The journal Public Resource Innovation Management and Excellence (PRIME) follows a rigorous peer review process to ensure the quality and integrity of the articles it publishes. The process is designed to be transparent, efficient, and fair. The following outlines the steps involved in our peer review process:

1. Initial Submission:

• Submission: Authors submit their manuscripts electronically through the journal's online submission system.
• Initial Check: The editorial office conducts an initial check to ensure the manuscript conforms to the journal's formatting and submission guidelines. Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements are returned to the authors for correction.

2. Preliminary Evaluation:

• Editor-in-Chief Assessment: The Editor-in-Chief or a designated editor reviews the manuscript to assess its suitability for the journal's scope and quality. Manuscripts deemed out of scope or of insufficient quality are rejected at this stage.

3. Peer Review Invitation:

• Reviewer Selection: Suitable manuscripts are assigned to an associate editor, who selects two or more independent reviewers with relevant expertise.
• Invitation to Review: Selected reviewers are invited to review the manuscript. Reviewers who accept the invitation are given access to the manuscript and review guidelines.

4. Review Process:

• Confidential Review: Reviewers conduct a thorough and confidential review of the manuscript. They evaluate the manuscript based on criteria such as originality, methodology, significance, and clarity.
• Reviewer Reports: Reviewers submit their reports along with their recommendations (accept, minor revisions, major revisions, or reject) through the journal's online system. Reviewers may also provide constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement.

5. Editorial Decision:

• Decision Making: The associate editor compiles the reviewers' reports and makes a recommendation to the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision, which can be one of the following:
  • Accept: The manuscript is accepted as is.
  • Minor Revisions: The manuscript requires minor changes before acceptance.
  • Major Revisions: The manuscript requires substantial changes and another round of review.
  • Reject: The manuscript is rejected based on reviewers' feedback.
• Notification to Authors: Authors are notified of the decision along with the reviewers' comments and any required revisions.

6. Revision and Resubmission:

• Revisions: Authors revise their manuscript based on the reviewers' and editors' feedback. A revised manuscript must be submitted within the specified time frame.
• Resubmission: The revised manuscript is resubmitted through the online submission system.

7. Further Review (if applicable):

• Second Round of Review: If the manuscript required major revisions, it may undergo a second round of review by the same or new reviewers. The process follows the same steps as the initial review.

8. Final Decision:

• Final Assessment: The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision based on the revised manuscript and reviewers' feedback.
• Acceptance Notification: If the manuscript is accepted, the authors are notified, and the manuscript moves to the production stage.
• Rejection Notification: If the manuscript is rejected, the authors are notified with detailed feedback.

9. Production and Publication:

• Copyediting and Proofreading: Accepted manuscripts undergo copyediting and proofreading to ensure clarity, coherence, and correctness.
• Publication: The final version of the manuscript is published online in the next available issue of PRIME.

PRIME is committed to maintaining a fair, unbiased, and transparent peer review process to uphold the quality and integrity of the research we publish. We thank our reviewers for their invaluable contributions to this process.