Open Access Policy

Rivera Publications, a pioneering academic publishing house, is steadfastly committed to the principles of Open Access. We believe in the unrestricted availability of scholarly research on the internet, which allows for the free use, distribution, modification, and download of content, provided the original source is appropriately credited. All our published works are under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits the reproduction, distribution, display, and performance of the work, as well as the creation of derivatives, as long as the original author/source is duly acknowledged. Importantly, the author retains the original copyright.

As staunch advocates of Open Access, Rivera Publications is dedicated to providing a solution to the ongoing serial crisis and the limitations on research dissemination imposed by traditional subscription policies. We are convinced that eliminating barriers to the distribution of published research will not only accelerate the pace of research but also catalyze innovation. Our Open Access policy is particularly aimed at benefiting low- and middle-income countries. In these regions, public universities and libraries often grapple with the challenge of affording subscriptions due to escalating costs. Our approach ensures these institutions gain unrestricted access to published research, thereby democratizing knowledge.

At Rivera Publications, we charge a nominal processing fee for the publication of research work. This fee covers the costs associated with peer review, hosting and maintenance, online archiving, and processing of submitted papers. We have intentionally kept the Article Publication Charge (APC) low to enable researchers from underdeveloped and developing countries to publish and share their work on a global scale. This approach aligns with our mission of fostering a more equitable academic landscape.

We adhere to a robust and transparent peer-review process to ensure the quality of the published content. Our rigorous review process is designed to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity, ensuring that the research we publish is not only innovative but also credible and impactful. Our team of dedicated professionals works tirelessly to support authors throughout the publication process, from manuscript submission to post-publication services.

Our commitment to Open Access is a testament to our belief in the power of shared knowledge to drive societal progress and innovation. We are proud of the role we play in this endeavor and look forward to continuing our mission of promoting Open Access in the years to come.

Peer Review Policy

At Rivera Publications Journals, all submissions undergo a thorough evaluation by an Editor to determine their suitability for peer review. In instances where an Editor is listed as an author or has any potential conflict of interest concerning a specific manuscript, another member of the Editorial Board is assigned to oversee the peer review process. Manuscripts deemed suitable are sent for peer review by independent experts, identified by the Handling Editor. The final decision is made by the Editors based on the reviewers' reports, which are shared with the authors along with the editorial decision. It is important for authors to understand that even a single concern raised by a reviewer can significantly impact the study and may result in the manuscript's rejection, despite other positive reports.

Peer Review

Single-Blind Peer Review

In a single-blind peer review, the reviewers know the identity of the authors, but the authors do not know who is reviewing their work. This is the traditional form of peer review and is still widely used across many disciplines.

The primary advantage of single-blind review is that it allows reviewers to use their knowledge of the field and the authors' previous work to evaluate the manuscript. This can be beneficial when the reviewers are assessing the significance of the findings in the context of the author's earlier research.

However, single-blind review has its drawbacks. It can potentially introduce bias, as reviewers may be influenced by the author's reputation, their institution, or their country of origin. This can lead to established authors or those from prestigious institutions receiving more favorable reviews, while early-career researchers or those from less-known institutions may face harsher scrutiny.

Double-Blind Peer Review

In a double-blind peer review, both the reviewers and the authors are anonymous to each other. This method is designed to reduce bias by ensuring that the manuscript is evaluated solely on its content, without any influence from the authors' identities or affiliations.

The main advantage of double-blind review is that it promotes a more equitable evaluation process. Keeping the authors' identities hidden, prevents reviewers from being influenced by their preconceptions about the authors' reputation or institution. This can be particularly beneficial for early-career researchers, underrepresented groups, or authors from less-known institutions, ensuring their work is judged purely on its merits.

However, double-blind review also has its limitations. It can be challenging to completely anonymize a manuscript, especially in specialized fields where authors may be identifiable through their writing style, research topic, or cited references. Furthermore, reviewers may be less inclined to provide detailed feedback if they believe their comments could reveal their identity.

Open Peer Review

In journals utilizing an open peer review process, the reviewers' identities are disclosed on the peer review reports. Furthermore, if the manuscript is published, these named reports are made available online alongside the article. Occasionally, information from the pre-publication history may not be accessible for a specific article. During the review process, both authors and reviewers are aware of each other's identities, but direct correspondence between them is discouraged. Any communication should be facilitated through the journal Editors.

Transparent Peer Review

In the case of journals employing a transparent peer review process, the peer review reports are published online alongside the article upon its publication, without revealing the reviewer's name. Occasionally, pre-publication history may not be accessible for a specific article.

Closed Peer Review

The majority of journals operate a closed peer review process, where reviewers remain anonymous, and the pre-publication history of each article is not made available online.

Peer Reviewers

Authors may suggest potential reviewers; however, the final decision to consider these reviewers lies with the Editor. Authors should avoid suggesting recent collaborators or colleagues from the same institution. Authors can propose peer reviewers in the cover letter, providing institutional email addresses or information that helps the Editor verify the reviewer's identity, such as an ORCID or Scopus ID.

Peer reviewers should adhere to the principles of COPE's Ethical Guidelines for Peer-reviewers.

Authors may request the exclusion of certain individuals as peer reviewers, but they must explain their reasons in their cover letter upon submission. However, authors should not exclude too many individuals as it may impede the peer review process. It is important to note that the Editor may still choose to invite excluded peer reviewers.

Reviewers must consider any potential conflict of interest before agreeing to review a manuscript and should declare such conflicts to the editorial office.

