accepted for publication in JLWE are published online as open-access articles and are freely available to readers.