A manuscript will be reviewed for possible publication with the understanding that it is being submitted to Journal of Xinxiang Medical University alone at that point in time and has not been published anywhere, simultaneously submitted, or already accepted for publication elsewhere. The journal expects that authors would authorize one of them to correspond with Journal of Xinxiang Medical University for all matters related to the manuscript. On submission, full time editors review all submitted manuscripts initially for suitability for formal review. Manuscripts with insufficient originality, serious scientific or technical flaws, or lack of a significant message are rejected before proceeding for formal peer-review. Manuscripts that are unlikely to be of interest to the journal readers are also liable to be rejected at this stage.
Manuscripts that are found suitable for publication in Journal of Xinxiang Medical University are sent to two or more expert reviewers. During submission, the contributor is requested to provide names of two or three qualified reviewers who have had experience in the subject of the submitted manuscript, but this is not mandatory. The reviewers should not be affiliated with the same institutes as the contributor/s. The selection of these reviewers is at the sole discretion of full time editors. The journal follows a double-blind review process, wherein the reviewers and authors are unaware of each other’s identity. The comments and suggestions (acceptance/ rejection/ amendments in manuscript) received from reviewers are conveyed to the corresponding author. If required, the author is requested to provide a point by point response to reviewers’ comments and submit a revised version of the manuscript. This process is repeated till reviewers and editors are satisfied with the manuscript.
Manuscripts accepted for publication are copy edited by full time editors in the editorial office. Page proofs are sent to the corresponding author. The corresponding author is expected to return the corrected proofs within several days. The whole process of submission of the manuscript to final decision and sending proofs is completed online.
Reviewers should ensure that manuscripts are reviewed scientifically and accurately with an objective and fair attitude, and keep the text content confidential. The opinion of the reviewer must be clear, well-argued and respectful of the author. Reviewers should withdraw if the manuscript involves conflicts of interest.
Confidentiality
Any manuscript received by the reviewer must be regarded as a confidential document. Without the authorization of the editor, the manuscript cannot be displayed or discussed to others, and unpublished data contained in the submitted manuscript must not be used by reviewers in their own research without the explicit consent of the author.
Objectivity
Reports should be objective and fair without bias based on scientific facts. The reviewed manuscripts are only evaluated academically, and personal remarks and criticisms directed at the author or hurtful remarks directed at the text content are not eligible. The intellectual content of submitted manuscripts is evaluated regardless of race, gender, religion, belief, status, qualifications and authority of the contributors. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
Professional evaluation
The innovation, scientificity, and practicability of the manuscript are reviewed with professional attitude. Reviewers should make fair evaluations on whether the research methods are appropriate, whether the scientific research design is reasonable, whether the results and conclusions are accurate, and whether there is any leakage of secrets for assisting the editorial staff in making decisions and may also assist the author to improve the quality of the manuscript.
Delays and deadlines
When a guest reviewer does not feel competent enough to evaluate the research presented in the manuscript, or if he finds himself unable to provide his report in time, he must inform the editor without delay in order to give him time to contact other reviewers.
Withdrawal principle
Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.
