Research Directions: Biotechnology Design will operate open peer review for full transparency about decision-making, to mitigate issues that contribute to editorial bias, and to enable reviewers to collect their contributions as part of their academic record. Authors will know who has reviewed their submission, with accepted manuscripts being published with their review reports; these reports will include the reviewer name, their ORCID ID, and be assigned an individual DOI. 

Open peer review does not mean that reviewers should contact authors directly, or that authors should contact reviewers. All queries should be directed through the editorial office.  

Appeals Process Guidance

Appeals will only be considered if they refer to a specific manuscript and must be based on evidence that either (1) an editor or reviewer made a significant factual error/a major misunderstanding of a manuscript, or (2) the integrity of the editorial decision making process was compromised. In general, only one appeal per manuscript per decision stage will be considered. 

To appeal an editorial decision, contact [email protected] and specify the manuscript in question and the reason for your appeal. Your appeal will be reviewed by the Editor in Chief or another Executive editor that has not been responsible for the peer review of your manuscript. The final decision regarding your appeal will rest with the Editor in Chief or the Executive Editor that reviewed this appeal.

New submissions take priority over appeals, so it may take a substantial period of time for the journal to reach a conclusion about your appeal. If you have submitted an appeal and are awaiting an outcome, you should not submit your manuscript for publication elsewhere until you have notified this journal that you wish to withdraw your manuscript from consideration.