Review rules

Articles submitted to the scientific journals of Astana International University (AIU) undergo a multi-stage evaluation process aimed at ensuring the high quality of published materials and compliance with international scientific publication standards. Below is the procedure for the consideration, review, and publication of manuscripts, tailored to the specifics of AIU journals (https://journals.aiu.kz/index.php/).

  1. Initial Compliance Check
    All submitted articles are first assessed for compliance with the formal requirements established by the editorial board of AIU journals. These requirements include proper manuscript formatting, the presence of necessary metadata (abstract, keywords in three languages—Kazakh, Russian, and English), and adherence to specified length and structure guidelines. Following this, a plagiarism check is conducted using the StrikePlagiarism.com system. Articles exceeding the permissible plagiarism threshold are rejected at this stage.
  2. Double-Blind Peer Review Process
    Upon successfully passing the initial check, the article is submitted for "double-blind" peer review, meaning that the identities of both authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other. The review is conducted by at least two experts holding academic degrees (Candidate of Sciences, Doctor of Sciences, or PhD) and specializing in the field relevant to the article’s topic. Reviewers receive the manuscript text via the journal’s electronic platform without any author-identifying information. Their task is to provide an objective, substantiated evaluation of the article’s scientific significance, novelty, methodology, and presentation quality.
  3. Feedback and Revision
    Following the review, the editor-in-chief sends the reviewers’ conclusions to the author. If the reviews contain remarks, the author is invited to make the necessary revisions or provide a reasoned response to the critique. The revised manuscript is re-uploaded to the journal’s electronic platform without disclosing the reviewers’ identities. After revisions, the scientific editor forwards the article back to the same reviewers to verify that the comments have been addressed.
  4. Publication Decision
    • Positive Reviews: An article that receives positive conclusions from two reviewers and approval from the responsible editor is placed in the publication queue according to the journal’s release schedule.
    • Disagreement Between Reviewers: If one reviewer provides a positive review and another a negative one, the manuscript is sent to a third independent expert, who is either a specialist in the article’s subject area or a member of the editorial board. The final decision on publication is made by the scientific editor based on all received reviews.
    • Negative Reviews: If both reviews are negative, the article is rejected, and the author is notified with anonymized reviewer feedback attached.
  5. Final Stage
    Approved articles undergo final editorial proofreading and are transferred to the publishing house for preparation for publication. The editorial board of AIU journals does not use the materials of rejected articles for its own purposes and ensures the confidentiality of the process.
  6. Storage and Deadlines
    Reviews and related materials are stored electronically on the AIU journals’ platform for three years. The review period for manuscripts by reviewers must not exceed two months from the date of assignment. The overall processing time for an article (from submission to the publication decision) is determined by the responsible editor and depends on the complexity of the material and the promptness of the authors’ revisions.

This process is designed to maintain the high scientific standards of AIU journals, ensure transparency and objectivity in evaluation, and assist authors in publishing quality research that meets international academic standards.