The European Scientific Journal of Dual Higher Education (ESJ DHE) positions itself as the dedicated academic voice for research in the dynamic and increasingly relevant field of dual higher education in Europe and beyond.
Governance Policy
Editor-in-chief (EIC)
The Editor-in-chief (EIC) has ultimate responsibility for all content published in the journal. The EIC sets the academic tone and policies for the ESJ DHE journal, ensuring alignment with COPE ethical standards, Plan S open access requirements and Scopus quality criteria. Their key duties include:
- approving Calls for Papers and editorial plans
- supervising initial screening of submissions
- collaborating with Managing Editors
- making the final decision on all manuscripts (especially in cases of accept/reject), based on reviewers’ and Managing Editors’ input
- ensuring decisions are fair, unbiased, and solely merit-based
- resolving any conflicts or appeals in consultation with the editorial board
- upholding ethical standards (follow COPE flowcharts in cases of suspected misconduct and issue retractions or corrections when necessary).
The EIC also oversees the timely release of issues and that the journal stays on schedule. In terms of Plan S and open access, the EIC supports policies like author-rights retention and open licensing. The EIC represents together with the Managing editor team the ESJ DHE journal to external bodies (Scopus, DOAJ, etc.) to maintain certifications and indexing status. In short, the EIC is the chief steward of the journal’s academic integrity and quality.
Editorial Board
The Editorial Board of the European Scientific Journal for Dual Higher Education (ESJ DHE) has strategic advisory role, ensures academic quality and international visibility of the journal by promoting the journal in relevant academic and professional communities. Their key duties include:
- establishing the ESJ DHE journal as the leading platform for scientific work on dual and work-integrated higher education in Europe and beyond
- providing feedback on editorial policy, special issues, and journal performance
- defining in collaboration with the EIC thematic priorities and contributions of the upcoming issues
- supporting the strategic development of the journal and its positioning in the academic field,
- recruiting (if necessary) qualified peer reviewers or engaging themselves as reviewers (if necessary).
In borderline or contested cases of submitted manuscripts, Editorial Board members maybe consulted to ensure balanced judgment. Beyond peer review, the Editorial Board upholds transparency and integrity throughout the editorial workflow, helps resolve appeals, and contributes to continuous quality control. Their collaborative work underpins the journal's compliance such as COPE, Plan S and Scopus requirements, ultimately safeguarding the scholarly rigor and relevance of each publication.
Managing Editor
The Managing Editor handles the operational management of the editorial process. He/she is the organizational linchpin between authors, reviewers, and editors, ensuring that each stage of the workflow progresses on schedule. Their key duties include:
- managing the OJS platform settings and user accounts
- posting Calls for Papers and coordinating outreach
- receiving new submissions and performing initial checks (relevance, completeness, anonymity)
- ensuring that the submissions are treated confidentially. Information can only be shared with relevant parties such as the authors, reviewers, and Editor-in-Chief (if necessary)
- recusing themselves if conflicts of interest arise with authors, reviewers, companies, or institutions involved in a submission
- coordinating the assignment of reviewers in the system
- sending reminders to reviewers and authors to keep the timeline
- communicating with authors at various points (confirmation of submission, decision letters, revision reminders, etc.)
- organizing the copyediting and proofreading process (copy/layout editing, tracking progress)
- assembling the final issue in OJS for publication.
The Managing Editor also often compiles the data needed for transparency reports (turnaround times, acceptance rates) and ensures compliance with technical requirements (registering DOIs, updating indexing databases).
Reviewer
Reviewers are experts who provide peer evaluations of submissions. Their responsibility in the ESJ DHE journal is to deliver honest, constructive, and unbiased assessments of the manuscripts. Specifically, reviewers must:
- ensure that the submissions are treated confidentially. Information can only be shared with relevant parties such as the Managing Editors and Editor-in-Chief (if necessary)
- declare conflicts of interest – for instance, if they realize they know the author(s) or have a competitive stake, they should recuse themselves
- follow professional ethics as outlined by COPE’s guidelines for peer reviewers (e.g. reviewing objectively, not using the content for personal advantage, etc.).
- evaluate the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses in methodology, data analysis, originality, theoretical and methodological rigor, clarity of presentation, and significance/relevance to the thematic focus of the issue
- comment on any ethical issues (plagiarism, redundant publication, data integrity, etc.) they detect
- submit their review by the agreed deadline (usually ~4 weeks). Extensions may be requested where necessary.
