1. Peer Review Policy

AJOMENA uses a double-blind peer review system, in which both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the evaluation process. This ensures that editorial decisions are based solely on academic merit, free from personal, institutional, or geographic bias.

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening before being assigned to at least two independent reviewers with subject-matter expertise relevant to the manuscript.

1.1 Review Evaluation Criteria

Each manuscript is assessed based on the following core scientific and editorial standards:

• Originality and Innovation
  The manuscript must present novel contributions to marine engineering, offshore systems, or naval architecture, or provide a significant advancement of existing knowledge.
• Methodological Rigour
  The study must demonstrate sound research design, appropriate analytical or experimental methods, and scientifically valid procedures.
• Scientific Contribution
  The manuscript must make a meaningful contribution to theory, practice, or applied engineering solutions within the journal's scope.
• Reproducibility and Validity
  Methods, data, and analytical procedures must be sufficiently detailed to allow independent verification or replication of results.
• Clarity and Academic Presentation
  The manuscript must be well-structured, logically organised, and written in clear, academic English with proper scientific formatting.

1.2 Editorial Decision Process

The peer review process follows a structured decision pathway:

1.2.1 Initial Editorial Screening

• Scope compliance check
• Plagiarism and originality verification
• Formatting and ethical compliance review

1.2.2 External Peer Review

• Assignment to at least two independent reviewers
• Double-blind evaluation process
• Structured reviewer feedback submission

1.2.3 Editorial Assessment

• Evaluation of reviewer reports
• Conflict resolution (if reviewer opinions differ)
• Final decision by Editor-in-Chief or Associate Editor

1.2.4. Revision Cycle

• Authors may be required to revise based on reviewer feedback
• Revised manuscripts may undergo additional review if necessary 

1.3 Confidentiality and Integrity Assurance

• Reviewer identities remain confidential at all times
• Manuscript content is treated as strictly confidential during review
• Editors ensure that no conflicts of interest exist between authors, reviewers, or editorial staff
• Any suspected ethical issues are escalated according to COPE guidelines

1.4 Performance Transparency and Editorial Accountability

To ensure transparency and uphold international indexing standards, AJOMENA publishes annual peer-review performance reports that include:

• Acceptance rate (%)
• Rejection rate (%)
• Average time to first decision (days)
• Average total review duration (days)
• Average number of revision cycles per manuscript