Peer Review Process

Regarding the evaluation process of articles submitted to the Brazilian Journal of Biological Sciences - BJBS, it is characterized by a peer review process, with a double-blind evaluation system, and involves three sequential stages: the desk review, the evaluation by reviewers (Double Blind Review), and publication.

Step 1 - Desk Review

In the desk review, the editors gather and analyze, without any identification of the authors, the received articles to assess their relevance to the scope of the journal and their potential to contribute significantly to knowledge in the field of study of the scientific periodical. When necessary, the editors involve members of the scientific committee in this process. The following criteria are assessed:

· compliance with the standards, guidelines, and recommendations of the journal;

· descriptive manuscripts without discussion of results;

· empirical manuscripts without scientific method;

· theoretical manuscripts with only one theoretical framework or without objects for theoretical discussion;

· manuscripts outside the scope of the journal;

· manuscripts with emphasis on the object without emphasis on the theme,

· problem, hypothesis, methods, and theoretical field;

· manuscripts without novelty of study in relation to the literature on the subject;

· manuscripts in which the authors have published in the journal in the last 4 volumes;

· manuscripts with plagiarism.

Final result: archived or forwarded for evaluation.

When the submitted work is not suitable for the journal's policies, the authors are informed about the decision.

Step 2 - Double Blind Review

The articles approved in the desk review stage are forwarded to two specialists who are part of the journal's review body for evaluation in the Double Blind Review system, or to external researchers selected for their knowledge in the article's area of study.

The reviewers are professors and researchers associated with stricto sensu postgraduate programs of national or foreign educational institutions. The articles are evaluated considering the relevance of the topic studied, the writing style, the logical thread of the theoretical review with the use of appropriate references, the adequacy of the methodological procedures, the depth and consistency of the analyzes, the delineation of the conclusions, and the relevance of the contributions, using a predefined form provided to the reviewers. The authors are informed about the editorial decision through the OJS system (platform where the manuscript was submitted).

What are the possible outcomes?

After evaluation, the Editor will make the following decisions:

· Accepted (published without changes);

· Publish after minor corrections;

· Corrections required;

· Rejected.

After making the requested adjustments and verifying them by the reviewers and editors, the articles are submitted to spelling, grammar, and compliance review with the standards adopted by the journal and the final editing of the document.

Note: If there are discrepancies between the reviewers, the Editor can select a third reviewer or reject the manuscript.

Step 3 - Publication

· Author's review/compliance;

· Submission of the final corrected and translated text;

· Publication on the journal's portal.