Publication Policy
Publication Policy
Thoughts Review (TR) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publishing through a transparent, rigorous, and ethical publication process. This Publication Policy provides an overview of the journal's publication framework, including the editorial workflow, publication types, ethical requirements, and the policies that govern the preparation, submission, review, and dissemination of scholarly content.
This policy should be read alongside the journal's Author Guidelines, Peer Review Policy, Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, Open Access Policy, Licensing Policy, Copyright Policy, Publication Fees Policy, and Corrections, Retractions and Expressions of Concern Policy. It aligns with the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, WAME) and the expectations of major indexing databases.
1. Purpose and Scope
This policy applies to all scholarly content published in Thoughts Review, including research articles, review articles, and scholarly discussions. It outlines:
A. The editorial and publication workflow.
B. The types of content the journal publishes.
C. The languages of publication.
D. The ethical and policy framework governing publication.
E. The journal's commitment to open access, licensing, and long-term preservation.
2. Publication Types
Thoughts Review publishes the following types of content:
· Original Research Articles: Full-length articles presenting original empirical or theoretical research (typically 4,000–8,000 words, excluding references).
· Review Articles: Comprehensive and critical reviews of the literature in a specific field (typically 5,000–10,000 words).
· Scholarly Discussions: Conceptual or theoretical papers, commentaries, and short communications (typically 2,000–4,000 words).
· Editorials, Announcements, and Book Reviews: Non-research content that may be subject to editorial assessment rather than full external peer review.
The review status of research articles is clearly distinguished from non-peer-reviewed content where applicable.
3. Languages of Publication
Thoughts Review accepts manuscripts in English, Urdu, and Arabic. To ensure international readability and discoverability, the journal requires that article titles, abstracts, and keywords be provided in English, and that cited references, author names, and affiliations be presented in Roman script, in line with the expectations of international indexing databases.
4. Editorial and Publication Workflow
The publication process at Thoughts Review follows a structured workflow:
4.1 Submission
Authors submit manuscripts through the journal's Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform, following the Author Guidelines and completing the Submission Checklist. A submission fee is payable at the time of submission, as set out in the Publication Fees Policy.
4.2 Editorial Screening
All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening for scope, completeness, originality, and compliance with journal policies. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's basic requirements may be returned to authors or rejected at this stage without external review.
4.3 Double-Anonymous Peer Review
Manuscripts that pass editorial screening are sent for double-anonymous (double-blind) peer review by at least two independent experts. The review process is governed by the journal's Peer Review Policy, which sets out reviewer selection criteria, review criteria, confidentiality requirements, and the handling of reviewer recommendations.
4.4 Revision and Decision
Authors may be asked to revise their manuscripts in response to reviewers' comments. Revised manuscripts may be re-reviewed. The final decision on acceptance, revision, or rejection rests with the responsible editor and is based on scholarly merit, originality, methodological soundness, and ethical compliance.
4.5 Acceptance and Production
Upon acceptance, authors are asked to pay the remaining publication fee (if applicable) and complete a copyright and licensing agreement (CC BY 4.0). The editorial team copy-edits and typesets the article, and authors receive proofs for final approval before publication.
4.6 Publication
Accepted articles are assigned a DOI through Crossref (DOI Prefix: 10.68024) and published online. Published content is made freely available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) .
5. Ethical and Policy Framework
Thoughts Review is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. All participants in the publication process — authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff — are expected to comply with the journal's policies:
1. Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement: Sets out the ethical principles and responsibilities of all parties, including authorship criteria, handling of misconduct, conflicts of interest, and ethical oversight.
2. Peer Review Policy: Describes the double-anonymous review process, reviewer responsibilities, and editorial decision-making.
3. Plagiarism and Similarity Policy: Defines plagiarism, screening procedures, and the consequences of misconduct.
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy: Sets out the requirements for disclosing and responsibly using generative AI tools.
5. Conflict of Interest Policy: Establishes procedures for identifying, disclosing, and managing conflicts of interest.
6. Corrections, Retractions and Expressions of Concern Policy: Outlines the procedures for handling post-publication issues.
7. Copyright Policy and Licensing Policy: Explain authors' rights, the CC BY 4.0 licence, and the permissions granted to users.
Authors are required to confirm compliance with these policies at the time of submission.
6. Open Access and Licensing
Thoughts Review is a fully open-access journal. All published content is made freely and immediately available to readers worldwide upon publication, without subscription fees, paywalls, or embargo periods.
All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Authors retain copyright in their work and grant the journal a non-exclusive licence to publish and disseminate the article.
7. Publication Fees
Thoughts Review charges publication fees to cover the costs of editorial services, peer review coordination, typesetting, hosting, and archiving. The fee structure is clearly stated on the journal website and is presented as early in the submission process as possible. Details are available in the Publication Fees Policy.
Fees are non-refundable. Full or partial publication fee waivers may be granted in accordance with the journal’s Publication Fees Policy. Waiver eligibility, application procedures, and approval decisions are governed by that policy. Fees and waiver decisions do not influence editorial decisions or peer-review outcomes.
8. Indexing, Abstracting, and Digital Preservation
Thoughts Review is committed to enhancing the visibility, accessibility, and discoverability of its scholarly research. The journal is recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan (Y Category), and is listed in scholarly discovery platforms including OpenAlex. The journal is actively pursuing inclusion in Scopus, Web of Science, and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
All published content is deposited in recognized digital preservation systems to ensure long-term accessibility. Details are available in the Long-term Preservation Policy and the Indexing and Abstracting statement.
9. Post-Publication Corrections and Retractions
Thoughts Review is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record. Corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern are issued where necessary, in accordance with the Corrections, Retractions and Expressions of Concern Policy. Notices are clearly linked to the original articles and remain accessible.
10. Compliance with International Standards
This policy is developed in accordance with internationally recognized standards and informed by the recommendations of:
1. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
2. Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
3. Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA)
4. World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)
5. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
6. Major indexing databases, including Scopus and Web of Science
Thoughts Review follows the ethical principles and best practices recommended by these organizations to ensure responsible publishing and the protection of the scholarly record.
11. Policy Review
Thoughts Review periodically reviews and updates this Publication Policy to ensure continued alignment with evolving standards of scholarly publishing. The editorial team is responsible for implementing this policy consistently and for reviewing it when significant developments arise.
Any revisions to this policy will be published on the journal website.
Contact
Questions or concerns regarding this Publication Policy should be directed to the Thoughts Review editorial office using the official contact details published on the journal website.
Website: https://www.thoughtsreview.com/index.php/TR
ISSN (Print): 3106-9509
ISSN (Electronic): 3106-9517
Crossref DOI Prefix: 10.68024
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
