Leuven University Press (UPL)

Peer review procedure

Leuven University Press (UPL) is an academic press of international standing affiliated with the University of Leuven (Belgium). Disseminating scholarly knowledge is our priority. To guarantee this quality we have our own editorial board which assesses all proposals and follows the review procedure.

All our publications are submitted to peer review and this is made visible by the so-called GPRC-label (Guaranteed Peer Reviewed Content) added in the colophon of each book. With this quality label the Flemish Publishers’ Association (VUV) certifies that a peer review procedure which corresponds to the international academic standards, has positively evaluated the labelled publication.

Stages of the UPL-review procedure:

  1. All proposals are presented to the UPL intern editorial board for initial assessment. Authors will be notified of the outcome in the week following the meeting. For exact meeting dates, please consult our website.
  2. Following a positive response of the UPL editorial board, the final manuscript is sent to two specialist readers in the field for expert advice. This review takes approximately 6-8 weeks after the acceptance of the reviewer. The referees are asked to make use of the UPL review form and to comment especially on:
    • the scholarly quality of the book
    • the coherence with respect to content
    • the style of writing
    • the line of reasoning
    • the contribution to the field of research

Other suggestions to improve the quality of the work are, of course, most welcome too. All comments are passed on to the author(s) without revealing the identity of the readers unless they specify otherwise. To thank the referees for their efforts they are offered one or two titles from the UPL list

  1. The final publishing decision is dependent on the advice of the reviewers and cannot be contested. The manuscript may be accepted as it is, or the author may be asked to make some necessary changes. In case of a negative advice from the reviewer, the manuscript cannot be published with UPL.

  2. If revision of the manuscript is required by the referees, the author will be asked to meet the comments and suggestions formulated by the reviewers, and to draw up a revision report in which (s)he explains which changes have been made. If required by the referees, the revised manuscript can be re-assessed.