Publication Process

The Journal of Science of Thu Dau Mot University (hereinafter referred to as “the Journal”) applies a double-blind peer review process in accordance with international standards for scholarly journals.
All manuscripts submitted to the Journal and accepted for peer review are automatically anonymized by the online submission system and classified by research field according to the Journal’s classification scheme before being assigned to reviewers. Reviewers are selected based on key criteria, including subject-matter expertise and an academic level appropriate to the manuscript’s research topic. Throughout the review process, reviewers do not have access to the authors’ identities, and authors are likewise unaware of the reviewers’ identities.
The peer review process of the Journal consists of four main stages:
(1) Stage 1 – Initial Screening;
(2) Stage 2 – Peer Review;
(3) Stage 3 – Revision and Resubmission;
(4) Stage 4 – Final Decision and Acceptance.
All stages of the review process are fully displayed on the online submission system, allowing authors to track the status of their manuscripts.

Stage 1 – Initial Screening
After authors successfully submit their manuscripts via the online system, an automatic confirmation email is sent to acknowledge receipt. The manuscript then undergoes the following screening procedures:
Plagiarism detection and similarity checking;
Assessment of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and verification of AI disclosure (if applicable);
Compliance check with the Journal’s formatting and structural requirements, in accordance with the Journal’s manuscript templates and submission guidelines (Download template here).
Possible outcomes of the initial screening include:
Passed initial screening: If the manuscript meets the above criteria, the author will be notified that the manuscript has been forwarded to the peer review stage.
Failed initial screening: If the manuscript does not meet the required criteria, the author will be notified of one of the following decisions:
(1) Rejection; or
(2) Revision and resubmission.
The Editorial Office will complete the initial screening and notify authors of the outcome within five working days.
Stage 2 – Peer Review
Following successful initial screening, the Editorial Board assigns the manuscript to reviewers, including Reviewer 1 and/or Reviewer 2 (for English-language manuscripts, two reviewers are mandatory).
Reviewers conduct an independent and rigorous evaluation based on specific assessment criteria. The peer review focuses on the following six core aspects (Download Peer Review Form here):
Structure and presentation of the scientific manuscript;
Appropriateness of the theoretical framework;
Research methodology;
Reliability and validity of research data;
Scientific and practical significance of the study;
Research findings and conclusions.
Possible review decisions include:
Rejection (with clear justification provided to the authors);
Acceptance without revision;
Revision required (major or minor), with detailed comments specifying required revisions and indicating whether the revised manuscript needs to be re-evaluated by the reviewer.
Authors are expected to revise their manuscripts carefully and promptly in response to reviewers’ comments and resubmit them for further consideration.
Reviewer evaluation period: 1–21 days from the date the manuscript is assigned to each reviewer (in special cases, the Editorial Office may request expedited or extended reviews).
Author revision period: 1–7 days from the date reviewers’ comments are sent to the authors (extensions may be granted in special cases).
Total duration of the peer review stage: 1–3 months from the date the manuscript enters peer review (may be extended by up to one additional month with approval from the Editor-in-Chief).
Upon completion of peer review, the Editorial Secretary issues a Peer Review Decision Notification (Download here).
Stage 3 – Author Revision and Resubmission
After receiving the peer review decision, authors are required to revise their manuscripts within 5–15 days and resubmit them via the online system. The Editorial Secretary retrieves the revised manuscript and submits it to the Editorial Board for final review. If further revisions are required, the manuscript will be returned to the author until the Editorial Board approves it for submission to the Editor-in-Chief for final consideration.
Stage 4 – Final Decision and Acceptance
The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of the manuscript. The Editorial Secretary then sends an official Acceptance or Rejection Notification to the author (Download here).
The Editorial Board and Editorial Secretary maintain a comprehensive record of all submitted manuscripts, including those rejected. For rejected manuscripts, a brief summary of the reasons for rejection—based on reviewers’ comments or editorial decisions—is recorded (Download here).
For manuscripts accepted for publication, the Editorial Office prepares a formal submission for approval by the Editor-in-Chief (Download here). Once approval is granted, authors are required to submit a Copyright and Research Ethics Declaration and an AI Usage Statement (Download here).
Publication Policy
After acceptance, manuscripts are transferred to the editorial team for copyediting, formatting, and layout. Authors may be contacted during this stage to assist with revisions or to review significant editorial changes.
Step 1 – Copyediting: Necessary revisions are made to ensure compliance with the Journal’s standards for language, style, formatting, and presentation.
Step 2 – Article Layout: Editors format the electronic version of the manuscript, correct errors, and conduct final plagiarism checks before archiving.
Step 3 – Proofreading: The manuscript is reviewed in printed proof form by editors and the Editorial Secretary prior to typesetting.
Step 4 – First Proof (Proof 1): The typesetting team designs and formats the article according to the Journal’s layout standards. Proof 1 is carefully reviewed by editors and the Editorial Secretary.
Step 5 – Table of Contents Finalization: After all articles are reviewed and organized, a draft table of contents and page numbering (Proof 2) is prepared and submitted for editorial approval. Final adjustments are made as necessary before printing.
Step 6 – Final Check and Printing Preparation: Upon final approval, Proof 2 is converted into a PDF file and sent to the printer together with the journal cover designed by the Editorial Secretary.
The Editorial Board completes Steps 2–5 within a maximum of two working days per step. The typesetting team completes Steps 4–6 within one working day per step. The entire publication preparation stage (Stage 4) typically takes 10–15 working days from the date the manuscript is formally accepted for publication.