Under the patronage of the Dean of the College of Engineering, Prof. Dr. Ghassan Hamid Abdul-Majeed, the Computer Engineering Department at the University of Baghdad organized a scientific seminar titled “Steering Through the Peer Review Process.” The seminar was delivered by Prof. Dr. Sadiq Habib Abdul-Hussein on Monday, March 30, 2026, at the department’s discussion hall, with the attendance of faculty members and staff from various scientific departments.
The seminar aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the stages of evaluating academic research through Peer Review, which is considered a fundamental step in the publication process. It included an overview of scientific research and its importance in opening new knowledge horizons for researchers, enhancing their intellectual, cultural, and scientific skills, fulfilling degree requirements, and promoting collaboration with experienced scholars.
The seminar also reviewed the various aspects of the peer review process, starting from manuscript submission to a scientific journal, passing through evaluation stages, and concluding with receiving reviewers’ final comments. It emphasized how to address feedback in a professional and scientific manner.
The seminar concluded with several key recommendations, stressing the importance of carefully preparing manuscripts before submission, including proper formatting of references, tables, and figures according to the selected journal’s guidelines to avoid administrative rejection. It also highlighted the need to respond thoroughly and individually to reviewers’ comments without overlooking any point, and to consider criticism as an opportunity to improve research quality.
Additionally, the recommendations emphasized the importance of utilizing reviewers’ feedback to enhance the manuscript when resubmitting to other journals in case of rejection, along with conducting an objective analysis of the reasons for rejection—whether related to the journal’s scope or weaknesses in methodology—to improve future publication prospects.