- use the journal’s review form or format to ensure they cover required aspects
- give a clear recommendation (accept, minor/major revision, reject) grounded in the paper’s merits
- ensure that reviews are impartial and focus on providing reasoned, evidence-based critiques.
- write comments that will help the authors improve the paper (even in the case of rejection, feedback should be constructive).
The role of Reviewers is vital in the scholarly vetting process: they act as gatekeepers of quality and help maintain the standards required by both the journal and indexing services like Scopus. The Managing Editor acknowledges their contributions, and will keep a record of reviewer performance (quality of reviews and timeliness) to inform future reviewer selection.
The use of open Artificial Intelligence (AI) models - e.g. ChatGPT - are prohibited for reviewers when completing the peer review, due to concerns over the sharing of data that is not publicly available. Local models which do not upload information back into training datasets, or self-built models, are permitted to help guide the peer reviewer, however, the reviewer takes re-sponsibility for the review feedback provided and will be accountable for the content that they submit. The reviewer should not rely on AI in regard to their opinion of the article and recom-mendation to the editor.
Selection and Recognition of Reviewers
Reviewers are selected based on their scholarly expertise, research record, and experience in the field of dual or cooperative higher education. The journal maintains a balanced and diverse reviewer pool. Selected reviewers may also be invited to participate in editorial advisory roles or themed issues.
To ensure high-quality peer review, all reviewers for ESJ DHE should meet the following academic and professional requirements:
1. Academic Qualifications
- Minimum of a doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent) in a relevant field (e.g. education, vocational education and training, higher education studies, social sciences, engineering education, or related areas).
- In exceptional cases, reviewers with a Master’s degree may be considered if they demonstrate significant professional experience and a strong publication record in dual or cooperative higher education.
2. Research Experience
- Demonstrated expertise in the field of dual, cooperative, or work-integrated higher education through peer-reviewed publications, project leadership, or equivalent contributions.
- At least two peer-reviewed publications in national or international academic journals relevant to the field within the last five years.
3. Reviewing Competence
- Prior experience in academic peer review (e.g. as reviewer, editorial board member, or guest editor) is strongly preferred.
- Familiarity with academic standards of research design, methodology, and scholarly writing in empirical, theoretical, or conceptual work.
4. Professional Standing
- Active academic, professional, or policy-related involvement in dual higher education, e.g.:
- University or university of applied sciences faculty
- Researcher or PhD supervisor
- Higher education administrator or policy expert with research involvement
- Affiliation with a recognized academic, governmental, or research institution
5. Language Proficiency
- Proficient in academic English, both written and spoken.
- Ability to evaluate manuscripts written in English and provide clear, constructive, and respectful feedback.
6. Ethical Commitment
- Agreement to comply with the journal’s ethical standards and the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers.
- Willingness to declare potential conflicts of interest and maintain strict confidentiality.
7. Availability and Reliability
- Capacity to complete a review within the standard timeframe of 3–4 weeks.
- Commitment to providing thorough, balanced, and constructive reviews that help authors improve their work and support editorial decisions.
Optional: Desirable Additional Qualifications
- Participation in dual education research networks or associations (e.g. WACE, EAIR, EUA).
- Experience with third-party funded research projects or practice-based research.
- Interdisciplinary perspectives or international experience in work-integrated learning contexts.
Author
Authors in a scientific journal such as the ESJ DHE journal are responsible for conducting original research, presenting their findings clearly and accurately, and ensuring the integrity of the data. They must also follow ethical guidelines, properly cite sources, and respond transparently to peer review feedback. Additionally authors have to consider:
- Submissions must present accurate and original research, include sufficient details for replication, and properly acknowledge prior work.
- Provision of raw data during the review process and ensuring its availability for at least ten years post-publication, subject to confidentiality or legal restrictions.
- Submissions must be original, with proper citations for others' work. Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable.
- Simultaneous submissions to multiple journals or duplicate publications are prohibited, except in specific cases with prior agreement and citation of the original work.
- Only contributors meeting authorship criteria - significant contribution, manuscript drafting, and approval of the final version - should be listed as authors. Others should be acknowledged with their consent.
- Disclose of any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest.
- Studies involving humans must comply with ethical guidelines, have institutional approval, and include statements of informed consent and respect for participants' privacy.
- Notification to the ESJ DHE journal promptly if any significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions occur
Publisher
The publisher, in collaboration with EIC, editorial board and managing editors, addresses:
- allegations of misconduct through appropriate measures such as errata, clarifications, or retractions.
- the preservation and permanent availability of all published content through partnerships and a digital archive.
