All submissions received by the Iraqi Journal of Civil Engineering (IJCE) are initially screened by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Manager to ensure compliance with the Guide for Authors, including manuscript formatting, adherence to ethical publishing standards, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s formatting requirements will be returned to the corresponding author for correction and resubmission within one week.
Submissions that fall outside the journal’s ethical policies or scope will be rejected without further peer review.
Manuscripts deemed appropriate for the journal will be checked for plagiarism using Turnitin. Papers with a similarity index below 20% will proceed to peer review. Those exceeding this threshold will be returned to the author(s) for revision and removal of the plagiarized content.
Peer Review
IJCE employs a double-blind peer review system, in which both the authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the review process. After the initial screening, the Editor-in-Chief assigns the manuscript to a Section Editor, who evaluates its scientific suitability and recommends qualified reviewers within the article’s subject area.
The Editor-in-Chief then assigns the manuscript to at least two independent expert reviewers, who may include members of the Editorial Board or suggested reviewers from the authors. Reviewers are invited based on the manuscript’s title and abstract and may accept or decline the review invitation accordingly.
Reviewers are requested to submit their reports and recommendations within 2–3 weeks, choosing one of the following decisions:
- Accept
- Accept with Minor Revisions
- Accept with Major Revisions
- Reject
If there is a substantial discrepancy between the reviewers’ recommendations, the Editor-in-Chief may assign a third reviewer to ensure a fair decision.
The first round of the review process typically takes 5–6 weeks, with a maximum duration of three months.
Manuscripts requiring revision will be returned to the corresponding author along with the reviewers’ comments. Authors must submit the revised version within two weeks; otherwise, the manuscript will be considered withdrawn. Extensions may be granted upon request before the revision deadline.
The corresponding author should address the reviewers’ comments point by point, providing clear explanations for any disagreements. The revised manuscript will be reviewed by the Editorial Manager to ensure that revisions have been appropriately incorporated.
Final Decision
Following completion of the peer review, the Editor-in-Chief will make one of the following final decisions:
- Publish
The manuscript is accepted for publication. - Accept with Minor Revisions
The authors are requested to make minor changes based on reviewer feedback. The Editor-in-Chief reviews the revised version and, upon satisfaction, approves it for publication. - Major Revisions Required
The manuscript requires substantial revision and resubmission. The revised version will undergo further review by the same reviewers. The Editor-in-Chief may then decide to: - Publish
- Request Minor Revisions
- Reject
- Reject
The manuscript is rejected either based on the reviewers’ unanimous recommendations or the Editor-in-Chief’s judgment that the submission lacks originality, accuracy, or contribution to current knowledge.
Author Appeals
If a manuscript is rejected, the Editor-in-Chief will inform the corresponding author of the reasons for the decision. Authors may appeal by sending a formal email to ijce@uoanbar.edu.iq with a detailed justification and a point-by-point response to reviewers’ and editors’ comments.
The Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the Editorial Board, will review the appeal and decide whether to:
- Accept the manuscript
- Send it for further peer review
- Uphold the original rejection decision
Decisions following an appeal are final and cannot be contested further.
Publication
Once accepted, an official acceptance letter is issued to the corresponding author, along with details regarding publication fees. The manuscript then proceeds with technical editing and design before being forwarded to the publisher for final publication.