Guide for Authors

AUTHORS’ GUIDELINES FOR MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

Authors are required to submit their manuscripts electronically through the Journal’s online submission system, directed to the Editorial Office.

Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) Website:

https://regs.uomosul.edu.iq/index.php/regs/about/submissions

It is essential that all manuscripts adhere to the RSJ Template (MS Word version), which should be completed without including the authors’ names, and must be accompanied by the Title Page Template. The Regional Studies Journal employs a double-blind review process; therefore, all identifying information related to the authors-including names, institutional affiliations, email addresses, or any other details that may reveal identity-must be removed from the manuscript when using the RSJ Template for Blind Review.

1. PREPARATION OF PRE-REVIEW MANUSCRIPTS

Manuscripts, where appropriate, should be structured in the following order:

Title, Authors, with their affiliations and email addresses, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Research Text, Results and Conclusions, References, and Appendix (if applicable).

Manuscripts may include text, equations, symbols, figures, tables, line drawings, and photographs. Pre-review manuscripts must be typed and formatted in accordance with the RSJ Template (MS Word version) and must exclude the authors’ names.

To correctly apply the RSJ Template, authors should follow these steps:

• Open the manuscript in a Word file.
• Open the RSJ template_arabic file.
• Open the RSJ Template_En file
• Access the Paste Options within the RSJ template: navigate to Paste Options → Set Default Paste, scroll down, and select Cut, Copy, and Paste → Pasting between documents when style conflicts → Use Destination Style (Default).

 

After completing the above steps,

• copy the content from your manuscript into the RSJ Template and save the file.

1: SUBMISSION OF PAPER

1.1: Requirements for New Submission

Authors may submit the manuscript as a single Word document, which will be used during the refereeing process.

1.2: Requirements for Revised Submission

When a manuscript has reached the revision stage, authors will be required to format the manuscript according to the Journal’s specifications for acceptance. Additionally, all items necessary for the publication of the manuscript must be provided at this stage.

1.3: Authorship Guidelines

Authorship credit shall be granted only to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the scholarly work. Specifically, authorship should be based on the following three conditions:
(i) significant involvement in the conception and design of the study, the acquisition of data, or the analysis and interpretation of data;
(ii) active participation in drafting the manuscript or in critically revising it for important intellectual content; and
(iii) providing final approval of the version to be submitted for publication.

All three of these criteria must be satisfied by every listed author. Merely securing funding, collecting data, or providing general supervision of the research group does not in itself qualify as authorship.

Individuals who have contributed to the work but do not meet all authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately in an Acknowledgments section.

Before submission, all authors must agree on the order in which their names appear in the byline. Furthermore, the authorship team must jointly designate one individual as the corresponding author for the submission.

The corresponding author bears the primary responsibility for ensuring that the manuscript complies with all journal requirements, coordinating communication among co-authors during the peer review and proofing processes, and acting as the official representative of the authors in all matters pertaining to the submission and publication.

2: BEFORE YOU BEGIN

2.1: Ethics in Publishing

The ethical policy of the Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) is founded upon the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and adheres to the codes of conduct established by the RSJ Editorial Board. All individuals involved in the publication process-including readers, authors, reviewers, and editors-are expected to comply fully with these ethical standards when engaging with the RSJ.

The ethical policy of the RSJ governs the evaluation and publication of all research papers and articles submitted to the journal. Decisions regarding publication are made based on the recommendations of the journal’s reviewers and editorial board members. In accordance with these principles, the Editor-in-Chief retains the authority to consult with other editors or reviewers when determining the suitability of a manuscript for publication.

Reviewers are required to assess all submitted manuscripts objectively and confidentially, basing their evaluations solely on the scholarly content provided. They are also expected to offer constructive feedback aimed at enhancing the academic quality and clarity of the research paper through their review comments.

