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Peer Review Process

The International Journal of Clinical Research and Medical Sciences (IJCRMS) follows a rigorous, transparent, and double-blind peer-review process designed to ensure the scientific quality, ethical integrity, and clinical relevance of all published articles. All submissions are evaluated by independent experts, and editorial decisions are made without influence from authors, institutions, funding bodies, or affiliations.

Stages of the Peer-Review Process

1. Manuscript Submission and Handling

Authors submit manuscripts through the IJCRMS online submission system in accordance with the journal’s Author Guidelines, ethical policies, and reporting standards. Submissions must include all required declarations, including ethical approvals, informed consent (where applicable), and conflict-of-interest statements.

2. Initial Editorial Screening

The Editor-in-Chief (EIC) conducts an initial assessment to verify:

  • Alignment with the journal’s scope

  • Compliance with submission and reporting guidelines

  • Ethical and regulatory requirements

Submissions may be desk-rejected at this stage if they fall outside the journal’s scope, lack required ethical documentation, or fail to meet baseline scientific or reporting standards. No external peer review is conducted at this stage.

3. Assignment to Handling Editor

Manuscripts that pass initial screening are assigned to a Handling Editor (Associate Editor or Section Editor) with relevant clinical or subject-matter expertise. The Handling Editor is responsible for managing the peer-review process and maintaining editorial oversight.

4. Reviewer Selection and Invitation

The Handling Editor identifies and invites qualified, independent, and conflict-free reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript’s subject area and study design.

IJCRMS applies a double-blind peer-review model, ensuring that the identities of authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the review process.

5. Peer Review and Evaluation

Reviewers critically evaluate the manuscript with particular attention to:

  • Scientific and clinical relevance

  • Methodological rigor and appropriateness of study design

  • Ethical compliance and patient safety considerations

  • Clarity, structure, and completeness of reporting

  • Validity and interpretation of results

Reviewers submit detailed reports and recommend one of the following outcomes:

  • Accept

  • Minor Revision

  • Major Revision

  • Reject

6. Editorial Decision and Revision Management

The Handling Editor evaluates reviewer reports and makes a reasoned editorial decision. Where revisions are requested:

  • Authors receive consolidated and constructive feedback

  • Revised manuscripts are reassessed by the Handling Editor

  • Additional external review may be conducted where necessary

Final acceptance decisions rest with the editorial team. Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, proofing, and publication.

Editorial Decisions and Outcomes

Accept

  • Authors receive formal acceptance notification

  • Manuscript proceeds to copyediting and production

Reject

  • Authors receive a rejection decision, with reviewer feedback where appropriate

Revision Required (Minor or Major)

  • Authors are invited to revise and resubmit

  • Revised manuscripts are evaluated for completeness, quality, and adequacy of response

Editors and Editorial Board Members as Authors

IJCRMS permits Editors and Editorial Board Members to submit manuscripts under strict safeguards to ensure fairness and transparency:

  • No editorial or review privileges are granted

  • Editors are excluded from all decision-making related to their own submissions

  • Independent editors manage the full peer-review process

  • Accepted articles include a disclosure statement describing the editorial safeguards applied

Special Issues and Guest Editors

Guest Editor Appointments

Guest Editors may be appointed for special issues or focused thematic sections based on:

  • Demonstrated expertise in the relevant medical or clinical field

  • Research experience and scholarly standing

  • Institutional or clinical credibility

Guest Editors coordinate submissions and peer review in collaboration with the IJCRMS Editorial Board and operate under the same ethical and quality standards as regular issues.

Peer Review for Special Issues

  • All special issue submissions undergo full external peer review

  • Initial screening ensures clinical and thematic relevance

  • Independent reviewers assess scientific quality, originality, and ethical compliance

  • Guest Editors provide recommendations; final editorial oversight remains with IJCRMS

Reviewer Recognition

IJCRMS recognizes the essential contributions of peer reviewers through:

  • Annual public acknowledgement on the journal website

  • Reviewer certificates upon request

  • Professional recognition through ongoing editorial engagement