All manuscripts, except for anniversary materials, obituaries and technical information, have to be reviewed.
After a tentative estimation of paper by the editor-in-chief or his deputy on conformity to a profile of journal and its thematic sections, also to requirements to preparation of the manuscript and stock-taking of necessary accompanying documents paper is exposed to double reviewing.
Experts corresponding to paper’s profile from higher educational institutions of the Russian Federation and the academic establishments of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian academy of architecture and building sciences, having scientific degrees and ranks, mainly doctors of sciences and the professors having scientific publications on subjects of paper in previous 3 years are involved as reviewers.
The editorial database is used at appointment of reviewers. Authors of paper can present to editorial staff the data on experts who, in their opinion, can carry out the qualified reviewing of paper, but the final decision about appointment of reviewers is accepted by journal management.
Reviewing of the manuscript by experts from establishment (organisation) whence paper has arrived or its authors work is not supposed. On occasion the members of an editorial board, experts in a profile of the arrived material, may be involved in a choice of reviewers.
The manuscript of paper with the covering letter from editorial office goes to the reviewer by mail. The manuscript direction to the reviewer is registered in a log-book in the electronic form or on the paper carrier. The reviewer sends two specimens of the developed review with his signature and seal to editorial office of journal together with the manuscript of reviewed article. Date of reception of the review and the conclusion about possibility of publication or necessity of completion are fixed in a log-book.
One copy of the review remains in the journal’s archives, and the second is sent to the author (or to one of the members of an authors’ group) for completion under remarks and recommendations of the reviewer. Thus the personal data of the reviewer does not reveal.
If two negative reviews on paper without instructions of possibility of completion are received, paper is not accepted to the publication, and the message on refusal to publication is sent to authors. Paper repeatedly presented without essential processing is not accepted to consideration.
Paper with the found out signs of plagiarism or the duplicating earlier already published materials certainly deviate without the right of completion and repeated presentation.
It is necessary to send modifed paper in duplicate with the appendix of its record in electronic form. It is obligatory to put answers of authors to all remarks of the reviewer to the corrected manuscript.
The editorial number, date and a mark «the manuscript after completion» is underlined on the first page of modifed paper.
The manuscript which has arrived after completion of paper goes to the same reviewer (with a corresponding log entry of registration). At reception of the positive conclusions of two reviewers with recommendations to publication paper joins in the next formed issue of the journal with a mark «Has arrived after completion (date is underlined)». If the reviewer does new remarks under the text of modifed papere without the recommendation to publication, procedure repeats. On occasion of authors’ serious objections to remarks of reviewers the journal’s management will organize additional examination of paper with attraction of the most authoritative scientists in corresponding area – members of an editorial board, members of the Russian Academy of Sciences and RAABS. The expert judgement is the basis for the publication of paper or its deviation.
The electronic communication channels with authors and reviewers are used by editors to accelerate the process of completion of manuscripts, but the final decision about paper publication is accepted only after reception of originals of reviews with the positive conclusion.
Originals of the reviews signed and assured by the seals on papers are stored in editorial office not less than 5 years after paper’s publication together with paper and accompanying documents to it. A copies of reviews and paper materials can be presented to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation by corresponding inquiry.