Authors must ensure their work is original and unpublished in any language. Furthermore, authors are obligated to comply with all applicable copyright laws and conventions. Any form of plagiarism or unethical publication practice is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

For comprehensive information regarding publication ethics and detailed ethical guidelines, please visit the RSJ website at:
https://regs.uomosul.edu.iq/index.php/regs/publication-ethics

2.2: Peer-Review Process

To uphold the integrity and sustainability of the peer-review system, authors are encouraged to actively participate by evaluating manuscripts submitted by other researchers. When necessary, authors are also obliged to issue retractions and/or corrections of errors and to promptly communicate these to the editors and the Publisher.

All manuscripts submitted to the RSJ undergo at least one round of peer review. The journal follows a double-blind review policy, ensuring that both authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other throughout the evaluation process.

The peer-review procedure is managed entirely through the RSJ’s online manuscript submission and peer-review system. Upon submission, the system automatically notifies the editorial office. After passing an initial quality assessment by the editorial office, the manuscript is assigned to two or more reviewers with expertise relevant to the subject matter.

Once reviewer comments are received, a member of the editorial team evaluates the feedback and makes a publication decision. As reviewers may sometimes provide differing opinions, the final editorial decision communicated to the author may not fully align with any single reviewer’s recommendation.

Following each round of peer review, the editorial decision will fall into one of the following categories:

1. Accepted without any further changes: The manuscript is approved for publication as submitted.
2. Accepted with minor revision: The authors are requested to make small adjustments or clarifications. The revised manuscript may, at the editor’s discretion, be returned to the reviewers for an additional round of comments or may proceed directly to acceptance.
3. Accepted with major revision: The manuscript requires substantial revision based on the reviewers’ feedback. The revised version will be resubmitted to the reviewers for another round of evaluation.
4. Rejected: The manuscript is declined for publication in the RSJ.
5. Unable to review: The assigned reviewers are unable to complete the review process, and the manuscript will be reassigned to other reviewers for evaluation.

2.3: Post-Publication Evaluation

In addition to the Peer-Review Process, the Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) conducts a Post-Publication Evaluation by the broader scientific community. This process aims to ensure that the quality of published research articles, reviews, and case reports meets the highest academic and ethical standards, and that the conclusions presented are fully supported by the evidence provided.

The Post-Publication Evaluation includes online comments, citations, and scholarly discussions concerning published papers. Authors are encouraged to engage with the scientific community by responding to comments and, when appropriate, may revise their manuscripts in light of constructive feedback to maintain the integrity and advancement of academic discourse.

3: PREPARATION OF MANUSCRIPTS

Manuscripts must be submitted exclusively in English and written with grammatical accuracy and appropriate scholarly terminology. All manuscripts should be typed in Times New Roman, 12-point font, using Microsoft Word format and a single-column layout on A4-sized paper. The typed area should measure 15 cm in width and 24 cm in height.

Each manuscript submission must be completed only once to obtain a single submission identification number (ID). Submitting the same manuscript multiple times may result in its disqualification from consideration.

Every manuscript must be accompanied by a Title Page, which includes the title of the paper, the full names of all authors, and their respective institutional affiliations.

 

3.1: Language Writing

Most publications in the RSJ are in the Arabic language and some of them in English language. Authors whose first language is not Arabic should ensure that their manuscripts are written in fluent, idiomatic English prior to submission. Both American and British English are acceptable, but consistency in usage must be maintained throughout the manuscript. The RSJ does not provide language or copy-editing services. Therefore, authors who believe their manuscripts may require linguistic revision to correct grammatical, syntactic, or spelling errors are strongly encouraged to seek professional language-editing assistance before submission. All costs associated with such services are the responsibility of the authors.

3.2: New Submissions

Manuscript submission to the Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) is conducted exclusively through the online submission system, which guides authors step by step through the process of creating and uploading their manuscript files.

As part of the submission process, authors may choose to upload their manuscript as a single file for use during the peer-review process. This file should be prepared in Microsoft Word format (*.doc or .docx), allowing reviewers to evaluate the manuscript efficiently.

Authors are strongly encouraged to embed and include all figures and tables directly within the main manuscript file to facilitate a smooth and comprehensive review.

