Peer Review Process

Desk Review
All manuscripts submitted to the Nurse Educators and Practitioners Journal (NEPJ) undergo an initial editor desk review. The Submission Editor evaluates whether the manuscript:
Meets the journal’s formatting requirements
Aligns with the journal’s aims and scope
Demonstrates research quality
Is significant to the discipline of nursing education and practice

Manuscripts that do not comply with formatting requirements will be returned to the corresponding author for correction. Manuscripts meeting the above criteria will proceed to full review. Manuscripts deemed not to meet the criteria by at least two Editorial Team members will be declined and recommended for submission elsewhere.

Full Review
The full review is a double-blind peer review process involving three blinded reviewers. Reviewers access manuscripts via the PKP Reviewer Dashboard. They rate each review criterion and provide feedback for authors based on these ratings. Additional edits and comments may be added directly to the blinded manuscript and uploaded for the authors’ reference.

Reviews are expected to be completed within 3 weeks from the time of the review request. Unsubmitted reviews after this period may be reassigned to new reviewers.

Publication Recommendations and Decisions
Reviewers provide publication recommendations based on how well manuscripts meet the criteria. If a manuscript receives two “Accept” recommendations, the Editor may accept it and cancel any remaining reviews. If a manuscript receives two recommendations to “Decline” or “Submit Elsewhere,” the Editor may decline it and cancel remaining reviews. Manuscripts not accepted after three reviews may not be resubmitted to the Journal.

Manuscripts without author responses for 12 months may be rejected at the Editorial Team’s discretion.

Review Process for Resubmissions
Resubmissions are assigned to the same reviewers from the initial review. Reviewer recommendations (“Accept,” “Decline,” or “Submit Elsewhere”) remain attached to the manuscript. Reviewers assess the revised manuscript alongside the Author Response to Reviewers document. The three-week review timeline applies. If reviewers are unavailable, new blind reviewers may be assigned.

Author Appeals
For decisions requiring revisions or resubmissions, authors must submit a response addressing reviewer comments and requested revisions. If authors disagree with a reviewer’s comment or request, they should provide a reasoned explanation.

Authors cannot appeal final editorial publication decisions