Peer Review Policy

The International Journal of Kashmir Studies (IJKS) follows a rigorous peer review process to ensure the quality, originality, academic integrity, and relevance of published research. All submitted manuscripts are first evaluated by the editorial team to determine whether they fall within the scope of the journal and meet basic academic and submission requirements. Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements may be returned to the authors or rejected without external review.

Manuscripts that pass the initial editorial assessment are normally sent to independent experts with relevant subject knowledge for peer review. The journal follows a double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers are kept confidential. Reviewers assess manuscripts on the basis of originality, significance, clarity of objectives, quality of methodology, use of evidence, analysis, discussion, references, and overall contribution to the field.

Based on the reviewers’ recommendations, the manuscript may be accepted, accepted subject to revisions, returned to the authors for major revisions, or rejected. Where revisions are requested, authors should respond carefully to reviewer comments and submit a revised manuscript within the specified period. The final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief or the editorial team and may take into consideration the reviewers’ recommendations as well as the journal’s editorial standards.

Reviewers are expected to maintain confidentiality, provide objective and constructive assessments, disclose any potential conflict of interest, and avoid using unpublished information from manuscripts for personal or professional advantage. The journal does not tolerate discrimination, personal criticism, plagiarism, or any form of inappropriate conduct during the review process.

The journal may seek additional reviews or clarification when reviewer recommendations differ substantially. The editorial team reserves the right to make the final publication decision and to ensure that the review process is conducted fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with accepted standards of scholarly publishing.