3.3: References

The reference list must be prepared in accordance with the RSJ’s designated reference formatting style and should maintain a consistent citation format throughout. Where applicable, the reference entry must include the author(s) name(s), article title, year of publication, journal abbreviation, article/chapter/book title, volume and issue number, and page range.

The inclusion of a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for each reference is strongly encouraged to ensure accuracy and accessibility of cited works.

3.4: Formatting Requirements

Although the RSJ does not impose strict formatting requirements, all manuscripts must include the essential structural components necessary for scholarly communication. These components typically include:

Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgment, Conflict of Interest, and References.

Authors must ensure that all figures and tables are embedded and included within the main manuscript file.

3.5: Revised Submissions

Regardless of the file format of the original submission, authors are required, upon revision, to submit their manuscripts in the RSJ’s preferred format-Microsoft Word (*.doc or .docx). The layout of the text should be kept as simple and clear as possible.

To minimize errors, authors are strongly advised to utilize the spell-check and grammar-check tools before resubmission. At this stage, the names and affiliations of all authors must be properly inserted into the revised manuscript.

3.6: Manuscript Submission and Declaration

Upon submitting a manuscript to the RSJ, all contributing author(s) must confirm that the manuscript constitutes original and valid work, and that neither this manuscript nor any substantially similar work under their authorship has been published or is under consideration for publication elsewhere, including in electronic form, in English. All authors have agreed to designate the corresponding author as the primary liaison with the editorial office, responsible for reviewing the edited manuscript and proofs.

Elsewhere .

3.7: Manuscript Submission and Verification

Manuscripts submitted to the Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) are assumed to be original works that have not been previously published in either print or electronic form and are not under consideration by any other publication.

Authors must provide copies of all related or potentially duplicate materials-including any publications or submissions that contain substantially similar content, use the same data, or are under review elsewhere-at the time of online submission. This requirement ensures transparency and helps maintain the integrity of the publication process.

4: MANUSCRIPT STRUCTURE

Manuscripts must follow a clear and logical structure, organized in the following order:
Title; Abstract; Keywords; Introduction; Materials and Methods; Results and Discussion; Conclusion; Acknowledgments; and References.

All manuscripts should be submitted as a single file of limited size, ensuring readability and coherence. Proper tense usage and adherence to academic writing conventions are required throughout the text.

4.1: Title Page

The first page of the manuscript must include the title of the article (with only the first letter capitalized), followed by a single-line space, and then the full names of all authors (without academic degrees) along with their institutional affiliations and correspondence address, including the email address of the corresponding author.

The first letter of each name and of each main word should be capitalized. The title, author names, and affiliations must be centered within the typing area to maintain uniform formatting.

4.2: Manuscript Title

The title should be concise and informative, not exceeding 17 words. It must avoid the inclusion of specific locations, countries, or cities and should not contain abbreviations. Authors should refrain from using overly technical, complex, or vague expressions, ensuring the title clearly reflects the content of the paper.

4.3: Abstract

Each manuscript must include an abstract of 150 to 250 words that succinctly summarizes the main idea, objectives, significance, methodology, content, and at least one key conclusion of the study. The abstract should provide a comprehensive overview that allows readers to understand the essence of the research without referring to the full text.

4.4: Keywords

Authors must provide three to five (3–5) keywords to facilitate indexing and searchability. Keywords should:

• Be written in alphabetical order and separated by semicolons;
• Not repeat any words used in the manuscript title;
• Avoid abbreviations, except where necessary.

Any abbreviation used in the manuscript should be defined upon first mention and applied consistently throughout the text.

4.5: Introduction

The Introduction should provide a concise overview of the background and context of the research, supported by up-to-date literature. It should clearly state the aim and objectives of the study, establishing its relevance within the field.

4.6: Conclusion

The Conclusion section must emphasize the major and definitive findings of the research and articulate the added value or contribution of these findings to the field. This section should be presented clearly and without the inclusion of literature references.

