Review Process

For scholarly articles, Thai Legal Studies uses the double-blind method of peer review whereby neither the author nor the reviewers know the identity of the others involved in the process. When a manuscript is first submitted, a Deputy Chief Editor will conduct an initial evaluation to determine if the manuscript meets threshold requirements, such as compatibility with the journal’s topical scope, word count, and adherence to general academic standards. If the manuscript is accepted for review, it will then be assigned to a subject Editor to oversee the peer-review process, which generally takes about two months. The Editor selects a minimum of two independent reviewers who have expertise in the subject matter of the manuscript and who do not have any conflict of interest. On request by an author, a third reviewer will be chosen if such is required for purposes of academic advancement.

The reviewers, separately and unknown to one another, will read the manuscript and provide detailed feedback and suggestions to the Editor in reference to the following five criteria:

1. Clarity of the research question, main argument, and conclusion
2. Originality of the contribution to the field of study
3. Organization and structure of the article
4. Discussion and development of the major points
5. Review of the relevant literature

Manuscripts are deemed confidential documents and are not to be shared or discussed with anyone other than those involved in the peer-review process.

In addition to making specific, objective comments about an article’s content, reviewers will each make an overall Recommendation as to what the next step should be regarding the manuscript:

     Accept Submission

     Revisions Required

     Resubmit for Review

     Resubmit Elsewhere

     Decline Submission

The specific instructions TLS provides peer reviewers are available here.

The Editor will consider the comments and recommendations from the reviewers and, if deemed appropriate, will provide the author(s) with the suggestions from the reviewers on what improvements are needed. If changes to the manuscript are made, they may again be submitted to the reviewers for an evaluation. At any stage in the peer-review process the Editor may seek advice and assistance from the Deputy Chief Editors who, in turn, may also refer the matter to the Chief Editors.

While the assigned Editor makes the initial decision on whether or not a manuscript merits publication, such decision will be reviewed by the Deputy Chief Editors and/or the Chief Editors who, ultimately, make the final decision. If publication is approved, the manuscript will then move into the copyediting and formatting stages. 

A chart providing an overview of the entire TLS editorial process is available here.

All other material published by Thai Legal Studies is subject, at a minimum, to main editor review in which one or both of the Deputy Chief Editors review the submission before publication is authorized. In addition, Thai Legal Studies specifically ascribes to and follows the Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), accessible here.