Peer Review Process

The Fine Arts Journal: Srinakharinwirot University (FAJSWU) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and quality. The following outlines our step-by-step peer review process, ensuring that all submissions undergo a thorough and fair evaluation. This process is designed to align with academic standards.

Step 1: Manuscript Submission

• Authors must register and submit their manuscripts through the ThaiJO online submission system.
• All authors should ensure that their manuscripts comply with the FAJSWU Author Guidelines, covering formatting, referencing style, and ethical requirements.

Submission System: https://so01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jfofa/about/submissions

Step 2: Initial Editorial Review (Desk Review) - 14 to 30 Working Days

2.1 Editorial Screening

• The Editor, supported by the journal coordinator, conducts an initial assessment to check:
• Relevance to the journal’s scope.
• Adherence to formatting and referencing guidelines.
• Plagiarism screening (using Turnitin or equivalent, with a similarity threshold not exceeding 15%).
• Overall language quality (English or Thai).
• Authors whose manuscripts pass the initial screening (Desk Review) are required to pay a non-refundable processing fee of 5,000 THB per submission in order to proceed to the peer review stage. Failure to make the payment within the specified timeframe will result in the manuscript being withdrawn from further consideration.
• Please note that payment of this fee does not guarantee acceptance for publication, as all manuscripts are subject to a rigorous double-blind peer review process and final editorial approval. The processing fee is non-refundable under all circumstances.

2.2 Desk Rejection Criteria

Manuscripts may be desk rejected without peer review if they:

• Fall outside the scope of the journal.
• Do not comply with submission guidelines.
• Exceed the plagiarism threshold or exhibit clear signs of academic misconduct.
• Are conceptually weak or lack originality and contribution to the field.
• Contain serious language issues that obstruct academic readability.
• Are incomplete submissions (missing sections, references, or required documents).

2.3 Desk Rejection Notification

• If a manuscript is desk rejected, authors will receive a formal notification via email within 14-30 working days, including the reasons for rejection.
• Authors have the right to submit a formal appeal within 14 days if they believe the desk rejection was made in error.

Step 3: Double-Blind Peer Review - 1 to 2 Months

3.1 Reviewer Selection

• Each manuscript passing the desk review stage is assigned to at least 3 independent reviewers.
• Reviewers are selected based on:
• Expertise and specialization related to the manuscript’s topic.
• Academic and publication record.
• Independence (reviewers must not have affiliations with the author’s institution or research project).
• All reviewers must declare conflicts of interest prior to review.

3.2 Confidentiality and Anonymity

• The double-blind review process ensures that:
• Reviewers do not know the identity of the authors.
• Authors do not know the identity of the reviewers.
• All reviewer comments and decisions remain confidential.

3.3 Review Criteria

Reviewers assess manuscripts based on:

• Originality and contribution to the field of fine arts.
• Theoretical framework and literature review quality.
• Research design and methodology (where applicable).
• Clarity and coherence of arguments.
• Quality of analysis, discussion, and interpretation.
• Language clarity and academic tone.
• Ethical compliance in research methods and data collection.

Step 4: Editorial Decision and Notification to Authors - 7 to 14 Working Days

• After receiving feedback from at least three reviewers, the Editor, in consultation with the Editorial Board, will make one of the following decisions:
• Accept with Minor Revisions.
• Revise and Resubmit (Major Revisions).
• Reject.
• Authors will receive a detailed decision letter via email, summarizing:
• The overall decision.
• Reviewer comments and required revisions (if applicable).
• A timeline for revisions (typically 7-14 working days for minor revisions, longer for major revisions).

Step 5: Revision and Resubmission (if applicable) - 7 to 14 Working Days

• Authors required to revise their manuscripts must:
• Address all reviewer comments thoroughly.
• Submit a point-by-point response document, explaining how each comment was addressed.
• Upload the revised manuscript to the ThaiJO system.
• Revised manuscripts are usually returned to the original reviewers for reassessment, especially in cases of major revisions.

Step 6: Final Proofreading by Assistant Editors/Journal Coordinator

• Once revisions are approved, the assistant editors or journal coordinator will perform a final proofreading check to ensure:
• All reviewer comments were incorporated.
• The manuscript follows FAJSWU formatting and referencing style.
• Spelling, grammar, and language use meet professional academic standards.

Step 7: Acceptance Letter - 7 to 14 Working Days

• Upon final approval by the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) or Editor, authors will receive an official acceptance letter via email, confirming that their manuscript has been accepted for publication in FAJSWU
• The acceptance letter will indicate the year and issue number of the journal in which the manuscript is scheduled to be published. However, it will not include page numbers, as pagination is part of the final layout and printing process.
• Authors are not permitted to request modifications to the content or format of the acceptance letter unless the information provided is factually incorrect due to an error on the part of the journal.
• Please also note that the name and email address of the corresponding author specified in both the acceptance letter and the published article refer solely to the individual responsible for communication with the journal through the ThaiJo submission system.

Step 8: Copy-Editing and Proofreading

• All accepted manuscripts undergo a professional copy-editing process to ensure:
• Clarity, coherence, and consistency.
• Correct academic style and referencing.
• Resolution of any remaining language issues.
• Authors may be asked to review and approve final changes before publication.

Step 9: Publication and Indexing

• Final manuscripts are published online in FAJSWU, accessible via ThaiJO.
• Published articles are archived and indexed, with the goal of aligning with requirements for inclusion in the Thai Journal Citation Index Centre (TCI) standard.

Timelines at a Glance

Process Stage	Estimated Duration
Initial Editorial Review (Desk Review)	14-30 working days
Peer Review	1-2 months
Editorial Decision	7-14 working days
Revision and Resubmission (if required)	7-14 working days
Final Proofreading and Acceptance Letter	7-14 working days
Total Process (Typical Range)	3-6 months

Additional Information