Manuscripts will normally be processed and returned in three months or less. After submission of your manuscript, you should receive an e-mail acknowledgment. Upon receipt, your manuscript will be examined by our Editor in Chief and usually, by one or more of the Associate Editors. Once we understand its intended contribution, we will assign each paper to referees who we believe can offer constructive comments to the authors, and a fair assessment regarding its publishability to us.

As is the practice in most social science journals, the review process at International Studies Quarterly is double-blind. That is, authors will not be identified in the copies given to reviewers, and reviewers will not identify themselves in their review.

Normally we will assign manuscripts to three reviewers who will be asked to complete their critical reviews of the manuscript, and a reviewers' checklist, in about five weeks. Though our aim is to receive three reviews of each manuscript before our decision, in practice this may not always be possible because of nonresponsive reviewers. In such instances we may make decisions based on two reviews. This will only be done if we believe we have sufficient information to make a fair, well-informed decision, and if it is highly unlikely that a third review will change the decision. Any additional reviews received after the decision will be forwarded to the author.

Contributors will be sent copies of the referee reports via e-mail, as well as a letter from the Editor in Chief, in which he explains the Editorial Team's decision. Reviewers will also receive anonymous copies of their and other reviewers' comments, and a copy of the Editor's decision letter, with the contributors' names deleted.

Invitations to revise and resubmit manuscripts will only be given in instances when the Editors believe that there is a high probability that a revision in line with their comments can be completed, and the manuscript accepted for publication.

Nearly all of the activities of ISQ related to the review process are being transferred to the web. We see this as a way to decrease our response time, in an effort to better serve prospective authors who deserve timely and constructive feedback.