Peer Review Process

Criteria for Publication

To be published in SEED – Sustainable and Equitable Earth Development, a manuscript must fulfill the following criteria:

• Provides strong and credible evidence for its conclusions.
• Employs rigorous methods, whether qualitative, quantitative, mixed, field, or lab-based.
• Offers practical relevance for sustainability scholars and practitioners.
• Has potential interdisciplinary appeal, especially across development, environment, and policy fields.
• Addresses critical topics related to the Global South, including ecological justice, resilience, and equity.
• Makes clear theoretical and empirical contributions that advance scholarly understanding.

Review Workflow

All manuscripts submitted to SEED undergo rigorous editorial screening and double-blind peer review. Submissions that fall outside the scope or lack academic rigor are subject to desk rejection, which may involve informal advice from subject experts.

All accepted manuscripts are automatically screened for plagiarism and improper AI usage using Turnitin or iThenticate. A similarity score above 25% or evidence of unethical AI use will result in immediate rejection.

Decision Outcomes

Based on reviewers’ feedback, the editors may issue the following decisions:

• Accept — with or without minor editorial revisions.
• Revise and Resubmit — requiring authors to address specific concerns or improve clarity and structure.
• Reject — typically due to lack of originality, conceptual weakness, or methodological issues.

Authors are responsible for ensuring clarity, accuracy, and proper formatting of the final manuscript. The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on acceptance. All accepted manuscripts are subject to editing for language, structure, and consistency.

Editorial Judgment and Disputes

While reviewer recommendations are respected, final decisions rest with the editors. In cases of conflicting reviews, editors evaluate arguments from all sides, consider authors’ responses, and may consult additional experts. Editors aim to maintain fairness and scientific rigor throughout the process.

Reviewers who agree to assess a paper are expected to evaluate revised versions as needed. If reviewers’ concerns are not adequately addressed, resubmission may not proceed to further review. Editors give weight to all valid criticisms, particularly technical or methodological ones.

Reviewer Selection

Reviewers are selected based on their expertise, professional integrity, past performance, and responsiveness. Editors avoid using reviewers who are unconstructive, careless, or lack accountability in their evaluations.

Timeliness

SEED emphasizes timely decision-making and efficient processing. Reviewers are asked to return feedback within the agreed period. Delays must be communicated in advance so that alternate arrangements can be made if necessary.

Anonymity

The journal follows a strict double-blind policy: identities of both authors and reviewers are concealed throughout the process. Reviewers must not reveal their identities without prior approval from the editorial office.

SEED is committed to fair, ethical, and high-quality peer review practices to uphold the integrity of scholarly publishing in the sustainability field.