Review process
From submission to DOI.
Typical timings. Complex or revised manuscripts may take longer.
- Days 1–3
Initial editorial screening
The Managing Editor checks scope, formatting, and guideline adherence. Turnitin or iThenticate runs a plagiarism check.
- Manuscripts over 15% overall similarity, or with localized unoriginal content, are returned or rejected.
- Days 4–7
Reviewer assignment
The paper goes to an Associate Editor in the field, who assigns at least two independent expert reviewers.
- Weeks 2–4
Peer evaluation
Reviewers assess:
- Originality and novelty.
- Methodological soundness, experimental design or clinical validity.
- Clarity of conclusions and data.
- Ethical compliance and citations.
- Decision
Editorial decision
The Managing Editor or Editor-in-Chief issues one of four decisions:
Accept without RevisionsMinor Revisions (1–2 weeks to resubmit)Major Revisions (re-review)Reject - Publication
Production and publication
Copyediting, typesetting, and author proofreading, then a Crossref DOI is assigned and the paper is published online.
Publication ethics
The standards we hold.
We adhere to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and international academic standards.
Author responsibilities
- Originality & plagiarism. Verbatim copying, uncited paraphrasing, self-plagiarism, and data fabrication are prohibited.
- Duplicate submission. No simultaneous submission to more than one journal.
- Authorship. Every listed author must have made substantial contributions. Guest, gift, or ghost authorship is forbidden.
- Conflict of interest. Disclose any financial, commercial, or personal relationships.
Ethical approvals (medical, nursing & human research)
- IRB / ethics committee. Name the approving committee and protocol number in the manuscript.
- Informed consent. Confirm consent from all participants or their legal guardians.
- Animal welfare. Comply with recognized institutional, national, or international standards.
Post-publication
- Corrections (erratum or addendum). Significant errors that don't invalidate the conclusions get a published correction notice linked to the original article.
- Retractions. Severe errors, fabricated data, plagiarism, or ethical breaches lead to a formal retraction under COPE guidelines, with a prominent retraction notice on the article page.