All articles submitted to the RCL journal will be evaluated through a process of double-blind peer review. The authors of the articles must ensure their anonymity by making sure that the anonymous file they submitted does not allow their identification through the document’s information or properties, nor otherwise. 

RCL’s editorial process is divided into three phases:

1. Evaluation by the editors

After the successful completion of the online submission process, articles are read and evaluated by the issue editors, to check whether the article meets the journal’s editorial criteria (in terms of their original nature, relevance of the theme and clarity of the approach) as well as its compliance in terms of formatting. Received articles that are not in alignment, either in whole or in part, with the Journal Policies and that do not ensure the author’s anonymity will be automatically rejected. If the article is rejected on the grounds of not meeting the editorial criteria or the journal’s rules, the decision will be communicated to the author within 1 month after the closing of the Call for Papers.

2. Blind peer review

If the article, review or visual essay is accepted by the editors, the blind peer review process will be initiated. The article will be forwarded to two reviewers with clear expertise in the field or the theme of the article. The reviewers do not know the identity of the author of the submission; the author will not know the identity of the reviewers. Reviewers must pay special attention to the following criteria: originality and relevance of the article in relation to other works on the same theme; methodological coherence; clear contribution to the field of study; clarity of the line of argument; quality of the writing.

Opinions may include the following recommendations: rejection of the article; acceptance with the obligation to make changes; acceptance without changes. The final decision concerning the acceptance of an article/  review/ visual essay for publication following the blind peer review is the sole responsibility of the editors and will be communicated to the author within 6 months after its receipt. The decision will be communicated together with the opinions of the reviewers.

If changes to the manuscript are suggested, a deadline will be given to the author(s) to implement the changes requested by the reviewers and submit a new version of the article through the journal’s online system.

 3. Copyediting

If the new version is accepted by the editors, the text will then be copyedited, and the author must give his or her opinion on it within 1 week. Once the article has been formatted and its page layout has been set, the author will have the opportunity to approve the final proof in pdf format.