Peer Review Process

Silence follows a rigorous peer review process to ensure the quality, integrity, and scholarly value of all published research. All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo editorial evaluation and independent peer review before a final publication decision is made.

《Silence》遵循严谨的同行评审流程，以确保所有发表研究的质量、完整性与学术价值。所有提交至本刊的稿件在做出最终出版决定前，均须经过编辑评估与独立的同行评审。

The review process is designed to promote fair, objective, and constructive evaluation of submitted work while maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of the scholarly record.

评审流程旨在促进对提交作品的公平、客观与具建设性的评估，同时维护学术记录的保密性与完整性。

The journal uses a double-blind peer review system. In this process:

本刊采用双盲（double-blind）同行评审系统。在此流程中：

This system helps ensure impartial and unbiased evaluation of manuscripts based solely on their scholarly merit.

该系统有助于确保仅基于学术价值对稿件进行公正、无偏见的评估。

Typical time for initial screening: 5–10 days after submission. / 预计初审时间：投稿后 5–10 天。

After submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial evaluation by the editorial office or an assigned editor. During this stage, the manuscript is assessed for:

投稿后，每篇稿件均须经过编辑部或指定编辑的初步评估。在此阶段，将对稿件的以下方面进行评估：

Manuscripts that do not meet the basic requirements of the journal may be returned to the authors without external review.

未达到本刊基本要求的稿件可能会在未经外部评审的情况下退还给作者。

Typical review period: 2–4 weeks. / 预计评审周期：2–4 周。

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are sent to two or more independent expert reviewers in the relevant field. Reviewers are asked to evaluate the manuscript based on criteria including:

通过初审的稿件将被送交相关领域的两名或多名独立专家审稿人。审稿人将被要求基于以下标准评估稿件：

Reviewers provide written reports and recommendations to the editor.

审稿人向编辑提供书面报告与建议。

Typical time for first decision: 4–6 weeks after submission. / 首个决定预计时间：投稿后 4–6 周。

Based on the reviewers’ reports and editorial assessment, the editor will make one of the following decisions:

基于审稿人报告与编辑评估，编辑将做出以下决定之一：

In most cases, authors are invited to revise their manuscripts in response to reviewer comments before a final decision is made.

在多数情况下，作者会被邀请根据审稿人意见修改其稿件，随后再做出最终决定。

If revisions are requested, authors should submit a revised manuscript together with a response to reviewers explaining how comments were addressed. Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation when necessary.

若要求修改，作者应提交修改后的稿件，并附上对审稿人意见的回复，说明如何处理了这些意见。必要时，修改后的稿件可能会退回给原审稿人进行进一步评估。

Typical revision period for authors:

作者预计修改周期：

Typical time from acceptance to publication: 2–3 weeks. / 录用至出版预计时间：2–3 周。

After the revision process is completed, the editor makes the final decision regarding publication. Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, formatting, and final publication.

修改流程完成后，编辑将就出版做出最终决定。被录用的稿件将进入文字编辑、排版与最终出版环节。

Under normal circumstances, the typical timeline is:

在正常情况下，预计时间表如下：

Actual timelines may vary depending on reviewer availability and the complexity of the manuscript.

实际时间表可能因审稿人的时间安排与稿件的复杂性而有所不同。

All reviewers are required to follow the journal’s ethical guidelines. Reviewers must:

所有审稿人均须遵守本刊的伦理指南。审稿人必须：

Failure to comply with these ethical standards may result in removal from the reviewer pool.

未能遵守这些伦理标准可能导致被移出审稿人库。

Editors make publication decisions based solely on the scholarly merit of the manuscript and its relevance to the journal’s aims and scope. Editorial decisions are independent of authors’ nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, or other personal characteristics.

编辑仅基于稿件的学术价值及其与本刊宗旨和范围的契合度来做出出版决定。编辑决策独立于作者的国籍、机构附属关系、性别或其他个人特征。

The journal is committed to maintaining a fair and transparent review process that upholds the highest standards of academic integrity.

本刊致力于维持公平、透明的评审流程，坚守最高标准的学术诚信。