Peer Review Process

Authors submitting manuscripts to Future–RERD are presumed to make certain representations regarding originality, authorship, and publication rights. All authors are expected to review and comply with the journal’s Author Representations and Ethics Policy, which outlines responsibilities related to originality, plagiarism, co-authorship, conflicts of interest, and prior publication.

How to Submit

Manuscripts intended for publication in Future–RERD must be submitted electronically via the journal’s official submission portal:

Future–RERD Submission Portal

The lead (corresponding) author must create an account with full contact information and confirm that:

  • The submitted manuscript is original, has not been previously published, and is not under consideration elsewhere.

  • If the submission is based on a previously presented conference or workshop paper, the author must identify the event and clearly indicate the differences between the submitted manuscript and the prior version.

  • Authors are encouraged to provide an ORCID ID to facilitate author identification and metadata tracking.

Peer Review Process

All submissions undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process to ensure academic integrity, methodological rigor, and relevance to the fields of rural and regional development. The process is coordinated via the journal’s editorial management system. The review workflow includes the following steps:

1. Initial Submission

Manuscripts are submitted to the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) for preliminary screening.

2. Associate Editor Assignment

The EIC assigns an Associate Editor (AE) based on subject relevance and absence of conflicts of interest. In cases where the EIC has a conflict of interest, a designated AE handles the submission independently.

3. Reviewer Selection

The AE recommends 3–4 qualified reviewers. The EIC confirms that reviewers are suitable, available, and free of conflicts with the authors. Review timelines are agreed upon, typically 4–6 weeks.

4. Review Process

The assigned reviewers assess the manuscript and submit detailed evaluations. The AE oversees the quality and timeliness of reviews, with the EIC monitoring the overall process.

5. Editorial Decision

Based on the reviewers’ reports and the AE’s recommendation, the EIC issues one of the following decisions:

  • Accept

  • Minor Revisions

  • Major Revisions

  • Reject

Authors receive the decision letter and anonymized reviewer comments. The same feedback is shared internally with the AE and reviewers for acknowledgment.

6. Revisions and Resubmission

Authors are expected to revise and resubmit within the specified timeframe. Major Revisions typically require another round of review. A second Major Revisions leading to rejection is rare, but possible. Rejected manuscripts may be resubmitted as new submissions if substantially revised.

Production and Publication

Once a manuscript is accepted, it proceeds to the production team for formatting, copyediting, and publication. The final version will be published under the journal’s Gold Open Access policy and licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Author Updates and Communication

Authors must notify the journal of any change in contact information.

Technical Correspondence

The journal may consider concise, technically focused contributions for publication under the Technical Correspondence section. These submissions are subject to editorial review but not the full peer-review cycle of standard articles.

Author Appeals

Authors who have concerns about the editorial handling of their manuscript should first contact the Editor-in-Chief. If unresolved, an appeal may be submitted to the Chair of the Publications Board, in accordance with Future–RERD’s Appeals Policy.