The Journal of Psychology: Research & Practice (JPRP) adheres to the American Psychological Association (APA) Manual, 7th Edition guidelines for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly work.

To ensure the publication of high-quality research, all submissions undergo a two-stage review process. First, manuscripts are screened by the editorial team for relevance, quality, and adherence to submission guidelines. Submissions that pass the initial screening are then subjected to a rigorous double-blind peer review process, in accordance with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan’s recommendations.

Each manuscript is reviewed by two independent experts in the relevant field, selected by the editor based on their subject matter expertise. While the final publication decision rests with the editor, reviewers’ evaluations are given significant weight in determining the manuscript’s suitability for publication.

JPRP is committed to providing professional, fair, timely, and confidential reviews. All correspondence regarding submission, review, revisions, and final decisions is conducted via email. The journal strictly follows the HEC’s ethical publication policies to maintain academic integrity and transparency throughout the review and publication process.

Initial Screening

Once a manuscript is submitted, the Managing Editor carefully reviews it to decide whether it should proceed to full peer review. This initial screening ensures that the submission aligns with the journal’s aims and scope, is likely to be of interest to the readership, and meets essential ethical standards—such as the inclusion of statements on competing interests and approvals for studies involving human or animal participants. The Managing Editor also evaluates whether the manuscript is written in clear, academic English and follows the journal’s formatting and submission guidelines. If the paper meets these basic requirements but requires minor revisions, the authors may be invited to revise and resubmit before moving forward. However, if the manuscript does not meet the journal’s editorial standards or falls outside the defined scope, it may be declined at this stage without undergoing full peer review. Only those manuscripts that pass the initial screening are forwarded to the double-blind peer-review process.

Double Blind Review Process

In this peer-review process, both the reviewers and the author(s) are anonymous.

Peer Review Process

JPRP follows a strict double-blind peer review policy, where both the authors and reviewers remain anonymous. After initial editorial screening, each manuscript is reviewed by two experts—one local and one from an academically advanced country. Authors receive reviewers' comments and are expected to submit revisions within the given timeframe.

Editorial Decision

Following the peer review process, the editorial team may reach one of several decisions: acceptance, revision (minor or major), further external review, or rejection. Authors are notified of the decision along with reviewer feedback and are given a specific timeframe to revise and resubmit their manuscript, depending on the nature of the required changes.

For efficiency, reviewers are requested to complete their evaluations within 30 days and submit their feedback to the Editor using the prescribed review form via email. If a reviewer fails to respond within this period, the journal reserves the right to reassign the manuscript to another qualified reviewer without further notice.

Once the review is complete, authors receive feedback by email and are provided with up to four weeks to revise their manuscript accordingly and resubmit it to the Editor. In the case of resubmission, the Editor may either make a final decision based on their expertise or send the revised manuscript for additional peer review.