The journal enforces a rigorous and objective Double-Blind Peer Review Policy to safeguard high-impact choreographic insights, sound compositions, and performance data layouts. Published on a stable bi-annual schedule, every incoming draft is audited strictly for methodological depth, data validation parameters, and aesthetic originality.
To eliminate subjective or institutional preferences, the identity arrays of the authors are kept completely masked from the fine arts reviewers, and conversely, the reviewer profiles remain hidden from the submitting authors throughout the entire curation lifecycle. This structure guarantees impartial technical scoring and clear empirical transparency across international musicological networks.
Granular Peer Curation Framework
To preserve technical integrity while operating our bi-annual publication cycles, every manuscript tracks a structured processing path:
| 1. Desk Screening Phase | Upon entry, the Editorial desk audits the text block for baseline scope alignment, formatting stylesheet template parameters, and overall text duplication checks. Manuscripts that fail these basic metrics are returned within 7 days. |
| 2. Blind Technical Curation | Cleared texts are fully anonymized and routed to at least two international experts specializing in the script's specific field of ethnomusicology or dance notation. Reviewers evaluate core composition frameworks, kinetic systems, and somatic data tracking. |
| 3. Revision Coordination | Reviewers deliver evaluation notes tracking four criteria points: Direct Accept, Minor Revisions, Major Revisions, or Reject. Authors must adjust their texts matching these comments and upload a detailed point-by-point tracking sheet. |
| 4. Final Editorial Decision | The Chief Editor checks the updated draft against the reviewer audit logs to issue a final decision. Once approved, the text passes directly into the active bi-annual online publication queue. |
Reviewer Allocation Parameters
- Domain Matching: Reviewers must possess a verified track record of peer-reviewed publications within the manuscript's specific choreographic, performance art, or musicological field.
- Conflict Exclusions: Academic evaluators sharing active institutional ties, departmental paths, or recent joint performance research projects with the authors are automatically excluded.
- Confidentiality Commitment: Reviewers are bound by strict ethical declarations, preventing the downloading, sharing, or reuse of any dataset before open publication.
Primary Evaluation Checklist
- Methodological Rigor: Does the paper offer clear technical improvements, advanced choreographic profiles, or robust musicological syntheses?
- Replicability Soundness: Are the baseline data layouts, score notations, and movement parameters documented well enough to allow absolute replication?
- Scholarly Anchoring: Is contemporary musicology or performative literature accurately mapped, directly connecting back to clear gaps in current global research environments?
Managing Discrepancies and Malpractice Audits
If the assigned peer experts present highly conflicting evaluations (e.g., one suggests direct acceptance while the second argues for a definite reject), the editorial desk automatically transfers the script to a third senior advisory arbitrator or an editorial board member to break the tie. Furthermore, if a reviewer uncovers indicators of data fabrication, duplicate structural charts, or concurrent submissions to alternative international networks, the evaluation cycle is immediately halted, and a formal ethical investigation is launched.
Important Note for Submitting Authors
To ensure a flawless double-blind process path, authors are required to wipe all identifying headers, author lists, university references, or funding acknowledgments from the main submission manuscript file, listing these metrics only inside the separate title page document.