Introduction

Peer review is central to the integrity and quality of scholarly publishing. Reviewers play a vital role in ensuring that manuscripts submitted to the Transdisciplinary Journal of Education and Sustainable Development Studies (TJESDS) meet the journal’s academic and ethical standards.

These guidelines provide reviewers with clear expectations, ethical considerations, and practical steps for conducting fair, objective, and constructive reviews.

1. Role of the Reviewer

Reviewers are expected to:

Provide objective, fair, and timely evaluations of manuscripts.

Evaluate the originality, scholarly merit, methodological rigor, relevance, and clarity of the manuscript.

Offer constructive feedback to authors to improve the quality of the submission.

Maintain confidentiality throughout the review process.

Declare any conflicts of interest.

2. Criteria for Review

Reviewers should assess manuscripts based on the following:

Relevance to the scope of TJESDS (education, sustainability, interdisciplinary development).

Originality and contribution to knowledge.

Literature review: Comprehensive and relevant citations.

Methodology: Clarity, appropriateness, and rigor.

Data analysis and results: Accuracy, consistency, and presentation.

Discussion and conclusions: Logical, well-supported, and insightful.

Language and structure: Clarity, organization, and academic tone.

References: Proper and up-to-date referencing in required style (APA 7th edition format).

3. Ethical Expectations

Reviewers are expected to:

Treat the manuscript as confidential.

Avoid personal criticism and focus on the content.

Notify the editor if the manuscript has potential ethical concerns (e.g., plagiarism, data

fabrication, authorship issues).

Decline to review if a conflict of interest exists or if they are not qualified.

4. Review Process

Reviews should be completed within 2–3 weeks of accepting the invitation.

Use the TJESDS Review Form to structure feedback.

Assign one of the following recommendations:

- Accept without revision

- Accept with minor revisions

- Major revision required

- Reject

5. Confidentiality

Manuscripts are confidential documents. Reviewers must not:

Share or discuss the manuscript with others without permission from the editor.

Use the content for personal or professional advantage.

6. Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including:

Personal or professional relationships with the authors

Financial interest in the research

Competitive research in the same area

7. Acknowledgement and Recognition

TJESDS values the contribution of its reviewers. Each year, we acknowledge outstanding reviewers who consistently provide timely and high-quality reviews. Certificates of appreciation may also be issued on request.