The editorial workflow of Zoological Records and Reviews (ZRR) is designed to ensure a transparent, efficient, and rigorous peer-review process that upholds the highest standards of academic publishing. The journal follows a systematic procedure from manuscript submission to final publication, as outlined below:
1. Manuscript Submission
Authors submit their manuscripts through the journal's online submission system. Submissions must comply with the journal's guidelines, including formatting, ethical standards, and scope relevance.
2. Initial Editorial Screening
The Editor-in-Chief or assigned editorial team conducts a preliminary assessment to evaluate the manuscript's suitability in terms of scope, originality, and basic quality, including the presence of required statements (Conflict of Interest, Data Availability, Funding, Ethical Approval, and ZooBank/ICZN registration where applicable). Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's standards or fall outside its scope may be rejected at this stage.
3. Plagiarism Check
All submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening using iThenticate to ensure originality and adherence to ethical publishing practices.
4. Peer Review Process
Eligible manuscripts are forwarded for double-blind peer review, in which both reviewers and authors remain anonymous. A minimum of two independent experts in the relevant field evaluate the manuscript for scientific quality, validity, methodology, and contribution to the field. The typical time from submission to first editorial decision is 12–14 weeks.
5. Reviewer Reports and Editorial Decision
Based on the reviewers' comments and recommendations, the editorial team makes one of the following decisions:
- Accept without changes
- Minor revisions required
- Major revisions required
- Reject
6. Revision Stage
Authors are required to revise their manuscripts in accordance with reviewer comments and submit a detailed response to each point raised. Revised manuscripts may be sent back to reviewers for further evaluation if necessary.
7. Final Acceptance
Once the manuscript meets all scientific and editorial requirements, it is formally accepted for publication.
8. Copyediting and Proofreading
The accepted manuscript undergoes professional copyediting to improve clarity, grammar, and formatting. Authors are provided with proofs for final approval before publication.
9. Publication
The final version of the manuscript is published online in the upcoming issue of the journal, under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), consistent with the journal's Open Access Policy. Each article is assigned appropriate indexing metadata and a DOI to enhance discoverability.
10. Post-Publication Ethics and Archiving
Published articles are digitally preserved through the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN), ensuring long-term accessibility independent of the journal's ongoing operational status. Any post-publication issues, such as corrections or retractions, are handled in accordance with COPE guidelines and the journal's Retraction and Correction Policy.
This structured editorial workflow ensures fairness, transparency, and the publication of high-quality scholarly content in Zoological Records and Reviews.