Figure 1: NYIMAK Editorial and Double-Blind Peer Review Publishing Workflow.

1. Initial Review & Desk Evaluation (Submission Queue)

Upon initial submission by the Author, every manuscript undergoes a strict desk screening by the Managing Editor. The manuscript is evaluated based on its baseline alignment with the journal’s focus and scope, structural adherence to the official template, co-authorship policies, linguistic proficiency, and acceptable similarity thresholds (screened via Turnitin). Papers that fail to meet these essential thresholds will be immediately desk-rejected without formal external evaluation.

2. Rigorous Double-Blind Peer Evaluation (Submission Review)

Manuscripts passing the initial screening are systematically assigned to at least two independent external Peer Reviewers with matching scientific expertise. NYIMAK strictly enforces a Double-Blind Peer Review policy, keeping both reviewer and author identities completely anonymous throughout the process. Reviewers critically assess the study based on:

• Originality, empirical value, and contribution to communication studies.
• The appropriateness, transparency, and rigor of the methodological approach.
• Depth of theoretical engagement and critical synthesis of contemporary literature.
• Adherence to international publication ethics (COPE principles) and confidentiality.

*Reviewers are expected to submit their evaluations via the OJS portal within 3 to 4 weeks with professional, clear, and constructive arguments.

3. Editorial Decision & Timeline

The timeline from submission to final decision takes a maximum of 12 weeks. Relying on the critical assessments of the peer reviewers, the Editor-in-Chief executes one of the following decisions:

1. Accept Submission: The manuscript is approved for production without modifications.
2. Revisions Required: Authors must address minor specific corrections and submit a detailed "Response to Reviewers" document.
3. Resubmit for Review: The manuscript requires major structural or methodological overhauls and will undergo a second full round of review.
4. Decline Submission: The paper is rejected due to fundamental scholarly flaws or lack of scientific merit.

4. Copyediting, Production & Publication (Issue Management)

Accepted papers enter the production track. The Copyeditor and Layout Editor refine linguistic style, verify cross-references, and prepare finalized publication galleys (PDF format). Authors review final proof galleys before scheduling. The issue is archived, indexing metadata is synchronized, and the finalized articles are officially published under open-access governance.