Indian Journal of Commerce and Management (IJCM) is committed to maintaining the highest academic standards and publication quality. To ensure excellence, the journal follows a rigorous double-blind peer review process where both the authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other. This approach guarantees objectivity, fairness, and the elimination of potential bias in the evaluation process. The peer review process is designed to ensure that all published articles make a meaningful contribution to the field of management, business, and economics and reflect the highest standards of research integrity.

1. Manuscript Submission and Initial Desk Review

Every manuscript submitted to IJCM undergoes an initial desk review conducted by the Editorial Board. At this stage, manuscripts are evaluated for their relevance to the journal’s thematic focus, compliance with submission guidelines, and basic formatting standards. Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements are filtered out during this initial screening.

Possible Outcomes:

• Passed: Manuscripts that meet the basic requirements proceed to the peer review stage.
• Revision Required: Manuscripts that partially meet the journal’s standards are returned to authors with suggestions for improvement and resubmission.
• Rejected: Manuscripts that are outside the journal’s scope or fail to meet minimum quality standards are declined at this stage.

2. Double-Blind Peer Review

Manuscripts that pass the desk review are assigned to at least two independent reviewers who are experts in the relevant subject area. The double-blind review ensures that both authors and reviewers remain unaware of each other’s identities, promoting impartial and unbiased evaluation. Reviewers are expected to complete their assessment within two weeks and provide constructive and detailed feedback.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Relevance and significance of the research topic
• Appropriateness of research methodology and analysis
• Originality and contribution to the existing body of knowledge
• Clarity of presentation and structure
• Proper citation and reference of existing literature

3. Reviewer Recommendations

After evaluation, reviewers submit their reports along with one of the following recommendations:

• Accepted: The manuscript meets all publication standards and requires no changes.
• Accepted with Minor Revisions: The manuscript requires minor edits based on reviewer comments.
• Accepted with Major Revisions: The manuscript needs significant modifications in structure, analysis, or interpretation.
• Rejected: The manuscript fails to meet publication criteria or lies outside the journal’s focus.

4. Editorial Decision

The Editorial Board carefully reviews the feedback received from peer reviewers and makes the final decision regarding each manuscript.

• For minor revisions, authors are given one week to resubmit their revised manuscript.
• For major revisions, authors are given up to two weeks to make substantial changes and resubmit.
  The editorial team ensures that every decision is transparent, well-documented, and based on the reviewers’ reports.

5. Revision Stage

Authors receive a consolidated review summary containing all reviewer and editor comments. They are expected to address each suggestion carefully and submit a revised version along with a detailed response sheet outlining how each comment has been incorporated. This stage ensures that the manuscript has been thoroughly improved in quality, presentation, and academic rigor.

6. Final Review and Decision

After resubmission, the revised manuscript undergoes a final evaluation by the Editorial Board to confirm that all required changes have been adequately implemented. If the revisions are satisfactory, the manuscript is approved for publication. If deficiencies remain, the manuscript may still be rejected despite earlier acceptance recommendations.

7. Publication Confirmation

Once a manuscript is approved for publication, it is sent for final formatting, copy editing, and proofreading. The final galley proof is shared with the author for review and confirmation of minor typographical corrections. After author approval, the paper is published online and made available to the global academic community.

Author Confirmation: Authors are required to review and approve the final version of their article before publication.

Online Publication: All accepted manuscripts are published on the IJCM website and made freely accessible to researchers worldwide.

Commitment to Excellence

The peer review process at IJCM reflects the journal’s unwavering commitment to academic quality, transparency, and continuous improvement. This system ensures that every article published in IJCM contributes significantly to the advancement of management and business research, upholds the highest editorial standards, and provides valuable insights for the international academic community.