Peer review process

At TUMI Health Sciences Research, peer review is a cornerstone of our commitment to scientific excellence, methodological rigor, and academic relevance. We adopt a double-blind peer review system, ensuring that both author and reviewer identities remain confidential throughout the process, thus promoting objectivity and impartiality.

1. Initial Editorial Assessment

Each submitted manuscript undergoes a preliminary screening by the Editorial Team to verify:

  • Alignment with the journal’s aims and scope.

  • Compliance with author guidelines.

  • Minimum required scientific quality.

At this stage, the editor may desk reject the manuscript without external review if it does not meet these criteria.

2. Assignment to Reviewers

Manuscripts passing the initial assessment are sent to a minimum of two and a maximum of five independent external reviewers, selected based on subject-matter expertise and absence of conflicts of interest.

Reviewers are given a defined time frame to complete their evaluation. The editorial workflow ensures that the assigned editor cannot act as an external reviewer for the same manuscript, safeguarding impartiality.

3. Peer Review Evaluation

Reviewers assess:

  • Originality and scientific relevance.

  • Methodological soundness and validity of results.

  • Clarity, coherence, and contribution to the field.

Each reviewer issues a recommendation from the following:

  • Publishable – Accept submission (Publish unaltered).

  • Publish – Revisions required (Consider after minor changes).

  • Publish – Resubmit for review (Consider after major changes).

  • Decline submission (Reject: manuscript is flawed or insufficiently novel).

Reviewers are expected to provide detailed, constructive feedback that will help authors improve their work, whether the final decision is acceptance, revision, or rejection. In the case that two reviewers recommend rejection, the decision to decline the submission is immediate.

4. Editorial Decision

The handling editor considers reviewer recommendations and communicates the editorial decision. If revisions are required, authors must address all reviewer comments before the manuscript can be reconsidered for acceptance.

Final decisions (acceptance, revision, resubmission, or rejection) are typically made within eight weeks from the date of submission. If the decision is Publishable – Accept submission, the manuscript is assigned a DOI. If the decision is Publish – Resubmit for review, authors have up to two months to submit their revised version.

5. Editorial Commitment

The process is conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the transparency policies of the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), ensuring an ethical, fair, and transparent review system.

The journal acknowledges that the publication of TUMI Health Sciences Research would not be possible without the invaluable contributions of peer reviewers, whose dedication and expertise are essential to maintaining the quality and integrity of the journal.

6. Visual Summary of the Peer Review Process

The following diagram provides a concise overview of the peer review process adopted by TUMI Health Sciences Research. This visual representation outlines each stage, from manuscript submission to its final acceptance or rejection, following our double-blind peer review model.

peerreview

Note: This diagram is a visual representation and may not capture every procedural detail described above.