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General
The entire editorial
procedure for a paper – from submission to publication –
is automatic and carried out electronically. Hence the time required
to process a paper is significantly reduced compared to traditional
journals. Typically the time from submission to decision is about
a month. For updated statistics, please look here.
Authors, editors,
referees run their specific stages of the editorial procedure through
personal web pages, which are automatically updated in real time
as soon as new events occur.
Authors can
access their preprint page, set up at the time of the submission
of a paper, where they can check the status of their papers throughout
the editorial procedure and communicate with the Executive Office
and with the editor and the referee in charge of the paper.
Referees also
operate from a personal page where they can read and download the
papers to be reviewed, upload their reports, and communicate with
the Executive Office.
From their personal
pages editors can read and download papers, select referees, communicate
with the Executive Office, and make their decisions about the papers.
Other tools
- such as personal address books and databases, search engines,
bulletin board systems, statistics, etc. - are also available to
assist users in running and using the journal.
Submission
Authors submit
their manuscripts via the Internet, from any of the JHEP nodes.
They can either upload the necessary files or simply enter the corresponding
arXiv archive number.
At the time
of the submission the preprint receives a preprint number which
identifies the paper throughout the editorial procedure (fig. 1).
Figure
1 Preprint number
After submission
the robot automatically assigns the paper to the appropriate editor
according to the keywords chosen by the authors to characterise
their work.
To submit papers
authors must carefully follow the instructions given in the section
Information for authors.
Please note
that submitting a paper implies the acceptance of the copyright
agreement.
Refereeing
The JHEP refereeing
procedure is based on the traditional peer review system in which
an editor receives the submitted paper, examines it, asks a number
of referees for an opinion, and then decides accordingly. The confidentiality
of both the submission and the identity of the referee are guaranteed.
Decision
Editors make
their decision according to the JHEP Editorial policy. They are
ultimately responsible for deciding about papers, although their
decision is generally supported by one or more referees. As a rule
papers are processed as quickly as possible, in proportion to the
time required to evaluate their scientific quality.
After
acceptance
Accepted papers
are assigned a definitive paper number (fig. 2) and reformatted
according to the JHEP style. Authors can then proof-read them. Only
two rounds of proof-reading are possible. After correction, papers
are published by the authors themselves from the preprint web page.
Please note that papers are published by the Executive Office if
authors send no feed-back within 15 days from notification of the
proof-reading. Copyright is considered to have been accepted at
the time of submission.
Figure 2
Definitive paper number
Published papers
are made available to all interested readers on the JHEP websites
in three different formats (PDF, PS, DVI).
Published papers
can be updated adding links to errata or newer versions.
After
a request for revision
If the editor
requires a revision, authors must tend to the modifications requested
and provide a new version of their papers within a reasonable time
span. Revisions submitted later than 180 days after the editor's
decision are handled as new papers, i.e. the original paper is withdrawn
and a new procedure begins.
Revised versions are submitted by the authors directly from their
personal page. They are then reviewed again before a final decision
or a further round of revision.
After
rejection
Papers are selected,
processed and reviewed as fairly as possible, with no discrimination.
Authors of papers that have been rejected can appeal and reply to
the editor and referee(s). Appeals must be scientifically justified
and not polemic.
Author
inquiries and appeals
The editorial
procedure is clear and reliable. Although editors and referees are
anonymous, authors can communicate at all times with them through
the Executive Office.
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