Editorial Process

Editorial Assessment and Peer Review

All manuscripts submitted to Hemiciclo – Journal of Legislative Studies must be submitted exclusively through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform. The editorial and peer review process is conducted in a transparent, rigorous, and timely manner, with a maximum duration of 120 days from the date of initial submission. The process comprises the following stages:

Stage 1 – Days 1–15: Initial Submission, Editorial Screening, and Plagiarism Check

Initial Formal Screening: Upon submission through OJS, the Editor verifies the completeness and accuracy of the manuscript metadata, including the mandatory ORCID iD of all authors, compliance with the journal’s submission and style guidelines, and the inclusion of the required declarations on originality, research ethics, conflicts of interest, and the use of artificial intelligence tools, where applicable.

Scope and Thematic Relevance: The Editor conducts a preliminary assessment to determine whether the manuscript falls within the journal’s aims, scope, thematic focus, and editorial profile.

Plagiarism and Similarity Screening: Manuscripts are screened using Turnitin. Similarity reports are considered as supporting evidence and do not, by themselves, constitute a determination of plagiarism. The Editor is responsible for assessing the report and the nature of any identified similarities. Based on this assessment, the manuscript may proceed to peer review or be rejected at the editorial screening stage.

Stage 2 – Days 16–75: External Double-Blind Peer Review

Reviewer Selection: Manuscripts that successfully pass the initial editorial screening are submitted to external peer review under a double-blind peer review model, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the review process.

At least two (2) independent external reviewers with relevant expertise in the subject area are appointed. Reviewers must have no direct affiliation with the publishing institution and should be free of any conflict of interest that could compromise the impartiality of the evaluation.

Reviewer Recommendations: Reviewers are given up to 45 days to complete their assessments. Their recommendations may be:

  • Accept without revisions.

  • Accept with minor revisions.

  • Major revisions required.

  • Reject.

Conflicting Reviews: If the two reviewers issue substantially conflicting recommendations—for example, one recommends acceptance and the other rejection—the manuscript may be sent to a third independent external reviewer. The third review will inform the Editorial Committee’s final assessment.

Stage 3 – Days 76–100: Author Revisions

Notification and Submission of Revisions: The Editor communicates the anonymous reviewer reports to the authors through OJS. When revisions are requested, authors are granted up to 20 calendar days to submit a revised version of the manuscript together with a detailed response letter explaining how each reviewer comment has been addressed.

Assessment of Revisions: Revised manuscripts are assessed by the Editor and, where necessary, by the Editorial Committee. Manuscripts requiring major revisions may be returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation in order to verify whether the requested changes have been adequately addressed.

Stage 4 – Days 101–120: Final Editorial Decision and Production

Final Editorial Decision: Following the completion of the peer review and revision stages, the Editorial Committee considers the review reports, the revised manuscript, and the authors’ responses and issues a formal final decision: Accepted for Publication or Rejected. The decision is communicated to the corresponding author by email and through OJS within the maximum period of 120 days from the date of the original submission.

Copyediting, Production, and Proofreading: Manuscripts accepted for publication proceed to copyediting, orthotypographic review, layout, and production in PDF, HTML, and XML-JATS formats. Prior to publication, the final proof is sent to the corresponding author for approval. Authors are expected to return any final corrections within 5 days.

DOI Assignment and Online Publication: Once the production process has been completed, the article is assigned its corresponding Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and is published online in accordance with the journal’s continuous publication model.

If Hemiciclo – Journal of Legislative Studies has not issued a final decision within the maximum 120-day evaluation period for reasons not attributable to the author, the author may withdraw the manuscript and submit it to another journal.