Peer Review Process

Reformasi Hukum (JRH) involves writers, editors, and reviewers in the review process. This journal applies the Double Blind Peer Review (double anonymized) process to maintain confidentiality. Peer review helps the editorial team make editorial decisions that must be communicated to the author. Without prior approval from the editor, any manuscripts may not be disclosed or discussed with other third parties. The peer review process is carried out objectively. The author is not allowed to submit criticisms in connection with peer review. The peer review must provide expert opinions regarding the manuscript's contents and parts and support arguments.

The peer review process for the Reformasi Hukum journal is designed to ensure the publication of high-quality, original research in the field of law. It follows a rigorous, multi-stage evaluation to maintain the integrity of scholarly discourse and uphold academic standards. Below is an outline of the key stages in the review process, from the initial manuscript check to post-publication corrections. Each step is structured to provide thorough scrutiny and feedback, facilitating the refinement and eventual publication of accepted manuscripts.

Stage	Description
1. Initial Manuscript Check	The Chief Editor or Journal Manager conducts an initial selection process for each incoming manuscript, reviewing it for compliance with the journal's guidelines, focus, and scope. This ensures that only manuscripts meeting the basic criteria are advanced to the following stages of the review process
2. Plagiarism Check (Initial)	After the initial manuscript check, the manuscript undergoes a plagiarism check. The manuscript is only accepted if the plagiarism rate is below 25%.
3. Section Editor Review	If the manuscript meets the initial criteria, the Chief Editor or Journal Manager forwards the manuscript to the Section Editor for further evaluation. The Section Editor then reviews the manuscript for detailed compliance with the journal's writing guidelines and assesses its alignment with the journal's focus and scope. If the Section Editor determines that revisions are needed, the manuscript will be returned to the author for revisions before it is sent to the reviewers.
4. Reviewer Review	The manuscript is sent to 2 or 3 reviewers with expertise in law to assess the content and novelty. Reviewers provide feedback for editorial decisions. The review process is *double anonymized: reviewer identity is not made visible to the author, and author identity is not visible to the reviewers.* The identity of both parties is visible to the decision-making editor. Reviewers recommend one of the following decisions: Accept Submission: The manuscript is deemed suitable for publication without revisions. Revision Required: The manuscript requires minor revisions and must not be reviewed again. Resubmit for Review: The manuscript needs significant revisions and should be reviewed again by the reviewer after the author makes changes. Decline Submission: The manuscript is rejected, typically due to quality issues.
5. Decision	Based on the reviewers' feedback and recommendations, the editorial team decides whether the manuscript should be accepted, revised, or rejected. If accepted, the journal will send the author a Letter of Acceptance (LoA).
6. Copyediting	After being accepted, the manuscript undergoes copyediting by the copyeditor to ensure clarity, grammar, style, and consistency based on the journal template.
7. Layout Editing & Metadata Update	After copyediting, the manuscript undergoes layout editing by the layout editor. The layout editor also updates the article metadata to ensure proper formatting, design, and accurate metadata for publication.
8. Proofreading (Starting 2025)	Starting in 2025, the proofreading process will involve a specialist proofreader for Indonesian-language manuscripts and an English-language proofreader for English-language manuscripts. This ensures high-quality language accuracy for each version.
9. Author Proofread	After the professional proofreading, the manuscript is sent to the author for final proofreading, where they can verify the accuracy of the edits and suggest any further revisions.
11. Final Plagiarism Check	A final plagiarism check is conducted before publication to ensure the manuscript meets ethical standards and does not contain uncredited material. The manuscript is rejected if any issues are found during this final check.
12. Publication	The article is published.
13. Post-Publication Corrections	Authors have 10 working days after publication to request corrections for any errors found in the article or metadata. If a serious error is found later, additional time will be given.

It should be noted that articles published by Reformasi Hukum Journal have never been published in other media. Articles are free from academic plagiarism and malpractice. The editor evaluates the article with fair and objective treatment regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, or the author's political philosophy.

PUBLICATION FREQUENCY
Journal Reformasi Hukum is published 3 times a year (April, August, and December).