Imperium
All manuscripts submitted to Imperium undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from one another throughout the review.
Initial editorial screening
The Editor-in-Chief or Managing Editor checks the manuscript's fit with the journal's Focus and Scope, adherence to the Author Guidelines, and originality via a similarity check (see Plagiarism policy). Manuscripts that fail this stage are returned to the author without external review.
Reviewer assignment
Manuscripts that pass initial screening are assigned to at least two reviewers with relevant expertise from the journal's Reviewer pool, or invited external reviewers where specialized expertise is required.
Double-blind review
Reviewers evaluate the manuscript's originality, methodological soundness, clarity, and contribution to the field, and provide written, substantive feedback to the author. Reviewers are expected to complete their evaluation within 2–4 weeks of assignment.
Each reviewer recommends one of: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject.
Editorial decision
The handling editor weighs the reviewers' recommendations and makes the final decision. Where recommendations diverge significantly, the editor may consult an additional reviewer before deciding.
Revision and resubmission
Authors asked to revise their manuscript are given a defined deadline to resubmit. Revised manuscripts may be sent back to the original reviewers for verification before a final decision is issued.
Final decision and production
Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, layout, and are scheduled for publication in an upcoming issue.
Reviewers are required to declare any conflict of interest and must not use AI tools to analyze, evaluate, or draft review comments, in line with the journal's AI Statement.
