Journal of Clinical Question
Peer-Review Policies
4. Revisions
5. Final Submission and Acceptance
Submission Process
Upon submission, an Editorial Board member will be assigned to evaluate the manuscript’s relevance to the journal. If the manuscript falls within the journal’s scope and is found to be technically sound and scientifically valid based on this initial review, it will be sent to external reviewers. Submissions should include copies of any similar or related works that are currently being considered or have been accepted by other journals.
Peer Review Procedure
The Journal of Clinical Question operates a single-blind peer-review system, where the reviewers are aware of the names and affiliations of the authors, but the reviewer reports provided to authors are anonymous. During the peer review process, reviewers will access the manuscript securely through the journal’s online system, ensuring anonymity. Authors are allowed to exclude certain individuals from the review process, provided they identify them by name at the time of submission. While authors may also suggest potential reviewers, these suggestions may not always be followed. Reviewers’ identities will remain confidential unless they request otherwise.
Post-Review Decision
After reviewing the feedback from external reviewers, the Editorial Board Member will choose from the following options:
- Accept: The manuscript is approved without further changes.
- Minor Revision: Authors must make small adjustments to address specific concerns.
- Major Revision: Authors are required to make significant changes and possibly conduct additional work.
- Reject: The manuscript is declined for publication.
Revisions
If changes are requested, authors will be invited to submit a revised version of their manuscript. The decision letter will outline a deadline for the revised submission. The revised manuscript may be sent to either the original reviewers or new ones, depending on the Editorial Board Member's judgment.
Revised manuscripts must be submitted via the provided revision link, and not as a new submission. Authors should also include a detailed response to the reviewers, explaining the revisions made. We strive to limit manuscripts to one round of revision before final acceptance, so authors are encouraged to thoroughly address all concerns in the first revision.
Final Submission and Acceptance
Once all editorial concerns have been resolved, the manuscript will be accepted for publication. The date of submission will reflect when the original submission passed the initial quality check, while the acceptance date will reflect when the Editorial Board Member sent the formal acceptance notification.
After acceptance, authors will receive proofs of their manuscript. Only corrections related to the title, authorship, or factual errors will be permitted. All corrections must be approved by the journal’s publishing team. The Journal of Clinical Question retains the final say on matters of style and figure dimensions.
Appeals and Complaints
If a manuscript is rejected and resubmission is not invited, authors may submit an appeal. Appeals are processed with lower priority compared to the regular review process and may take several weeks. Only one appeal is allowed per manuscript, and it can only be requested after the peer review process is complete. Final appeal decisions rest with the Editorial Board Member managing the paper.
A decision will only be overturned on appeal if the Editorial Board Member identifies a significant error in the original decision. Appeals are considered if a reviewer made substantial factual errors or demonstrated bias, but only if correcting these would have altered the decision. Disputes over factual details will only be considered if they were critical to the original outcome.
If an appeal is deemed worthy of further consideration, the manuscript and author’s response may be sent out for an additional round of peer review. For further details about our Appeals and Complaints procedure, click Editorial Policies or contact us.