Peer Review Policy
All research articles, short communications and reviews published in Soil & Environment are peer reviewed. Published corrections may also be reviewed at the editors' discretion.
Double-blind review
SE uses double-blind (double-anonymous) review: the reviewers do not know the identity of the authors, and the authors do not know the identity of the reviewers.
The process
- Initial screening. The editorial office checks each submission for scope, completeness, formatting and similarity (Turnitin). Papers that do not meet the journal's standards are declined promptly without external review.
- Assignment. Suitable papers are assigned to the relevant editor, who invites independent reviewers, typically two.
- Review. Reviewers provide comments for the authors and confidential remarks for the editor, and rate the manuscript on the criteria below.
- Decision. The editor decides to accept, request revisions or reject. Revisions are due within four weeks.
- Publication. Accepted papers are copyedited, proofread by the authors and published online with a DOI, then included in the next issue.
Review criteria
| Criterion | Rating |
|---|---|
| Scientific quality | High / good / acceptable / poor |
| Significance | High / good / acceptable / poor |
| Priority | High / acceptable / low |
| Style | Clear and concise / acceptable / low |
| Length | Appropriate / acceptable / too long / too short |
| English | Appropriate / acceptable / poor (proofreading required) |
| References | In SE style / minor corrections needed / not in SE style |
Papers are judged on whether the evidence supports the conclusions, and on their novelty and significance. Because the journal receives more submissions than it can publish, sound papers of limited novelty or interest may also be declined.
