Peer Review Process

The Journal of Digital Communication Psychology applies a rigorous, objective, and transparent peer review process to ensure the scientific quality, originality, relevance, and academic integrity of every manuscript submitted for publication.

The peer review process consists of the following stages:

1. Initial Editorial Assessment

Each submitted manuscript is initially assessed by the Editor to determine its alignment with the journal’s Focus and Scope, compliance with the Author Guidelines, originality, and overall academic quality. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s requirements may be rejected at this stage.

2. Reviewer Assignment

Manuscripts that pass the initial assessment are assigned to qualified reviewers with relevant expertise in psychology, communication studies, digital media, or related disciplines. Reviewers are selected based on their academic competence, research experience, subject expertise, and absence of conflicts of interest.

3. Peer Review

Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on their originality, theoretical foundation, research design, methodological rigor, data analysis, validity of findings, quality of discussion, ethical considerations, and contribution to the field of digital communication psychology. Particular attention is given to the psychological dimensions of digital communication, including online behavior, digital media effects, interpersonal interaction, audience engagement, and the relationship between communication technologies and human psychological processes, where relevant to the manuscript.

Reviewers provide constructive comments and recommendations to help authors improve the clarity, validity, and scholarly contribution of their work.

4. Editorial Decision

The Editor evaluates the reviewers’ reports and makes the final editorial decision based on the manuscript’s academic quality and compliance with the journal’s publication standards. The possible decisions are:

  • Accept: The manuscript is accepted for publication without substantial revision.

  • Minor Revision: The manuscript requires limited revisions before acceptance.

  • Major Revision: The manuscript requires substantial revisions and may be subject to further review.

  • Reject: The manuscript does not meet the journal’s scientific, methodological, or editorial requirements.

5. Revision and Re-evaluation

Authors are required to address the reviewers’ comments and submit a revised manuscript within the specified timeframe. Authors should provide a point-by-point response explaining how each comment has been addressed. Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers or assigned to other qualified reviewers for further evaluation when necessary.

6. Final Decision and Publication

Following the revision and re-evaluation process, the Editor makes the final decision. Manuscripts that satisfy the journal’s scientific, ethical, and editorial requirements proceed to copyediting, proofreading, and layout preparation before publication through the journal’s Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.

Throughout the peer review process, the Journal of Digital Communication Psychology upholds the principles of confidentiality, objectivity, fairness, transparency, academic integrity, and ethical responsibility. Reviewers must disclose potential conflicts of interest, maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, and refrain from using or disclosing unpublished information obtained during the review process without appropriate authorization.

The journal is committed to ensuring a fair, independent, and academically rigorous peer review process that advances high-quality research in psychology and digital communication.