Guidelines for Reviewing and Publishing Articles
Submitted for Publication in the
Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences: Studies in Literature and Language [Izvestiya RAN. Seriya literatury i yazyka]
(further abbreviated as B_RAS.LL)
General information
1. The review process in B_RAS.LL is designed to ensure standards of quality required of the journal publications.
2. All materials offered for publication in B_RAS.LL and answering the journal’s thematic requirements undergo the review process in order to get expert feedback. The reviewer has to provide an unbiased, holistic evaluation of the received text and to weight its strengths and weaknesses.
3. All materials received by the journal editors should be sent for a review to the members of editorial board or to external reviewers holding an academic degree (Doctor of Sciences, Candidate of Sciences, PhD, etc.), familiar with submission guidelines, and versed in the subject. Each reviewer has to be an acknowledged expert on assigned subject and has to have several academic publications in the field within last 3 years.
4. Materials offered by scholars holding or pursuing a doctorate-level degree are reviewed by Doctors of Sciences. Materials offered by Candidates of Sciences and by post-graduate students are reviewed by Doctors and Candidates of Sciences.
5. It is preferable if the reviewer and the reviewed are employed by different organizations. The editorial board strives to avoid the so-called ‘conflict of interest’ between the contributors and the reviewers.
6. The length of a review is up to the reviewer, but it’s recommended to keep commentaries to 1-2 typed pages (font size 12, line spacing 1).
7. When the manuscript is received by the editors and is sent for review, the contributor is notified. The identities and institutional affiliations of the reviewers are not revealed to the authors.
8. It is up to the editorial board to decide how many reviews each manuscript will require. The editorial board may accept a manuscript for publication, if the first review is unreservedly positive. If the first review is negative or suggests substantial revision, the editorial board would assign other reviewers. As far as writing across disciplines is concerned, the manuscript should be sent to several referees.
9. The final decision whether the manuscript is to be accepted for publication in B_RAS.LL or rejected, rests with the editorial board and depends on the referees’ recommendations, as well as on the authors’ informed responses to peer-critique.
10. A copy of a positive review is forwarded by the editors to the author along with the publication schedule. The letter of rejection should state the reasons for not accepting the manuscript.
11. The original reviews are archived and kept by the editorial board for at least 5 years, starting from the date the article is published.
12. The Editorial board provides the copies of all available reviews to the official officers of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, upon certain request.