Reviewed by name, on the clock.
Our peer review is named, time-bound, and signed. Average decision in six to eight weeks. Reviewers are paid for their work. Acceptance rate is published annually. The board signs every decision letter.
From submission to DOI
Every stage has a name, a person responsible, and a target turnaround. Nothing sits in a black box.
You submit
Through your dashboard. Title, abstract, four mandatory declarations, ORCID per author, three suggested reviewers, license preference, and the manuscript itself. Auto-acknowledged within minutes.
An editor reads it
A named editor checks scope, fit, methodology basics, and integrity. Survivors move to peer review. Desk rejections come with written reasoning, never a form letter.
Two reviewers, independently
Selected from our roster by topic match. Each reviewer commits to four weeks. We pay them honoraria. Their identities are released to the author at publication, unless they opt for anonymity.
Signed decision letter
Accept, accept with revisions, revise & resubmit, or reject. Letter is signed by the handling editor and includes both reviewer summaries verbatim. No "Section Editor" hand-waving.
DOI registered
Crossref deposits a permanent identifier. Your paper shows up on your ORCID profile automatically. Indexed in scholarly search engines within days. Permanent archival begins.
GRF versus everyone else
Where the categories really differ. Honest table, including where we're not as fast or established as the giants.
Four commitments
Specific, measurable, public.
No secret reviewers
Reviewer names are released to authors when a paper is published. Reviewers can opt for anonymity, but the default is openness. Predatory journals have no reviewers; we have named ones.
No silent decisions
Every decision letter is signed by the handling editor and includes both reviewer summaries. No "Section Editor" placeholders. The person responsible for the decision is identifiable.
No endless queues
Six to eight weeks is the target. If we run over, we tell you why and when. If we exceed twelve weeks without explanation, the editorial fee is refunded. No fine print.
No hidden stats
Annual report publishes acceptance rates, average decision time, reviewer count, geographic distribution of editors. Last year's report sits next to this year's. Trends are visible.
Asked & answered
What happens if my paper is rejected at the editorial screen?
You get a letter within seven days from the editor explaining the specific reason — scope mismatch, methodology gap, integrity flag, or fit issue. You can revise and resubmit to a more appropriate venue, or reply with clarification within fourteen days for reconsideration. We don't black-box rejections.
Are reviewers paid? How much?
Yes. Reviewers receive an honorarium per completed review, scaled to manuscript length. Reviewer payments are an explicit line item in our cost structure. This is unusual in academic publishing and a deliberate choice — paid reviewers complete on time more reliably and take the work seriously.
Can reviewers stay anonymous?
Default is open: reviewer names are released to authors at publication. Reviewers can opt out per review with a single click. About one in five chooses anonymity. Authors are told whether each review was named or anonymous, never deceived about it.
What is your acceptance rate?
Currently around 38–42% across all submissions, with substantial variation by topic. We publish this number with the annual report so trends are visible. Predatory journals typically run 90%+ acceptance; reputable journals vary widely. Our target is honest peer review, not a target rate.
If a reviewer takes longer than promised, what happens?
The handling editor follows up at four weeks. If a reviewer drops out, we replace them and the eight-week clock continues from where we left off (we don't restart). If total review time exceeds twelve weeks without us giving you specific reasons, the editorial fee is refunded.
Are GRF journals UGC-CARE listed?
Application in progress for three of our journals. All publications are Crossref-registered and DOI-indexed. UGC-CARE listing status will be updated on each journal page as decisions come through. We don't claim listing we don't have.
Can I appeal a rejection?
Yes. Appeals go to a different editor than the one who handled the original submission. Appeals address process concerns — bias, misunderstanding, factual error — not "you should have liked it more." Decisions on appeal are final, signed, and logged.
Send us your best work.
We'll give it a real review, a named editor, two paid reviewers, a signed decision letter, and a DOI within 24 hours of acceptance.