FAQ

CONCERING TIME FRAMES

How long does it take to review a paper?
From the moment the paper manuscript is received by email, the editorial board conducts a preliminary review for compliance with the scope of the Journal, requirements and standards for the text and metadata format, and also for plagiarism (using the Russian “Antiplagiat” system). This process takes from 7 to 10 working days.
If the manuscript has successfully passed the preliminary review, it is submitted to two reviewers for a single-blind peer-review. The average review period takes from 8 to 9 months. This period includes the full cycle of peer-review, including all reviews (no more than three phases) and revisions.

How long is the process of finalizing papers?
Each repeated review of papers submitted for a follow-up revision takes up to two months. The deadline for improving the manuscript in keeping with the reviewer’s comments is set at two months. No more than two resubmissions are possible.

What is the timeline for publishing a paper?
The timing of publication depends on a number of factors (the volume of the Journal’s thematic sections, the topics of special issues, the fullness of the Journal’s portfolio, etc.). On average, the waiting list (excluding reviewing and without a major revision of the manuscript recommended by our experts) is from six months to a year.

 
CONCERING PUBLICATIONS 

Can manuscripts in English be submitted for publication in the Journal?
Yes, the Journal publishes papers in both English and Russian. The authors are advised to have their English manuscripts independently proofread (by a native speaker) before submitting them to the Journal.

What is the pre-press preparation comprised of?
If a decision has been made to accept the manuscript for publication, the pre-press preparation process begins. Pre-press preparation includes:

• copy-editing of manuscripts in English: the formatting of the bibliography and bibliographic references is checked according to publishing standards applicable to the HSE journals and APA-7, namely: 1) the manuscript is proofread to ensure that the formatting of bibliographic references complies with the standards and requirements of the Journal, 2) the lists of references are checked for errors in formatting according to the standards and requirements of the Journal, 3) corrections are made in the manuscripts and lists of references, 3) the author(s) is/are contacted in order to approve the changes made and discuss any arising questions, and 4) final proofreading of the manuscript is made before it is submitted to the editor-in-chief.
• copy-editing of manuscripts in Russian: checking and editing the manuscript, namely: 1) the manuscript is proofread for inaccuracies, typos, and stylistic, punctuation and spelling errors, 2) corrections are made in the manuscript, 3) the author(s) is/are contacted in order to approve the changes made and discuss any arising questions, and 4) final proofreading of the manuscript is made before it is submitted to the editor-in-chief.
• proofreading by a native speaker (for English-language articles only), namely: 1) the manuscript is proofread for inaccuracies, typos, and stylistic, punctuation and spelling errors, 2) corrections are made in the manuscript in accordance with APA-7 standards and the requirements of the Journal, 3) the author(s) is/are contacted in order to approve the changes made and discuss any arising questions, and 4) final proofreading of the manuscript is made before it is submitted to the editor-in-chief, 5) any missing elements of the metadata are translated, and 6) any updates and changes in the English-language version of the Journal’s website are translated.
• metadata editing (for Russian-language articles only): checking, editing, and translating the article metadata, namely: 1) the translated elements of the article metadata are checked for stylistic, spelling and punctuation errors, and typos, 2) the structure and design of the metadata are checked for compliance with APA-7 standards and the requirements of the Journal, and 3) parts of the metadata elements are translated (if necessary).
• layout: ready-to-print files of the Journal’s issues are designed according to the publishing standards applicable to the HSE journals. After completing the design, the ready-to-print files are sent to all authors of the issue for review and checking for possible errors and inaccuracies.
• the ready-to-print file is proofread and any necessary adjustments are made (typos are corrected), namely: 1) proofreading the ready-to-print file of the issue after typesetting is checked for inconsistencies in the technical design of articles and their content (data in the tables, graphic images, bibliography, bibliographic references and footnotes, text size and font, metadata, etc.), as well as for grammatical inconsistencies, typos, and stylistic, punctuation and spelling errors, 2) any identified inconsistencies are eliminated by making changes to the ready-to-print file of the issue, 3) the layout designer and the editor-in-chief are contacted in order to approve the changes made and discuss any arising questions, and 4) final proofreading of the manuscript is made before it is submitted to the editor-in-chief.

 All stages of the pre-press preparation are fulfilled by the staff of the Journal’s editorial board, i.e. free of charge for the authors.

MISCELLANEOUS

Can I get a certificate stating that my manuscript is under consideration?
Yes, if the manuscript has been checked for compliance with the formal requirements and relevance to the scope of the Journal. Authors can also receive certificates informing about the status of their papers, “under review” or “accepted for publication”.

Do I have to pay for publication of the paper, peer-review of the manuscript or for other relevant editorial work?
No. All stages of peer-review, pre-press preparation and publication of the article are free of charge for all authors.

What is the acceptable originality score?
It is important to note in advance that self-citation and incorrectly formatted citations are identified by the checking system as plagiarism. The threshold value for an article submitted to the Journal is at least 80% originality. The system checks only the manuscript (without supplementary materials, bibliography, etc.).