- if you are working or have worked with one of the authors;

- if you are in direct competition with the author(s);

- if you are unable to provide an objective review of the submitted work;

- if you are in a position to exploit the submitted work commercially or otherwise.

Falsifying information, such as suggesting reviewers with a false name or email address, will result in the manuscript's rejection and may lead to further investigation.

Reviewers are tasked with evaluating whether the manuscript is:

- original in thought and method;

- methodologically sound;

- presents results clearly;

- references previous relevant work correctly and exhaustively;

- follows appropriate ethical guidelines, and significantly contributes to the knowledge and development of the field.

While language correction is not part of the peer review process, referees are encouraged to suggest corrections. In the final round, the handling Editor will check for linguistic and stylistic correctness and may suggest or apply corrections. In rare cases, the manuscript may be returned to the author(s) for a comprehensive linguistic and stylistic revision.

Peer Review

All the manuscripts submitted to Rivera Publications are subjected to rigorous peer-review process, in order to ensure that only relevant and authentic research with proper evidences is published. All the submitted work undergoes double-blind peer review process, and all the revisions are carried out as per the recommendations made by the field-experts.

Peer Review Process

Every manuscript submitted for publication is read by an Editor, for an initial review. If the Editor feels that the paper agrees with the editorial policies and with a minimum quality level, it is sent to at least two reviewers. The reviewers will evaluate the manuscript on different levels and share their opinion with the Editor. Based on the recommendations made by the reviewers and Editor's own evaluation, the Editor will recommend a final publication decision (accept, reject, revise). Editorial office has no role in recommending or taking part in publication decision.

The final decision is based on the recommendations made by the reviewers and Editor’s own evaluation.

• To accept the paper without any changes (Accept)
  
• To accept the paper after certain major or minor revisions (Revise)
  
• To reject the paper, but encouraging revision and inviting for re-submission (Reject and Resubmit)
  
• To reject outright without any consideration (Desk Reject)
  

Turnaround Time

Unlike, other publishers, we focus on thorough and quality peer-review, double checking the quality before publishing any data/results.

All the submitted work first undergoes an initial screening and pre-review check for plagiarism. If the paper is approved at this stage, it is forwarded to the Editor, who then assigns the paper to reviewers. However, if at this stage, any type of plagiarism is detected by Editors/Reviewers, the paper is sent back to authors for revision or rejected depending upon the quantity of similarity, which is again the sole decision of the Editor.

The Editor might ask the Editorial Office to locate and assign reviewers; however, the researched reviewers’ details are shared with the Editors prior to inviting. Only when the Editor approves the reviewers, an invitation is sent to these reviewers to referee the manuscript.

The whole process might take considerable time, and, also, since we are dealing with external scholars here, a timely response is never guaranteed. However, we make sure that each step is completed within the speculated time frame so as not to delay the author.

Revisions

Editor decision and reviewers recommendations are shared with the authors for manuscripts receiving revise decisions for revision. After the revised paper is submitted, it is sent to the original reviewers if they are available to conduct the second round of the peer review. However, if the original reviewers are not available, new field experts are invited, and, should they choose to evaluate the revised manuscript, recommendations made by the reviewers on the original manuscript are shared and the reviewers are clearly explained of the updates on this revised paper.

The authors might feel that the process might take a lot of time before the final publication, but, at Rivera Publications, we are adamant on maintaining quality of the journal by publishing only relevant and significant research.

Affordable Publication Charges

Rivera Publications follow the open access model of academic publishing. Since we follow a rigorous peer review process, the acceptance rate of submitted papers remains very low. The costs associated with review process, post acceptance processing, archive maintenance and hosting have to be covered in order to create a sustainable model. Authors are required to pay an article processing fee which will accommodate these costs. However, the article processing charge (APC) has been kept very low so as to increase participation of researchers from all over the world, especially those lacking any institutional funding.

Article Promotion

Sharing research with wider audience helps authors increase visibility of their research in their fields. Not only does this help get more citations, it enables authors promote research and cultivate stronger reputation among their peers. Thus sharing article is one of the most critical components of research, and it should be done responsibly so as to get most out it.

At Rivera Publications, we make sure that your research reaches the audience it deserves—which is also in line with the objective of open access publishing model.

With the advent of social media, no information is hidden. With our #socialmedia share program, all the published articles are shared on major social media websites.

As an author, you will be benefited in the following ways:

• Integrity of your research is not compromised
  
• You will receive credit—authors will be cited for every article shared
  
• Share network—a customized article link is shared with authors that can be used as and when required
  

How will sharing help us as a Publisher?

Article sharing, in line with copyrights, helps us maintain the quality of our journals. We support responsible article sharing on different platforms, and we do this on after obtaining author's consent.

While increased visibility helps authors in numerous ways, it helps us increase citations for our published articles, which eventually enables us sustain high-quality journals.

Rivera Research Digest

Rivera Research Digest program has been designed to increase visibility of articles discussing groundbreaking research. It is a collection of summaries of original research papers (not reviews or case reports) that significantly contribute toward a specific, groundbreaking topic and have a social impact.

The summaries or layman translations will be published on a quarterly basis as separate issue. The summaries will help increase visibility of published research, improve engagement and benefit wider society.

Post Acceptance Services

Have a pressing deadline? Language or formatting issue preventing your paper from getting published? Try our in-house Language Editing Service.

Authors can use our Language Editing Service before submitting their paper to any journal of their choice. Authors interested in publishing with us, we strongly recommend them to use our language editing service before submitting their manuscript. For details, please visit our Editing page.