Reviewer Guidelines

Al-Hayat Journal of Biological Sciences (AJBS) follows a rigorous, transparent, and unbiased peer-review process to ensure the publication of high-quality scientific research across all areas of biological sciences. The journal uses a double-blind peer-review system, where both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the evaluation process.

1. Manuscript Submission

Authors submit their manuscript through the journal’s online submission system in accordance with the Author Guidelines.
All submissions must be original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere.

2. Initial Editorial Screening

The Editor-in-Chief or handling editor performs a preliminary assessment to evaluate:

  • Relevance to the journal’s scope (cell biology, molecular biology, microbiology, ecology, etc.)

  • Scientific merit and clarity

  • Compliance with formatting and ethical guidelines

  • Plagiarism check (using Turnitin or similar software)

 

3. Assignment to Reviewers

Suitable manuscripts are sent to two or more independent experts in the relevant field.
Examples of reviewer specialties include:

  • Molecular Biology

  • Environmental Biology

  • Toxicology

  • Entomology

  • Biochemistry

  • Biotechnology

  • Medical Microbiology

  • Ecology and Biodiversity

The reviewers evaluate the manuscript using the journal’s structured review form.

4. Double-Blind Peer Review

Reviewers carefully assess:

  • Originality and scientific importance

  • Methodological soundness

  • Clarity of results and interpretations

  • Integration with existing literature

  • Ethical standards

  • Quality of discussion and conclusions

Review recommendations may include:

  1. Accept as it is

  2. Minor revision

  3. Major revision

  4. Reject

5. Author Revision Stage

If revisions are required, the authors must:

  • Address each reviewer comment point-by-point

  • Highlight changes in the revised manuscript

  • Resubmit within the specified deadline

Revised manuscripts may undergo a second round of review if necessary.

6. Final Editorial Decision

The Editor-in-Chief evaluates:

  • Reviewer recommendations

  • Quality of revisions

  • Scientific contribution

  • Ethical compliance

A final decision is then issued:

✔ Accept
✘ Reject

7. Copyediting and Formatting

Accepted manuscripts undergo professional editorial processing, including:

  • Language editing

  • Formatting according to the journal style

  • Reference verification (APA + numbered system)

  • Checking figures, tables, and metadata

8. Proofreading

Authors receive galley proofs for final review.
They must check for:

  • Typos

  • Formatting issues

  • Minor corrections

No major changes are allowed at this stage.

9. Online Publication

The article is published in the upcoming issue of AJBS and assigned:

  • DOI

  • Volume and issue number

  • Page numbers

Articles appear on the journal website as Open Access, following the journal’s policy.

10. Indexing and Archiving

The published article is indexed in the databases where AJBS is listed and archived for long-term preservation.