The following is an outline of the editorial process involved in publishing a scientific paper (Original articles, Short communications, Case reports, Letters to the editors and Review articles) in IJOY, and describes how manuscripts are handled by editors between submission and publication.

Criteria for publication

 The principal criteria for publication of scientific papers in IJOY are that they:

• report original scientific research in the field of Yoga (the main results and conclusions must not have been published or submitted elsewhere)
• are of useful significance to public at large

Who decides what to publish?

The judgement about which papers will interest a broad readership is made by the Editorial Board. The decisions are independent, unbiased by scientific or national prejudices of particular individuals. The broad areas of research are Yoga and Spirtiuality, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Education & Management and Humanities

How to submit an Article or Letter

 To reduce delays, authors should ensure that the level, length and format conforms with IJOY's requirements, at submission and each revision stage. Submissions should be accompanied by a covering letter stating briefly the key contributions of their research stating that the same has not been submitted to any other journal for publication. Authors are encouraged to provide two 200-word summaries, one to bring out the significance of the work for readers of IJOY (mainly scientists or those in scientifically related professions); and the other to explain the conclusions at an understandable level for the general public. The cover letter should also specify the number of words in the text of the paper, the number of display items (figures and tables), the number of attachments (manuscript, figures, Slides, Vedio Clippings, Supplementary Information if any, supporting mansucripts), and their formats. To submit an article online one has to register as an author through www.journalonweb.com

What happens to a submitted Article or Letter?

The first stage for a newly submitted manuscript is that the editorial staff consider whether to send it for peer-review. On submission, the manuscript is examined by the editorial board who makes this initial decision. The initial judgement is not a reflection on the technical validity of the work described, or on its importance to people in the same field rather it suggests the suitability of the article for publication in IJOY.
Once the decision has been made to peer-review the manuscript, the selection of referees is made by the Chief editor. Most papers are sent to two or three referees, but some are sent to more or, occasionally, just to one selected generally from the International Review Board of IJOY. Referees are chosen for the following reasons:

• independence from the authors and their institutions
• ability to evaluate the technical aspects of the paper fully and fairly
• currently or recently assessing related submissions
• availability to assess the manuscript within the requested time.

Referees' reports

The ideal referee's report indicates who will be interested in the new results and why, and lists any technical failings that need to be addressed before the authors' case is established.

Competitors

Although IJOY editors and Referees make every effort to ensure manuscripts are assessed fairly, IJOY is not responsible for the conduct of its referees.

IJOY welcomes authors' suggestions for suitable independent referees, but editors are free to decide themselves who to use as referees. IJOY editors will normally honour requests that a paper not be sent to one or two (but no more) competing groups for review.

Speed

I-JOY makes decisions about submitted papers as rapidly as possible. Authors are usually informed within a week if the paper is not being considered and most referees honour their agreement with IJOY to deliver a report within fifteen days or other agreed time limit, and send their reports online. Decisions by editors are routinely made very rapidly after receipt of reports.

Decision letters and what they mean

All Full Papers, Short Communications and Review Papers and Letters to the editors published in IJOY go through at least one round of review, usually two or three, sometimes more. At each stage, the editor will discuss the manuscript with editorial colleagues in the light of referees' reports, and send a letter to the author offering one of the following options:

• The paper is accepted for publication without any further changes required from the authors.
• The paper is accepted for publication in principle once the authors have made some revisions in response to the referees' reports.
• A final decision on publication is deferred, pending the authors' response to the referees' comments.
• The paper is rejected because the referees have raised considerable technical objections and/or the authors' claim has not been adequately established. Under these circumstances, the editor's letter will state explicitly whether or not a resubmitted version would be considered.
• The paper is rejected with no offer to reconsider a resubmitted version.

In replying to the referees' comments, authors are advised to use language that would not cause offence when their paper is shown again to the referees, and to bear in mind that if a point was not clear to the referees and/or editors, it is unlikely that it would be clear to the nonspecialist readers of IJOY.

Appeals

If an author wishes to appeal against IJOY's decision, the appeal must be made in writing, not by telephone, and should be confined to the scientific case for publication. IJOY's editors are unable to assign high priority to consideration of appeals.

Authors often ask for a new referee to be consulted, particularly in cases where two referees have been used and one is negative, the other positive. IJOY is reluctant to consult new referees unless there is a particular, relevant area of scientific expertise that was lacking in the referees already used. Authors should note that as IJOY is an interdisciplinary journal, referees for a paper are chosen for different reasons, for example a technical expert and a person who has a general overview of a field might both referee the same paper. Editors' decisions are weighted according to the expertise of the referees, and not by a "voting" procedure.

If I-JOY's editors agree to reconsider a paper, the other original referee(s) will have the chance to see and comment on the report of the referee who is the subject of the complaint. New referees can often raise new sets of points, which complicates and lengthens the consideration process instead of simplifying it.

If an author remains unsatisfied, he or she can write to the Chief Editor, citing the manuscript reference number. In all these cases, it is likely that some time will elapse before I-JOY can respond, and the paper must not be submitted for publication elsewhere during this time.

Formats and lengths of papers

Space in I-JOY is limited, and so format requirements must be strictly observed, as advised by the editor handling the submission, and detailed in the guide to manuscript preparation and submission.

Subediting of accepted papers

After a paper is accepted, it is subedited to ensure maximum clarity and reach. This process enhances the value of papers in various ways. I-JOY's Assistant-editors are happy to advise authors about the format of their Full Papers, Short Communications and Review Papers and Letters to the editors after acceptance for publication. Their role is to

• edit the language for maximum clarity and precision for those in other disciplines.
• ensure that the paper is at the length specified by the manuscript editor (including figures).
• ensure that the terminology and notation conform to I-JOY's house style.
• ensure that the figures and tables are clear and will fit in the space available.
• make the slides, photographs, video clippings, font colours and such embellishments more suited to the publications

asssitant Editors might contact authors after acceptance for publication to discuss these points

Publication

Original research papers accepted for publications in the final form will be assigned a publication number and uploaded to the Journal. A letter to that effect will be sent to the author/s.