Editorial Philosophy
The principles that guide how WIA Journal handles every manuscript: fairness, openness to any language, careful human judgment, and no cost to authors.
Our principles
Language should not be a barrier
Good research is written in many languages. Authors may submit in the language they work in, and we try to find editors and reviewers who can read it.
No cost to authors
Publishing in WIA Journal is free. Whether a paper is accepted depends on its quality, not on funding.
Human judgment decides
Editors make the final decision on every manuscript, informed by reviewers with knowledge of the field. Software may help with administration, but it does not accept or reject papers.
Ideas over length
A short paper can be as important as a long one. We judge a manuscript by what it contributes, and ask only that its length suits its content.
Respectful, constructive review
Reviews should help authors improve their work. We ask reviewers to be specific, fair and courteous, including when they recommend rejection.
Integrity first
We expect honest reporting, proper credit and disclosure of conflicts of interest from authors, reviewers and editors alike. See our ethics policy.
What editors look for
- A clear research question and a contribution to knowledge in its field.
- Methods that are described well enough to be understood, checked and repeated.
- Conclusions that follow from the evidence presented.
- Honest acknowledgement of limitations.
- Correct citation of the work the paper builds on (see our citation guide).
How decisions are made
Each submission is read by an editor. The editor may assign one or more reviewers and then records one of three decisions:
- AcceptThe paper is ready for publication and will be listed under Papers.
- Revision requiredThe paper has merit but needs changes before it can be accepted.
- RejectThe paper is not suitable for WIA Journal in its current form. We aim to give reasons that help the author.
Authors can follow the status of their submissions in My papers. We do not promise a fixed review time; review takes as long as a careful reading requires.
Independence
WIA Journal is published by WIA (World Certification Industry Association). Editorial decisions are based on the merit of the work. Papers prepared with WIAsis, a related analysis platform, go through the same review as any other submission.