All submissions first undergo an initial desk screening by the editorial team to ensure they fall within the journal’s scope and comply with submission guidelines. At this stage, manuscripts may be rejected or returned to authors for preliminary revisions.

Submissions that pass the initial screening are then subjected to similarity and AI usage checks. Manuscripts with more than 10% plagiarism or those that rely on AI for content generation will be rejected.

Following this, manuscripts are assigned to expert reviewers in the relevant field, as recommended by the editorial board and approved by the Vice Chancellor. Each manuscript is reviewed by two experts. 

In cases where a reviewer recommends rejection, the manuscript may be sent to a third reviewer if necessary. The final decision is made by the editorial board, based on the reviewers’ evaluations and comments. 

The peer-review process takes a maximum of four months:

Submission 

↓

Initial Screening by Editors – 1 week

↓        

Similarity and AI Screening -2 days

↓       

Desk rejection or proceeding to review -1 week

↓                      

Review by Two Experts – 2 months

↓                       

Returning to Authors for Revisions – 1 week

↓                      

Sending Revised Manuscript to Reviewers – 1 week

↓                      

Final Approval & Publication Process – 1 week

The Sri Lanka Journal of Buddhist Studies (SLJBS) permits a maximum of 10% similarity for both AI-generated content and plagiarism, as assessed through Turnitin. AI tools may be used only to improve the clarity, grammar, and readability of the language. They must not be used to generate the intellectual content, arguments, analysis, or findings of the manuscript.

If a submission exceeds the 10% threshold in the Turnitin screening, it will be rejected by the editors without proceeding to the peer-review process.