Thank you for agreeing to serve as an associate editor for IJANR. Your role is central to maintaining the quality and integrity of the peer-review process. This guide outlines your responsibilities and the general workflow from submission to decision. This guideline is adapted from the Journal of Open Science Software

Editorial Process Overview

1. Submission Received
   Authors submit their manuscript. Submissions are initially screened by the editorial team (Editor-in-Chief and/or Technical Editor) to ensure basic completeness, check for plagiarism, and fit within the journal’s scope.

2. Assignment of Associate Editor
   Editor-in-Chief and/or Technical Editor will assign you associate editor based on your expertise and availability. 

3. Initial Assessment by Associate Editor
   The associate editor reviews the manuscript to determine if it meets the journal’s scope and quality expectations. If it does not, you (associate editor) may desk-reject or request revisions before initiating the peer-review process.

4. Reviewer Selection
   The editor selects at least two qualified reviewers, ensuring balanced expertise across the topic areas. Authors may suggest reviewers, but final selection is at the editor's discretion. Remember the conflict of interest in the review process

5. Peer-Review Process
   Reviewers evaluate the manuscript, provide detailed comments, and recommend one of the following: accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject. The editor oversees this process, ensures constructive dialogue, and provides editorial judgment.

6. Decision Letter
   Based on the reviewers’ feedback and their assessment, the associate editor drafts a decision with clear guidance for the authors. If revisions are needed, the editor ensures the resubmission is re-evaluated as appropriate.

7. Final Recommendation
   When the manuscript meets the journal’s standards, the editor recommends acceptance, and the journal makes the final publication decision.

General workflow

Do you want to be an associate editor?

First! Thank you for your interest in joining the editorial team! Being part of the peer-review process is key for keeping the peer-review science alive and strong. If you want to join us, let's have a short call (not an interview), so we can help you to understand the editor role before committing. 

You can just try for a period defined for you (6 months, for example). During this time, either you or the journal may decide not to continue. There’s no fixed term. Some editors stay for years; others contribute for a shorter time. What matters most is staying active and communicating with the editorial team.

Are you already an associate editor? What we expect from you:

• Overseeing peer review

• Finding and inviting reviewers

• Ensuring quality and timely feedback

• Facilitating author–reviewer communication

You don’t need to do the reviewing yourself. Your job is to guide the process and help resolve issues. 

Thank you

Your time and expertise are invaluable. We deeply appreciate your efforts in upholding the scholarly standards of the journal. The journal will provide official certificates to associate editors in recognition of their contributions. Additionally, waivers for future submissions may be available upon request. Please contact the journal for details.