Peer Review Process

CSER applies a blind peer review process. Any manuscript submission will be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers, followed by editorial comments. Editor-in-Chief or editor in accordance with the field of research (the list is on the Editorial Board page) provides acceptance/rejection decisions. 

Manuscript Pre-check. After submission, this check is initially to assess Suitability of the manuscript to the journal scope and templates; Qualification and background of authors; and reject obviously poor manuscripts.

Blind peer-review. The process is single-blind peer review, meaning that the author does not know the identity of the reviewer, but the reviewer knows the identity of the author. To assist academic editors, CSER staff handle all communication with authors, reviewers, and the external editor. Editor will check the status of manuscripts and the identity of reviewers at any time. Reviewers are given two weeks to write their review. For the review of a revised manuscript, reviewers are asked to provide their report within one week. In both cases, extensions can be granted on request.

Editor Decision. Acceptance decisions on manuscripts, after peer review, are made by an editor (the list is on the Editorial Board page). The editor can select from: accept, reject, ask author for revision, ask for an additional reviewer. If there is any suspicion that a paper may contain plagiarism, the editorial office will check using the Turnitin software.

Review Steps

The peer review process for Current STEAM and Education Research follows a blind review system and consists of the following steps:

  1. Paper Submitted
    The author submits the manuscript via the online submission system.

  2. Initial Assessment by Journal
    The editorial team checks whether the manuscript meets the journal’s scope and formatting guidelines. Manuscripts that do not meet basic criteria will be rejected at this stage.

  3. Review by Referees
    The manuscript is assigned to at least two reviewers for blind peer review. Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on originality, methodology, clarity, relevance, and contribution to the field.

  4. Initial Decision by Editors
    Based on reviewers’ comments, the editor decides whether to:

    • Accept the manuscript

    • Request revisions

    • Reject the manuscript

  5. Revision by Author
    If revisions are requested, the author is given the opportunity to address the comments and resubmit the revised manuscript.

  6. Second Editorial Decision
    The editor reviews the revised manuscript. It may be accepted, rejected, or sent for a second round of review.

  7. Final Review (if needed)
    If necessary, the revised manuscript is sent back to the original reviewers for final assessment.

  8. Final Decision by Editors
    The editor makes the final decision: accept or reject. If accepted, the manuscript proceeds to copyediting and publication.