4.7: Conflict of Interest

A Conflict-of-Interest statement must be included in all manuscripts. Authors should insert the following declaration at the end of the manuscript:

“The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript.”

4.8: References

The Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) adheres to the American Psychological Association (APA) Style, Seventh Edition, for documenting and citing references throughout the manuscript. All in-text citations and reference list entries must conform to the APA 7th edition guidelines.

For sources originally written in Arabic, the titles must be translated into English, while retaining the original Arabic references as part of the bibliography. Both Arabic and English references should be combined and arranged alphabetically at the end of the manuscript to ensure consistency and ease of reference.

4.9: Tables

Tables must not be submitted as photographs or images. Instead, they should be typed and embedded within the text at appropriate points. Authors should avoid using internal horizontal and vertical lines to maintain clarity and readability.

Each table must possess a clear, logical structure and be numbered consecutively (e.g., Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, etc.). Sufficient descriptive information should be provided in the subtitles and captions so that each table can be understood independently of the main text.

Every table must include a caption (title) placed above the table, briefly explaining its contents and components. If any part of a table includes previously published material, the original source must be acknowledged in the reference citation provided at the end of the table caption.

Footnotes to tables should be indicated using superscript lowercase letters (e.g., a, b, c) or asterisks (for significance values and other statistical data) and should appear below the table body. Authors are encouraged to limit the number of tables to only those essential for understanding the results.

 

4.10: Figures

Figures and illustrations must be submitted as high-quality artwork with a resolution between 200–300 dpi. All figures must be clear, accurately labeled, and appropriately sized to ensure legibility upon reproduction in the journal. Figures should be embedded within the main text at relevant locations rather than submitted as separate files.

The following guidelines apply to figures:

• Each figure must include a concise caption that accurately describes its content. Captions should be included within the manuscript text.
• Figure captions should begin with the term “Figure” followed by the figure number and description. Captions must be placed below the corresponding figure and limited to essential content.
• No punctuation mark should be placed at the end of the caption.
• All elements, symbols, and abbreviations appearing in the figure must be identified within the caption. Use boxes, circles, or similar markers as coordinate points when presenting graphs.
• Any previously published material included in a figure must be properly cited, with the original source acknowledged in the reference citation at the end of the figure caption.

5: AUTHORSHIP CRITERIA

• All individuals listed as authors must qualify for authorship based on their actual scholarly contributions. The order of authorship should be a collective decision agreed upon by all co-authors. Each author’s active participation in the research and manuscript preparation is essential. To download the official Authorship Form, please refer to the link provided on the RSJ website.
• Authorship credit should be based on substantial contributions to one or more of the following:

• Conception and design of the study;
• Execution of the research; or
• Analysis and interpretation of data.

All authors are required to participate in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for significant intellectual content. They must have read and approved the final version of the manuscript and given explicit consent for its submission to the Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) for publication.

6: COPYRIGHT

The Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) clearly specifies the type of copyright under which an author’s work is published. Upon submission of a manuscript, authors are required to attach a completed Journal Publishing Agreement to confirm the terms of publication.

To download the official Author(s) Copyright Form, please refer to the link provided on the RSJ website.

6.1: Permission Required

Authors must obtain permission from the copyright holder or publisher to reproduce any substantial portion of previously copyrighted material. The determination of what constitutes a substantial portion depends on both the significance of the material and the quantity used.

This requirement applies to all types of content, including text, illustrations, charts, tables, photographs, and any other material derived from previously published works.

If excerpts or reproductions from other copyrighted materials are included in the manuscript, the author(s) must obtain written permission from the copyright owner(s) or publisher(s) and must acknowledge the source appropriately within the manuscript.

6.2: Permission Not Required

Copyright protection applies only to original creative material, safeguarding the form of expression but not the underlying ideas or factual content. Therefore, materials that are in the public domain are not protected by copyright and may be reproduced freely without prior permission.

However, permission may still be required in certain cases to reuse the final, formatted, and published version of a work, as this version is typically owned by the publisher and may be subject to separate usage restrictions.

