Publication Process

The preparation of the journal’s publication is carried out by the members of the editorial team: the editor‑in‑chief, the deputy editor‑in‑chief, the journal manager, the section editors, the copy editor, the technical editors, the translator, and the language reviewer. Their work is supported by an international advisory board. The members of the editorial team are introduced on the Editorial Team page.

Since January 2025, all editorial and peer‑review processes and related communication have been managed within ELTE OJS. Between 2008 and 2024, editing and double‑blind peer review were conducted via email. In 2025, the editorial team gradually adopted the new OJS‑based workflow. Building on the first years’ experience, the new author, editor, and reviewer guidelines aligned with the OJS system were completed by February 2026.

The Publication Process in OJS

Phase 1 of the publication process (applies to every submitted manuscript):

• The author submits the manuscript via the journal’s website in ELTE OJS.
• The journal’s leadership (editor‑in‑chief, deputy editor‑in‑chief, journal manager) conducts pre‑review screening: they examine the topic, genre, and overall quality of the manuscript to determine whether it fits the journal’s professional profile; they verify compliance with the Author Guidelines; the deputy editor‑in‑chief checks originality using the Turnitin plagiarism‑detection software and conducts a preliminary literature check. Based on the pre‑review outcome, the journal’s leadership decides whether to send the manuscript for peer review or decline it. If the decision is to decline, the editor‑in‑chief notifies the author in OJS. (For the grounds of rejection, see the Author Guidelines.)

Phase 2 of the publication process for submissions to the Research Articles and From the Field sections

• If the pre‑review outcome is positive, the deputy editor‑in‑chief initiates a double‑blind peer review in OJS using the anonymized version of the study.
• The deputy editor‑in‑chief sends the review reports to the author in OJS. If both reviewers recommend publication, the deputy editor‑in‑chief invites the author to revise the manuscript in line with the reviews and to upload a response to the reviewers in OJS. If both reviews do not recommend publication, the procedure continues in accordance with the journal’s peer‑review policy.
• If the reviews warrant rejection, the editor‑in‑chief informs the author of the decision.
• With two positive reviews, the author revises the manuscript based on the reviewers’ comments and, by the specified deadline, uploads the revised manuscript to OJS and—from 2026 onward—also uploads the author response to reviewers.
• The deputy editor‑in‑chief reviews the revised manuscript and the author response, then forwards the revised manuscript in OJS to the head of the Research Articles or From the Field section.
• The section editor checks in detail whether revisions adequately address the reviews; verifies the structure, content, references and bibliography; and verifies the author data provided in the manuscript. Where necessary, the section editor corresponds with the author. The section editor then assigns a copy editor in OJS to the manuscript.
• The editor‑in‑chief informs the author that the manuscript has been accepted.
• If the Section Editor identifies an issue during checking that could warrant rejection (e.g., non‑existent sources cited in the manuscript), they notify the editor‑in‑chief. The journal’s leadership investigates, consults the author if necessary, and decides whether to reject or accept the manuscript.
• The editor‑in‑chief notifies the author of acceptance or rejection.

Phase 2 of the publication process for submissions to the Reviews, Viewpoints, and Miscellanea sections, and for reader letters to the Letters to the Editor section

• If the pre‑review outcome is positive, the deputy editor‑in‑chief forwards reports, reviews, and reader letters for internal review to the heads of the Reviews, Viewpoints, Miscellanea, and Letters to the Editor sections for thorough assessment.
• The section editor reviews the manuscript, checking in detail the manuscript’s structure, content, references and bibliography, and the author data provided in the manuscript. Where necessary, the section editor corresponds with the author. If the section editor’s internal review has a positive outcome, they assign a copy editor in OJS to the manuscript under their care.
• The editor‑in‑chief informs the author that the manuscript has been accepted.
• If the section editor identifies an issue during review that could warrant rejection (e.g., non‑existent sources cited in the manuscript), they notify the editor‑in‑chief. The journal’s leadership investigates, consults the author if necessary, and decides whether to reject or accept the manuscript.
• The editor‑in‑chief notifies the author of acceptance or rejection.

Phase 3 of the publication process (applies to every submitted manuscript)

• The copy editor improves language, spelling, and typography.
• The journal manager prepares the manuscript for publication; inserts dates of submission, acceptance, and publication and the article’s DOI; and verifies DOIs in the references.
• The editor‑in‑chief reads the edited manuscripts and, where necessary, makes corrections, then uploads the manuscripts for layout (without proof marks and comments) to the technical editor in OJS for InDesign formatting.
• Based on the edited manuscripts, the editor‑in‑chief sends abstracts, titles, and keywords for English translation or for the verification of author‑supplied translations to the translator.
• The translator prepares the English translations for the forthcoming issue.
• The language reviewer (proofreader) checks the translator’s work.
• The editor‑in‑chief incorporates the approved translations into the manuscripts and forwards them to the technical editor.
• The technical editor lays out the new issue in InDesign.
• The editor‑in‑chief sends the edited, laid‑out version of each contribution to the respective author for review and approval prior to publication.
• The editor‑in‑chief, section editors, copy editor, and journal manager all review the InDesign version of the new issue.
• In parallel with layout, a staff member of the ELTE University Library and Archives checks the bibliographies and DOIs of the articles prior to publication.
• The technical editor revises the articles in the new issue based on received comments and sends the updated version to the editor‑in‑chief for approval.
• The technical editor uploads the editor‑in‑chief‑approved version of the new issue in OJS to the technical editor responsible for publication.
• The technical editor responsible for publication prepares the issue for release in OJS, adds article and author metadata in Hungarian and English to the PDFs, and publishes the issue at the journal’s fixed publication time.
• The technical editor notifies the ELTE University Library and Archives staff member of the publication, who then activates the DOIs for the new issue.
• The editor‑in‑chief notifies authors of the issue’s publication.
• A news item about the new issue appears under Notifications in ELTE OJS, as well as on the journal’s Facebook page.
• The journal’s librarian uploads the articles of the new issue to the ELTE EDIT repository and deposits article metadata in MTA REAL, MATARKA, and MTMT.
• Based on the new issue, the journal’s staff prepare readable and listenable Article Recommendations, including thematic recommendations, and publish them on the journal’s website.

The editorial team carries out its work in accordance with the principles outlined in the journal’s privacy, Open Access, and ethics statements available on the website. The journal is fully committed to upholding, representing, and promoting the highest ethical standards in all aspects of its operations. All individuals involved in the journal’s publication processes—including authors, editors, reviewers, and any additional contributors—are strictly required to adhere to the principles set out in the journal’s official statements. All related activities must be carried out in full accordance with the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Recommendations for Promoting Integrity in Scientific Journal Publications issued by the Council of Science Editors.