Editorial decisions

Editorial decisions are evaluated through the strength of the arguments raised with the aid of every reviewer and by the authors, and we may additionally consider the different data not reachable to either party. Our foremost obligations are to our readers and the scientific community at large, and in determining how excellent to serve them, we have to weigh the claims of every paper towards the many others additionally under consideration.

Reviewers are welcome to suggest a specific course of action, duty. They ought to know that the other reviewers of a specific paper may have different specialized expertise and/or views, and the editors may have to make a choice based on conflicting advice. The foremost valuable reports, therefore, give the editors the information on which a choice could be made upon. Sending arguments are more helpful than direct recommendation for the editors to make a decision.

Double-blinded peer review

Razi International Medical Journal offers a double-blinded peer review (neither the peer reviewers nor the authors are revealed to each other) process for articles. The editor(s) will select the reviewers of the article. However, authors are allowed to suggest perferred and non-preferred reviewers during manuscript submission.

The reviewers of the articles in this journal are not allowed to identify themselves to authors while the manuscript is under consideration with or without the editors knowledge. In case the reviewer identify him or her self to the author(s), we ask author(s) to inform the editor as soon as possible.

Peer review process

We consider the peer-review process as the main mechanism to ensure the quality of published articles. In Razi International Medical Journal, the submitted articles are rigorously peer-reviewed to ensure the high quality submissions are accepted and published. 

For a manuscript to get accepted for publication in RIMJ, the scientific validity and originality of the study content are not the only creterias it should pass; but the level of innovation, extent and importance of new information in the article are also considered and compared with that in other articles being processed.

The peer review process steps:

(a). The editor(s) evaluate each manuscript for novelty, interest for our readers and chances to compete in peer review.

This way, the futile cycles of review for manuscripts are avoided and cause saving time for authros and reviewers. Modifications/corrections may be requested from the authros at this stage before starting the peer review.

(b): Editors select typically two reviewers who are experts in the topic (choosen after investigation of their academic portofilo, mostly focused on published work in the same field of which the current manuscript is). Often, we also include one expert for statistics or a particular technique. The choosen peer reviewers will make suggestions to the editor.

(c): Decisions on manuscript and their interpretation:
        - Accept Submission: The submission will be accepted without revisions.
        - Revisions Required: The submission will be accepted after minor changes have been made.
        - Resubmit for Review: The submission needs to be re-worked, but with significant changes, may be
          accepted. It will require a second round of review, however.
        - Decline Submission: The submission will not be published with the journal.

(d): If the author(s) believe that the journal has rejected their article in error, perhaps because the reviewers have misunderstood its scientific content, an appeal may be submitted by e-mail to the editorial office (journal's email).
However, in most of the cases appleas are ineffective and are discouraged.

(e): The author(s) can monitor the progress of the manuscript throughout the review process in his/ her profile.

Reviewers' comments
As a matter of policy, we do not suppress reviewers' comments and reports; any comments that were intended for the authors are transmitted, regardless of what we may think of the content. In some cases, we may edit a report/comment to remove offensive language or comments that reveal confidential information about other matters. We ask reviewers to avoid statements that may cause needless offence; conversely, we strongly encourage reviewers to state plainly their opinion of a paper.

Processing and Publication Time
Razi International Medical Journal is committed to rapid editorial decisions and publication, and we believe that an efficient editorial process is a valuable service both to our authors and to the scienfitic community as a whole. We therefore ask reviewers to respond promptly within the number of days agreed. If reviewers anticipate a longer delay than previously expected, we ask them to let us know so that we can keep the authors informed and, where necessary, find alternatives.

Plagiarism
Razi International Medical Journal investigates into all cases of publication misconduct and it uses plagiarism detection software (Turnitin). The software checks submissions against millions of published research papers, documents on the web, and other relevant sources. All articles submitted to Razi International Medical Journal are assessed through this software as of May 2022, - before peer review and before acceptance. If plagiarism or misconduct is found at the time of submission the manuscript is rejected immediately. Should for some reason plagiarism or misconduct be identified after publication, the case will be assessed and if needed immediate actions will be taken, including but not limited to the retraction of the article, publication of a retraction notice, etc.

 

Related Information:

Research Ethics

Research and Publication Misconduct

Authorship Criteria

Conflict of Interest

Appeals