7: OPEN ACCESS PUBLICATION

The Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) publishes scholarly works encompassing a broad range of disciplines within the Human Sciences. All papers published in the RSJ are made available as open-access publications under an open-access license agreement.

Under this license, authors retain full ownership of the copyright for their work. However, they grant permission for others to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute, and/or copy the published content, provided that proper citation is given to the original authors and the source. This policy promotes the free dissemination of knowledge and the global accessibility of scholarly research.

8: AUTHOR AGREEMENT

To facilitate the dissemination and publication of research, the publisher requires specific publishing rights. For open-access articles, the RSJ operates under an exclusive licensing agreement, whereby authors retain the copyright of their manuscript while granting the publisher the rights necessary for publication and distribution.

 

8.1: User License Agreement

The RSJ provides access to archived materials through its official online archives. Manuscripts included in this open archive are made freely available on the RSJ website after a specified embargo period, beginning from the final publication date of the article.

It is important that users and readers of open-access manuscripts understand the terms under which they may access, reuse, or distribute the content. All articles published under the RSJ’s open-access policy are immediately and permanently free for anyone to read, download, and share.

The permitted forms of reuse are defined under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). This license enables the unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction of an article in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.

Under this license, the Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) retains the copyright of the published articles while ensuring that the content remains freely accessible for academic, educational, and non-commercial use in accordance with international open-access standards.

 

9: CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Authors are required to explicitly disclose whether or not any potential conflicts of interest exist. If any organization or entity holds a financial interest in the outcome of the study, the authors must provide a formal declaration confirming that they have had full access to all data in the study and accept complete responsibility for both the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

All studies-where applicable, depending on the type and subject of research-must receive ethical approval from the appropriate Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board affiliated with the authors’ respective institutions.

Authors who wish to include figures, tables, or text excerpts that have already been published elsewhere must obtain written permission from the copyright owner(s) for both print and online publication. Proof of such permission must be submitted together with the manuscript. Any material submitted without such documentation will be considered to have been originally created by the authors.

Upon acceptance of a manuscript for publication, the corresponding author must sign a Copyright Transfer Agreement on behalf of all co-authors. This agreement confirms that the authors collectively accept legal responsibility for adherence to the RSJ’s ethical standards and privacy policies.

Authors will be notified promptly regarding the editorial decision on the suitability of their manuscript for publication. Once an article has been accepted, it will undergo copy editing and typesetting, after which the corresponding author will receive page proofs for final review. At this stage, only typographical or factual errors may be corrected; no substantive changes to the content are permitted.

The Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) does not charge publication fees or page charges. Submitted materials may be considered for publication but cannot be returned. The editors of the journal retain the right to accept or reject any submission at any stage of the review or publication process, as deemed necessary.

To download the official Conflict of Interest Form, please refer to the link provided on the RSJ website.

10: ROLE OF FUNDING SOURCE

Authors must clearly acknowledge the source(s) of financial support provided for the conduct of the research and/or the preparation of the manuscript. They should also briefly describe the role of the funder or sponsor in any aspect of the work, including the study design, data collection, data management, data analysis and interpretation, manuscript preparation, review, and approval.

The following rules must be observed when acknowledging funding sources:

1. The acknowledgment should begin with the sentence: “This work was supported by …”
2. The full official name of each funding agency should be stated in complete form, not abbreviated.
3. Grant numbers must be provided in full and accurately, enclosed in brackets as follows:
   [grant number ABX CDXXXXXX]
4. When multiple grant numbers are listed, they should be separated by a comma, for example:
   [grant numbers ABX CDXXXXXX, EFX GHXXXXXX]
5. When acknowledging multiple funding agencies, they should be separated by a semicolon, with “and” preceding the final agency, for example:
   This work was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education; the National Research Council; and the University of Mosul Research Fund.

11: ERRORS IN PUBLISHED PAPERS

When an author or group of authors discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is their ethical obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher. The author must then cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the published manuscript as appropriate.

The corresponding author bears the responsibility of ensuring that all co-authors listed in the paper have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and have consented to its submission and publication. This process guarantees the integrity and accuracy of the scholarly record.

