Peer Review Process

Dian Medical Journal (DMJ) implements a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the scientific quality and integrity of all published manuscripts. Each submission undergoes a double-blind peer review process, where both reviewers and authors remain anonymous throughout the evaluation.

1. Initial Screening

All submitted manuscripts are first screened by the editorial office to assess their compliance with the journal’s focus, scope, and formatting requirements. Manuscripts that do not meet the basic criteria or contain plagiarism above the acceptable threshold (<20%) will be returned to the authors without review.

2. Assignment to Editor

After passing the initial screening, the manuscript is assigned to an Editor-in-Chief or an Associate Editor who evaluates the paper’s suitability for peer review and appoints at least two qualified reviewers in the relevant field of expertise.

3. Double-Blind Peer Review

The double-blind review process ensures impartial evaluation. Reviewers assess the manuscript based on originality, methodology, data validity, ethical compliance, and scientific contribution. Reviewers may recommend one of the following decisions:

• Accept without revision
• Minor revision required
• Major revision required
• Reject

4. Revision and Resubmission

Authors are given sufficient time to revise the manuscript based on reviewers’ comments. Revised manuscripts must be submitted along with a detailed response letter addressing all reviewer feedback. The editor may forward the revised version for another round of review if necessary.

5. Editorial Decision

The final decision to accept or reject a manuscript rests with the Editor-in-Chief, based on reviewers’ recommendations and the quality of revisions. Accepted manuscripts proceed to the copyediting and layout editing stages before publication.

6. Publication Ethics

DMJ follows ethical guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Any cases of suspected research or publication misconduct will be handled according to COPE flowcharts and policies.

7. Review Timeframe

The average duration from submission to the first decision is approximately 4–8 weeks, depending on the complexity of the paper and reviewer availability. DMJ is committed to maintaining timely and transparent communication with authors throughout the review process.