As an academic publisher, the Austrian Academy of Sciences Press attaches particular importance to the highest quality of the works it publishes.

All manuscripts we receive are subjected to an international and anonymous academic review process (peer review). This review process ensures that works maintain scientific standards, are relevant and are up to date, thus guaranteeing the high quality of our book projects in terms of both form and content.

Reviewers are specialists in the relevant field working abroad. Reviewers may not have any conflict of interest in relation to the author, be they of a professional, financial or personal nature.

The selected reviewers produce detailed written reviews under their own names working to a set deadline. At least two reviews are commissioned for each work. The Division of Humanities and the Social Sciences or the Division of Mathematics and the Natural Sciences decide whether a manuscript should be accepted, modified or rejected on the basis of these reviews.

If a review recommends that the manuscript be revised, the suggestions and criticism are communicated to the author/s in anonymised form. Following revision, further steps leading to the book going into print are discussed with the author and where relevant a contract is signed.

Guidelines for authors and editors (PDF)

Guidelines of the Presiding Committee for Waiving Academic Peer Review at the OeAW Press

Anonymous scholarly peer review is mandatory for all print and/or electronic publications published by the OeAW Press.

Besides such standard cases (“publication track 1”) of mandatory anonymous scholarly peer review, it is also possible to pursue an alternative procedure (“publication track 2”) without peer review provided the texts in question fulfil the narrow criteria of legitimate public relations relating to the OeAW or response to public demand if the OeAW considers it both scientifically and financially legitimate:
1) Self-documentation by the OeAW or its individual institutes (e.g. almanacs, working papers of institutes etc.)
2) Reprints (e.g. editions of classical works, acquisition of completed series or editions from other publishing houses etc.)
3) Selected popular scientific publications (e.g. museum catalogues, high-quality non-fiction etc.)

Should there be any uncertainty or disagreement regarding qualification for “publication track 2”,  the Publications Committee is to be consulted.