Published scholarly articles in the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts undergo a rigorous peer review process based on editor assessment combined with anonymized peer review. The JFA is committed to providing each submission with a fair evaluation of its merits in consideration for publication. In addition to internal editorial review of article submissions, each work of scholarly analysis is subjected to double-anonymized external review. The JFA is committed to expanding its base of blind reviewers to reflect the diverse specializations of academic authors studying the fantastic.
While think pieces by creatives invited to write for the JFA do not undergo the double-anonymized external review of scholarly submissions, each creative think piece is subject to careful evaluation by members of the JFA Editorial Collective before the draft is accepted for publication.
The following process applies to all research submitted to the JFA:
- The Author(s) write(s) and submit a work of scholarly analysis/research on a subject of the fantastic.
- The Acquisitions Editor-in-Chief sends the submission to the Senior Submissions Editor and regional Associate Submissions Editor(s) who, following internal screening, will send each submission to two subject-appropriate Peer Reviewers.
- In addition to the submissions themselves, Peer Reviewers receive the following summary anti-racist review statement and guidelines, as posted on the JFA website: https://www.fantastic-arts.org/jfa/bipoc-anti-racist-statement/
- The full statement which informs the JFA’s review policies, “Anti-Racist Scholarly Reviewing Practices: A Heuristic for Editors, Peer reviewers, and Authors,” is made available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lZmZqeNNnYfYgmTKSbL2ijYbR4OMovv6A-bDwJRnwx8/mobilebasic?urp=gmail_link&gxids=7628&usp=gmail
- Peer Reviewers review each submission according to the guidelines provided by the Editorial Collective of the JFA in order to vet the content and quality of research.
- Each Peer Reviewer must supply a written evaluation in which the reviewer advises to accept and publish the article, reject it or request revision and resubmission.
- After Editorial Collective evaluation of internal and anonymized external recommendations, the Acquisitions Editor-in-Chief will send a response to submitting Author(s) explaining the Journal’s decision.
- If the submission is accepted, it will be sent to the Project Editor-in-Chief in preparation for publication.
- If revision of the submission is requested, it will be internally re-evaluated and, as necessary, externally reviewed before it is sent to the Project Editor-in-Chief in preparation for publication.
- If the submission is rejected after peer review, the JFA will not accept resubmission without prior agreement with members of the Editorial Collective