Retrospektive uses a double-blind peer review process. All submitted manuscripts are evaluated by at least two independent reviewers who are experts in the relevant field. The identities of both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the review process to minimise bias and ensure an impartial assessment of scholarly quality.
All manuscripts, including those commissioned by the editorial board, undergo peer review and language editing before acceptance.
Reviewers assess manuscripts based on originality, methodology, use of sources, argumentation, and language. They provide detailed written feedback and a recommendation for acceptance, revision, or rejection. Reviewers who feel unqualified to assess a manuscript or who cannot complete the review within the agreed timeframe are asked to notify the editorial board and withdraw from the process.
The journal aims to complete the initial round of external peer review within approximately two months. The total time to a final decision depends on reviewer availability and the revisions required.
Reviewers are expected to treat manuscripts as confidential documents and must not use unpublished materials for personal research purposes.
Manuscripts submitted by editors, editorial board members, or guest editors are handled by an editor without a conflict of interest. The submitting person takes no part in reviewer selection, the assessment of reviews, or the publication decision.
Appeals against editorial decisions are handled under the Complaints and Appeals procedure in the journal’s Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement.