Peer Review Process

Every manuscript submitted to Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Unisa Kuningan undergoes a rigorous and transparent peer review process to ensure the quality, originality, and relevance of the published community service articles. The journal strictly implements a Double-Blind Peer Review system, meaning that the identities of both the authors and the reviewers are kept confidential throughout the entire process.

The detailed workflow of our editorial and review process is as follows:

1. Initial Screening (Pre-Review)

Upon submission, the Editor-in-Chief or Section Editors will conduct an initial evaluation of the manuscript. At this stage, the paper is checked for:

  • Compliance with the journal's Focus and Scope.

  • Adherence to the official Author Guidelines and manuscript template.

  • Plagiarism and similarity index using detection software (e.g., Turnitin). Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 25% will be automatically rejected or sent back for revision.

Manuscripts that do not meet these initial criteria will be rejected immediately (Desk Rejection) without further review.

2. Peer Review Assignment

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening will be assigned to a minimum of two (2) independent peer reviewers who are experts in the relevant field of community engagement. Reviewers are selected based on their expertise, objectivity, and absence of conflicts of interest.

3. Reviewer Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers are given a specific timeframe [e.g., 2 to 4 weeks] to evaluate the manuscript based on the following criteria:

  • The clarity and urgency of the community problem/partner issue being addressed.

  • The appropriateness and execution of the methods used in the community service activity.

  • The significance, impact, and measurable outcomes of the activity on the target community.

  • The sustainability prospects of the program.

  • The quality and update of references used.

4. Editorial Decision

Based on the detailed reports and recommendations provided by the peer reviewers, the Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision regarding the manuscript. The possible outcomes are:

  • Accept Submission: The manuscript is accepted for publication without changes.

  • Revisions Required: The author must make minor changes based on the feedback before it can be accepted.

  • Resubmit for Review: The manuscript requires major revisions and must undergo another round of peer review after being resubmitted.

  • Decline Submission: The manuscript is rejected due to severe flaws, lack of originality, or failure to address reviewers' concerns.

5. Final Production

Once an article is formally accepted, it will enter the copyediting, layout editing, and proofreading stages before being officially published in the scheduled issue.