University of Exeter Press: Peer Review Process for scholarly monographs

All book proposals are first assessed by the appropriate UEP specialist commissioning editor, who also handles the subsequent peer review process. Once accepted for consideration for publication by UEP, the proposal must pass through a rigorous peer review process. The exact detail of this process may vary from book to book, but the standard framework of the process is constant. The proposal is sent to at least two external scholars with relevant expertise in the subject, who are asked to comment on the proposal in the form of a blind review using the UEP guidelines for readers and referees. These external referees are chosen by UEP’s commissioning editor, jointly with the UEP series editor(s) if the book is being considered for inclusion in a series. lf the typescript or sample material are available at this stage, these will also be assessed by the initial external referees, Authors may be asked to suggest names of referees, but if these suggestions are used they will not be the only referees of the project.

lt is recognised that not all scholars will have the same view of a book’s suitability for publication; if there is a sharp difference of opinion between just two reports received, then UEP will frequently seek a third view. Reports from these referees are then considered by the commissioning editor and are usually passed, anonymised, to the proposing author, who is asked to comment on the reports and to suggest revisions to be made in the light of the referees’ comments.

A successful proposal is then presented to the Universities editorial approval panel, via a Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter. lf approved by the University a contract - subject to approval of final manuscript - will be issued to the author at this stage.

On submission of final manuscript (if it was not submitted alongside the proposal), the complete text will then read by an external reader, or by at least one of the series editors if in a UEP series. The author will be requested to make revisions in line with suggestions in any resulting reports. when this process is completed the book is entered into production at UEP.