Editorial Policy and Review Process

At Electronic Physician (ISSN: 2008-5842), we adhere to the highest standards of scientific integrity, publication ethics, and constructive peer review. Authors are encouraged to carefully review our editorial guidelines prior to manuscript submission.

1. Core Principles & Editorial Standards

  • Originality & Duplicate Policy: Manuscripts are accepted on the strict condition that they report original work that has not been previously published (in whole or part) and is not currently under consideration by any other journal. (Abstracts or short summary presentations from conference proceedings are exempt).
  • Ethical Compliance: All studies must comply with global research ethics guidelines. Human subject research must conform to the Declaration of Helsinki and be approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) / Ethics Committee. Animal studies must adhere to institutional and national guidelines.
  • ICMJE & COPE Membership: The journal incorporates the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts (URM) set by the ICMJE, subscribes to the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and is a member of the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).
  • Motto: "Excellence in Constructive Peer Review." We view the review process as an educational and developmental dialogue that helps authors elevate the quality, methodological soundness, and clarity of their work.

2. Step-by-Step Editorial & Review Workflow

Step 1: Manuscript Submission

    • Submissions must be made directly by the authors (third-party submissions on behalf of authors are prohibited).
    • Authors must specify individual contributions according to ICMJE criteria within the cover letter.
    • Mandatory Package:
      1. Cover Letter (including ICMJE contribution table).
      2. Blinded Manuscript File.
      3. Completed and signed Conflict of Interest (COI) Form.
      4. Supporting Documents (Ethics Approval, Informed Consent Forms, or Clinical Trial Registration where applicable).
      5. Adherence to reporting checklists (CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, CARE, STARD, SPIRIT, MOOSE).

Step 2: Desk Screening & Acknowledgement

    • Receipt: Authors receive an official submission receipt containing a unique Manuscript ID within 1–3 business days.
    • Desk Rejection / Screening: Manuscripts with significant technical deficiencies, poor language, inappropriate research design, or unclear methodology are subject to desk rejection within 1 to 2 weeks to avoid unnecessary review delays.

Step 3: Peer Review & Reviewer Follow-Up System

    • Review Format: Submissions are evaluated by at least 3 independent expert reviewers. The exact number of peer reviewers is explicitly displayed on the first page of every published paper.
    • Evaluation Criteria: Originality/novelty, scientific validity, methodological rigor, quality of presentation, clarity of English, and overall significance.
    • Proactive Peer-Review SOP: To prevent review delays, our editorial office actively manages reviewer communication:
      • If a reviewer does not respond within 1–2 weeks of an invitation, our office contacts them directly.
      • Weekly follow-ups ensure that review comments are gathered efficiently without compromising evaluation quality.
    • Expected Peer-Review Timelines:
      • Routine Track: Initial decision and detailed reviewer comments within 3 to 6 months.
      • Fast Track: Initial decision within 3 to 10 weeks (subject to expert reviewer availability).

Step 4: Editorial Decision & Revisions

Possible decisions rendered by the Editorial Board include:

    • Accept as is (Historically, no manuscript has been accepted without revision in over 10 years of publication).
    • Minor Revision
    • Major Revision
    • Reject

Authors must carefully revise their manuscript in response to reviewer comments and provide a detailed point-by-point response letter upon resubmission.

Step 5: Publication Fee & Fee Waivers

    • Low & Middle-Income Countries: Free of charge for authors from low- and middle-income countries (covering >90% of our authors).
    • High-Income Countries: Authors from high-income nations may apply for 20% to 80% fee discounts/waivers.
    • Read more about our Publication Fee Waiver Scheme

Step 6: Plagiarism & Similarity Screening

All manuscripts undergo similarity screening via iThenticate. Authors receive the iThenticate report and may be required to revise, paraphrase, or properly cite content to guarantee zero plagiarism. Screening may occur at any stage prior to publication.

Step 7: Language & Advanced English Editing

    • Accepted manuscripts must undergo professional English language editing by native English scientific editors (e.g., AJE, Editage, or MehrPub).
    • This stage serves as a final quality assurance step to ensure clarity, proper scientific terminology, and professional tone before layout design.

Step 8: Galley Proof Approval & DOI Assignment

    • A pre-publication galley proof is sent to the corresponding author for final review and approval.
    • Upon final sign-off, a unique Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is assigned to the article, and it is published open-access on the journal platform.

3. Recusal Policy for Editorial Board Members (EBM)

To prevent bias and protect peer-review integrity, submissions co-authored by Editorial Board Members or Editors are handled under strict COPE guidelines:

    • Complete Recusal: Any editor or board member who authors or co-authors a paper is completely excluded from the editorial handling, reviewer assignment, and decision-making process for that submission.
    • Independent Handling: An independent Associate Editor manages the blinded peer-review process without input or access granted to the submitting editor/board member.
    • Blinded Review: The double-blind status is strictly maintained throughout.