Peer Review Policy and Procedures

Editorial and Publishing Process

ICCLE follows a structured editorial and publishing process to ensure that submitted manuscripts are evaluated, reviewed, edited, and published in an orderly manner. The process involves authors, editors, section editors, reviewers, journal managers, copyeditors, layout editors, and proofreaders, each with specific responsibilities at different stages of manuscript processing.

1. Submission

Authors submit their manuscripts through the journal's online submission system, upload the required files, and complete the relevant metadata, including the title, abstract, keywords, and author information. Submissions should comply with the journal's guidelines.

2. Submission Queue and Editorial Assignment

After submission, the manuscript enters the editorial queue. The editor assigns it to an appropriate section editor, who oversees its progress through the editorial process and coordinates the relevant editorial activities.

3. Submission Review

The editor or section editor assesses the submission's scope, compliance, and initial quality. Suitable manuscripts proceed to peer review by qualified reviewers. Based on the reviewers' reports and editorial assessment, the manuscript may be accepted, returned for revision, or rejected. Authors are expected to respond to editorial requests within the specified deadlines.

4. Submission Editing

Manuscripts proceeding to editing undergo copyediting to improve language, clarity, consistency, and conformity with the journal's style. The manuscript is then prepared for layout and typesetting. Authors may be asked to review the edited text or formatted proofs before publication.

5. Copyediting, Layout, and Proofreading

The copyeditor checks language, references, formatting, and consistency with the journal's style. The layout editor prepares the manuscript in the journal's publication format, such as HTML or PDF. Proofreading identifies typographical, formatting, and other production errors before the article is finalized.

6. Issue Management

The journal organizes accepted and finalized articles into publication issues. This stage includes creating issues, scheduling articles, and arranging the table of contents in preparation for publication.

7. Publication

After the editorial and production processes are completed, articles are published in the relevant issue and made accessible through the journal's website in accordance with ICCLE's publication and access policies.

8. Current Issue and Journal Archive

Published articles are displayed in the current issue and remain accessible through the journal archive. The archive supports the continued accessibility and discoverability of previously published issues and articles.

9. Submission Archive

The journal maintains submission records throughout the editorial process, including manuscripts that have been published and those that have been declined. These records support editorial administration and manuscript tracking within the journal's online system.

Editorial Process Note
The duration of each stage may vary depending on submission completeness, reviewer availability, the extent of revisions required, and the journal's publication schedule. Authors are encouraged to monitor their submission status and respond to editorial requests within the specified deadlines.

Stages of Peer Review

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening to determine whether they comply with the submission guidelines and are suitable for publication in The Indonesian Journal of International Clinical Legal Education (ICCLE). Manuscripts that meet the journal's requirements proceed to the peer-review stage.

The Indonesian Journal of International Clinical Legal Education (ICCLE) applies a double-blind peer-review process, in which the identities of authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the review. Each manuscript that passes the initial screening is assigned to at least two reviewers with relevant expertise, specialization, or experience in reviewing manuscripts in the field of law.

Reviewers assess manuscripts using the journal's review form to ensure a consistent evaluation. The assessment covers originality, clarity of presentation, and contribution to legal studies. Reviewers are expected to follow the journal's official Reviewer Guidelines when evaluating submitted manuscripts. The editor is responsible for selecting reviewers and avoiding conflicts of interest during the review process.

1. Initial Editorial Review
The editor evaluates the manuscript's scope, relevance, compliance with the journal's submission guidelines, and suitability for publication. A similarity check is also conducted to identify potential plagiarism. Manuscripts that are unsuitable for ICCLE or present substantial similarity concerns may be returned to the authors or rejected.

2. Double-Blind Peer Review
Manuscripts that pass the initial review are evaluated by at least two independent reviewers. Both authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other. Reviewers assess the manuscript's originality, clarity, scholarly contribution, and relevance to legal studies, following the journal's Reviewer Guidelines.

3. Editorial Decision
The editor makes the editorial decision after considering the reviewers' comments and recommendations. The decision is communicated to the author(s), together with any required revisions.

Editorial Decisions

Based on the reviewers' comments and recommendations, the editor may issue one of the following decisions:

1. Accepted as Is

The manuscript is accepted for publication without further revision.

2. Accepted with Minor Revisions

The author(s) must address minor comments and make the necessary revisions within the stipulated time.

3. Major Revisions Required

The author(s) must undertake substantial revisions in response to the reviewers' comments within the stipulated time. The revised manuscript may be subject to further evaluation.

4. Rejected

The manuscript is declined for publication. Reasons may include being outside the journal's scope, substantial technical or methodological problems, or a lack of clarity in presentation.

The peer-review process is intended to safeguard the quality, integrity, and scholarly contribution of publications in ICCLE. Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based evaluations in accordance with the journal's Reviewer Guidelines.

Read Reviewer Guidelines →

Manuscript Review Criteria and Recommendation

Reviewers are requested to evaluate manuscripts based on the following criteria and provide constructive feedback, suggestions, and comments. In addition to completing the review form, reviewers should include detailed comments and annotations directly in the manuscript using the Review features in Microsoft Word. These comments should help authors improve the quality, clarity, and scholarly contribution of their manuscripts.

The review should address the following aspects:

1. Title

The title should accurately reflect the core subject matter and substantive content of the article.

2. Abstract

The abstract should include the research problem, research objectives, research methodology, and research findings.

3. Introduction

The introduction should present the research problem, literature review, and research objectives.

4. Research Methodology

Studies focusing on legal doctrines and concepts are not required to provide a detailed explanation of the research methodology. However, empirical or field research must describe the methodology in detail, including the research method, research approach, and data used.

5. Analysis and Discussion

This section should present specific conceptual arguments within the field of legal studies, particularly in the Indonesian and international contexts. Reviewers should assess the completeness of the research data, the appropriateness of the theoretical framework employed, and the depth of the analysis presented.

6. Research Findings

The research findings should be supported by appropriate analysis and lead to logical and academically defensible conclusions.
The findings should contribute to the development of knowledge and understanding of specific conceptual issues in legal studies, particularly in Indonesia and the international context.

7. Conclusion

The conclusion should answer the research questions and summarize the key findings in relation to the issues examined.

8. References

References should preferably be drawn from publications published within the last five years, with priority given to primary sources. Reference management software, such as Zotero or Mendeley, should be used to organize and manage the references.

9. Comments to the Author

Reviewers should provide constructive comments on writing quality, compliance with the journal's article template and formatting requirements, and any other aspects requiring improvement to enhance the overall quality of the manuscript.

10. Reviewer Recommendation

Based on the assessment of the manuscript, reviewers should select one of the following recommendations in the journal's review system:

Accept with Major Revisions

Accept with Minor Revisions

Resubmit for Round 2 Review

Reject

Reviewers are expected to provide fair, objective, and constructive assessments that support the quality and academic integrity of publications in ICCLE.