12: PLAGIARISM PREVENTION AND VIOLATION OF PUBLICATION ETHICS

All manuscripts submitted to or published in the Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) are subject to plagiarism detection and verification through specialized Plagiarism Prevention Software, namely iThenticate. The journal considers plagiarism a grave violation of publication ethics, alongside other forms of academic misconduct such as duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, and inaccurate or improper attribution of authorship.

Acts of plagiarism, the submission of fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements, and simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals constitute unethical publishing behavior and are strictly unacceptable. The RSJ may, however, tolerate a duplication threshold of up to 20%, provided that such overlap is non-substantive and does not compromise the originality or integrity of the work.

The CrossCheck system, powered by the iThenticate software developed by iParadigms (known in academia for Turnitin), assists editors in verifying the originality of submitted manuscripts. For a comprehensive list of journals included in the CrossCheck database, authors may visit: https://www.turnitin.com/.

All new submissions to the RSJ are automatically screened using CrossCheck within the editorial management system. Editorial Board Members may also re-run similarity reports at any stage during the review process or post-publication, as necessary.

The similarity report generated by the system provides the percentage of textual overlap between the submitted manuscript and previously published works. It should be noted that figures and equations cannot currently be analyzed for similarity. A high similarity score does not automatically indicate plagiarism. For instance, a 30% similarity score could result from 30% overlap with a single source or 1% overlap with 30 different sources. Legitimately cited and referenced text may also contribute to the overall similarity percentage.

Therefore, the interpretation of the similarity report requires the expert judgment of an editorial professional who can evaluate the context and content of overlapping material and determine whether the similarities raise ethical concerns or constitute misconduct.

 

13: SUBMISSION FINAL CHECKLIST

To download the official Submission Checklist, please refer to the link provided on the RSJ website. Before submitting a manuscript to the Regional Studies Journal (RSJ), authors must ensure the following:

1. The manuscript-including text, tables, and figures-complies fully with the Journal’s Guide for Authors.
2. The manuscript contains all required sections as outlined in the Guide for Authors.
3. The manuscript has been carefully spell-checked to correct typographical and grammatical errors.
4. All authors have read and understood the journal’s policies on Ethics in Publishing, Plagiarism Prevention, Violation of Publication Ethics, and Handling Cases of Misconduct.
5. The manuscript has been read and approved by all listed authors.
6. Both the corresponding author and all contributing authors are registered on the journal’s website to ensure proper recognition in the manuscript record.
7. A Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure Form must be signed by the corresponding author, and in cases of multiple authorship, by all authors, to ensure legal compliance with the journal’s ethics and privacy policies.

14: USE OF THE DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER (DOI)

The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a unique alphanumeric string assigned to an electronic document by the publisher upon initial publication. The DOI provides a permanent link to the document, which never changes, ensuring that authors, readers, and researchers can reliably cite and access the document online.

15: CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION

Under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), the RSJ permits others to:

• Distribute, copy, and share the manuscript;
• Create extracts, abstracts, translations, adaptations, or derivative works;
• Include the work in a collective publication;
• Perform text or data mining, even for commercial purposes;

provided that:

• Proper credit is given to the original author(s);
• The adaptation does not imply endorsement by the original author(s);
• The manuscript is not modified in a way that harms the author’s honor or reputation.

The RSJ retains copyright of all published articles while releasing them under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). This license allows unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original work is properly cited.

Further details are available at the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

16: ARTICLE PUBLICATION FEES

Open access publishing provides a global, barrier-free model for scholarly communication, allowing readers to view, download, print, and redistribute articles without subscription fees. This model enhances the visibility and dissemination of an author’s work compared to traditional subscription-based journals.

In the open-access model, the publication cost is typically covered by the author’s research budget or by their supporting institution. As an open-access journal, the Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) requires a publication fee of $100 USD for each manuscript that is accepted for publication. This fee covers the cost of peer review, editorial processing, and online publication.