Benchmarking
Benchmarking
This page presents a structured comparison between Journal International Review of Research Studies (JIRRS) and established international scholarly journals. The purpose is to transparently communicate development priorities and demonstrate alignment with recognized publishing standards for the pre-ISSN consolidation stage.
Notes for evaluators: JIRRS adopts internationally accepted policies and technical practices while final identifiers (e.g., ISSN) are pending assignment by the relevant national ISSN centre.
Pre-ISSN consolidation Policies published Identifiers pending
Benchmarking Framework
JIRRS is evaluated across the following dimensions:
- Editorial Governance
- Peer Review Process
- Ethics and Integrity Policies
- Indexation and Metrics
- Technical Infrastructure
- Reputation and Publication History
1. Editorial Governance
| Aspect | JIRRS (Current) | Leading Journals (Standard) |
|---|---|---|
| Editor-in-Chief | An Editor-in-Chief role is formally established and publicly disclosed on the journal website, with full name, institutional affiliation, and country. The Editor-in-Chief holds responsibility for editorial decisions, integrity enforcement, and oversight of peer review. | Recognized scholar with international visibility and proven editorial leadership. |
| Editorial Board | An international editorial board is published and periodically updated, including full names, affiliations, and countries. The board supports scope coverage and ensures disciplinary breadth for an interdisciplinary journal. | Broad, diverse board with representation from recognized institutions and geographic diversity. |
| Governance Transparency | Governance responsibilities and editorial independence are stated in stable public pages (e.g., About, Editorial Team, and policy pages). The journal publicly states decision authority, conflict handling, and the separation between editorial decisions and any financial/administrative matters. | Clear decision rules, conflict management, editorial independence, and accountability mechanisms. |
Action Plan
- Maintain an up-to-date editorial team list with affiliations and countries.
- Publish governance and editorial independence statements in a stable location.
- Document conflict management and editorial decision responsibility (clear roles and escalation paths).
2. Peer Review Process
| Aspect | JIRRS (Current) | Leading Journals (Standard) |
|---|---|---|
| Review Type | Double-blind peer review is adopted as the default model to support fairness and reduce bias, consistent with internationally accepted practices. | Double-blind or single-blind peer review depending on the field and journal model. |
| Reviewers per Article | Standard policy targets 2 independent reviewers per manuscript, with escalation to 3 reviewers when reports conflict or when additional expertise is needed. | Typically 2–4 reviewers per manuscript, depending on scope and selectivity. |
| Timeline | Target timelines are defined and communicated transparently:
|
Varies by field, editorial model, and reviewer availability; reputable journals publish transparent expectations. |
3. Ethics and Integrity Policies
JIRRS aligns ethics and integrity requirements with internationally recognized scholarly publishing norms:
- Plagiarism screening and clear originality requirements (including redundancy and duplicate submission rules).
- Conflict of interest disclosure requirements for authors, editors, and reviewers.
- Authorship contribution clarity (contributor roles and accountability expectations).
- Ethics approval requirements for human/animal research, including informed consent where applicable.
- AI use disclosure policy for transparency on AI-assisted writing, translation, analysis, and image generation.
- Corrections and retractions policy to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.
- Data availability expectations and reproducibility-friendly practices when applicable.
4. Indexation and Metrics
In the pre-ISSN stage, the journal prioritizes policy maturity, metadata consistency, and continuity evidence. Indexation applications are scheduled after ISSN assignment and DOI activation, following each indexer’s criteria.
| Index / Metric | Status | Target |
|---|---|---|
| ISSN | Pending (to be assigned by ISSN UK Centre) | Submission planned: February 2026 (subject to final eligibility evidence confirmation) |
| DOI | Planned DOI assignment workflow is prepared for activation immediately after ISSN assignment, ensuring persistent article identification. | Activation planned: within 2–6 weeks after ISSN assignment |
| DOAJ | Planned DOAJ application will be submitted after ISSN and DOI are active and a consistent publication record is established. | 3–6 months after ISSN assignment (depending on publication continuity) |
| Scopus | Long-term target Scopus submission is planned after demonstrating sustained editorial performance, quality control, and publication history. | 12–24 months after ISSN assignment (depending on maturity and output) |
| Web of Science | Long-term target Web of Science evaluation is targeted after stable output, strong editorial governance, and citation traction. | 18–36 months after ISSN assignment (depending on maturity and scope fit) |
5. Technical Infrastructure
- Publishing platform: OJS (Open Journal Systems)
- HTTPS/SSL: enabled (secure browsing and submission workflow)
- Mobile responsiveness and accessibility: baseline responsiveness implemented; continuous improvements planned for accessibility and usability
- Preservation plan: Planned The journal will adopt a recognized preservation service such as PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) and/or LOCKSS, subject to technical activation and eligibility.
- Analytics: Usage monitoring is enabled through privacy-conscious analytics (e.g., GA4 or a comparable tool), supporting transparency on readership and platform performance.
- Metadata consistency: stable article landing pages, standardized bibliographic metadata, and structured journal information pages
6. Reputation and Publication History
JIRRS is an emerging journal building long-term reputation through consistent publication, international editorial governance, transparent peer review policies, and strong research integrity standards. The journal’s development strategy prioritizes credibility, continuity, and technical compliance before pursuing advanced indexation.
Benchmarking Summary
- Governance and policies are designed to meet international expectations for scholarly journals.
- Key priorities include continuity, consolidation of the editorial board, and stable, high-quality metadata.
- Indexation readiness will be advanced after ISSN assignment and DOI consolidation, followed by structured applications.
Contact
For questions about benchmarking, contact: contact@jirrs.org.uk
Last updated: 01 February 2026
