Voices of English Language Education Society (VELES) applies a rigorous, fair, and efficient publishing workflow to advance high-impact scholarship in English Language Education (ELED/ELT), with a distinctive emphasis on EFL contexts in Indonesia and the wider Global South. The sections below explain our review model, editorial process, responsibilities, and publication practices.

1) Peer-Review Model & Principles

Our review model is designed to balance rigor with fairness. We preserve anonymity to reduce bias, require multiple expert opinions, and prioritize contributions that improve ELT/EFL theory and practice—especially in Indonesian and Global South contexts.

• Double-blind peer review for all submissions.
• At least two independent referees per round; a third may be invited if recommendations diverge.
• Merit-based evaluation focused on originality, methodological rigor, clarity, and contribution to ELT/EFL practice.
• Equity & inclusion. VELES values diverse contexts, especially studies from Indonesia/Global South with international relevance.
• Timeliness. Editors monitor progress and send reminders to ensure predictable turnaround.

2) Editorial Workflow

From submission to publication, manuscripts pass through sequenced stages. Each step checks fit, quality, ethics, and clarity so that what we publish is reliable and useful to educators and researchers.

• Initial screening (Editor/Section Editor): scope fit, template compliance, ethics completeness, and baseline quality checks.
• Reviewer assignment via OJS: invitations with clear deadlines and criteria; conflict-of-interest (COI) screening.
• Review rounds: reports collected; decision letter synthesizes reviewers’ comments and editor’s judgment.
• Revisions (minor/major): authors submit a response-to-reviewers detailing changes point-by-point.
• Acceptance: proceeds to copyediting → layout/proofing → author proof check → final publication.

Template use is mandatory (VELES DOCX). Reporting standards (e.g., PRISMA/COREQ/SRQR/CONSORT/STROBE) are encouraged when applicable.

3) Reviewer Selection & Responsibilities

We invite reviewers who are active in the topic area and methods used. Their role is to help authors strengthen the work and help editors decide fairly and transparently.

• Selection criteria: topical expertise, recent publications, methodological fit, absence of conflicts, reliability/timeliness, and diversity of perspectives.
• Responsibilities: provide constructive, unbiased, and confidential feedback; declare any COI; focus on substance (methods, analysis, contribution) and clarity.
• Anonymity: author and reviewer identities are concealed throughout review.

4) Review Criteria & Editorial Decisions

Editors synthesize reviewers’ reports using explicit criteria. We look for research that is original, methodologically sound, clearly presented, and valuable to ELT/EFL stakeholders.

• Originality & significance of the research problem and contribution.
• Methodological rigor & transparency (design, instruments, procedures, analysis, ethics).
• Validity of analysis & interpretation with appropriate evidence.
• Clarity & organization (argument flow, tables/figures, APA style, English quality).
• Relevance to ELT/EFL practice, especially for Indonesia/ASEAN with global resonance.

Decision outcomes: Accept / Minor Revision / Major Revision / Reject. For revisions, a detailed response-to-reviewers document is required.

5) Ethics, Confidentiality & Conflicts of Interest

Ethics guide every stage. We maintain confidentiality, require COI declarations, and apply COPE-aligned procedures for any suspected misconduct.

• Confidentiality: manuscripts and reviews are confidential; do not share without permission.
• COI declarations: editors/reviewers must declare conflicts (financial, collaborative, institutional, or personal) and recuse where appropriate.
• Research ethics: studies involving human participants must state IRB/ethics approval and informed consent (or justified exemption). Classroom studies should document institutional permissions and safeguarding.
• Misconduct handling: suspected issues are addressed per VELES Policies (COPE-aligned), including corrections/retractions.

6) Production, DOI & License

Accepted papers are professionally edited and typeset. Authors verify proofs and we register identifiers and license terms so the record is citable, open, and stable.

• Production: professional copyediting and layout; authors verify proofs (names, affiliations, ORCID, funding, references).
• DOI: assigned at acceptance/production under prefix 10.29408/veles.
• Article history: “Received, Revised, Accepted, Published online” is displayed with the article.
• License & access: immediate open access under CC BY-SA 4.0. Authors retain copyright; sharing is permitted under the same license.
• Frequency: three issues per year (April, August, December); published since 2017.

7) APC & Billing (VELES Policy)

To sustain open dissemination, VELES applies a limited APC model that is decoupled from editorial decisions and charged only upon acceptance.

• When charged: APC applies only after acceptance; no submission fees at any stage.
• Domestic authors (Indonesia): IDR 1,500,000 per accepted manuscript.
• International corresponding authors: one accepted manuscript per corresponding author per calendar year is fully waived; additional accepted manuscripts within the same year are charged the standard APC.
• Independence: APC policy is independent of editorial decisions; manuscripts are judged solely on academic merit.
• Invoicing: billed to the corresponding author after acceptance and payable before publication; payments in IDR (sender covers transfer fees).

For full details and updates, see the dedicated APC Policy page.

8) Data, Preprints & Post-Publication Updates

We support transparency with data statements and welcome preprints where ethically and legally appropriate. After publication, we maintain the record through clear update policies.

• Data & materials availability: include a statement; share via trusted repositories (e.g., OSF/Zenodo) when possible, respecting consent/privacy.
• Preprints: allowed with disclosure at submission and citation of the preprint record in the manuscript.
• Post-publication updates: erratum/corrigendum/retraction follow VELES Policies and COPE guidance.