Editorial Policies

TUMI Health Sciences Research

Focus and Scope

TUMI Health Sciences Research is an international, multidisciplinary, open-access, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to advancing excellence in medicine and health sciences research. The journal publishes high-quality contributions addressing clinically, scientifically, and socially relevant issues across a broad range of disciplines, including biomedical sciences, basic, clinical, and translational medicine, public health, epidemiology, mental health, nursing, nutrition, pharmacy, rehabilitation, health technology, health professions education, and related fields.

The journal accepts original research articles, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, methodological and technical reports, case reports and case series, and letters to the editor.

Peer Review Process

At TUMI Health Sciences Research, peer review is a cornerstone of our commitment to scientific integrity, methodological rigor, and academic quality. All manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential to promote objectivity and impartiality.

Each submission undergoes an initial editorial assessment to verify its relevance to the journal’s scope, compliance with the author guidelines, and adherence to minimum scientific and academic quality standards. Manuscripts that pass this stage are assigned to independent external reviewers selected according to their expertise in the manuscript’s subject area and the absence of conflicts of interest.

Reviewers provide detailed recommendations regarding acceptance, minor revision, major revision, resubmission, or rejection based on originality, scientific relevance, methodological rigor, validity of the findings, clarity of writing, and contribution to medicine and the health sciences. Final decisions are made by the handling editor, who evaluates the reviewers’ reports in accordance with the journal’s editorial standards.

The process follows the international recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and is designed to be completed within eight weeks.

A detailed description of the peer review workflow is available in the dedicated Peer Review Process section of this website.

Publication Frequency

TUMI Health Sciences Research is published on a bimonthly basis, with six issues per year. Supplementary or special issues may be published at the discretion of the Editorial Board.

Open Access Policy

All articles are made freely and immediately available online upon publication, without subscription, payment, or registration barriers. TUMI Health Sciences Research supports open access as a means of accelerating scientific progress, increasing the visibility of research, and promoting equitable access to knowledge within the global health sciences community.

Archiving and Digital Preservation

The long-term preservation of published articles is supported through the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN), integrated into the Open Journal Systems platform.

Acceptance Criteria

Manuscripts are evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Originality and scientific relevance.

  • Methodological rigor and reproducibility.

  • Validity and appropriate interpretation of the findings.

  • Clarity of scientific writing and robustness of the conclusions.

  • Ethical compliance and appropriate institutional approval.

  • Relevance to medicine, health sciences, or human health.

Manuscript Withdrawal Policy

Withdrawal of manuscripts is strongly discouraged once the peer review process has begun.

  • Before peer review: Authors may request withdrawal within two days of submission.

  • During peer review: Withdrawal requires a written justification and approval from the editorial office.

  • After acceptance: Withdrawal is permitted only in exceptional circumstances, such as serious scientific errors or ethical concerns. Editorial or administrative charges may apply when previously established by the journal.

Language, Scientific Writing, and Figures

The journal accepts manuscripts exclusively in English. Manuscripts must demonstrate a high standard of scientific writing, including clarity, coherence, accuracy, and appropriate terminology in medicine and the health sciences.

Tables, figures, photographs, and illustrations must meet the journal’s technical and editorial quality requirements. Authors may be required to improve the language, presentation, or visual materials before final acceptance.

Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

The use of artificial intelligence tools must be transparently disclosed in the manuscript, preferably in the Methods or Acknowledgments section. Artificial intelligence systems cannot be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, or originality of the work.

Authors remain fully responsible for all submitted content. Undisclosed, inappropriate, or misleading use of artificial intelligence will be addressed in accordance with COPE recommendations and the journal’s editorial policies.

Research Integrity Policies

TUMI Health Sciences Research maintains a strict policy against research and publication misconduct, including plagiarism, redundant or duplicate publication, data fabrication or falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, selective reporting, citation manipulation, and authorship irregularities.

Manuscripts may be evaluated using similarity-detection software and other editorial integrity verification procedures. Authors must retain the original research data and provide them to the editors when reasonably requested.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

TUMI Health Sciences Research follows the recommendations of COPE, ICMJE, and WAME.

  • Editors: Must evaluate manuscripts impartially, preserve confidentiality, manage conflicts of interest, and make decisions based on scientific and ethical considerations.

  • Reviewers: Must provide objective, constructive, and timely evaluations, maintain confidentiality, and disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

  • Authors: Must ensure originality, legitimate authorship, accurate reporting, ethical compliance, appropriate citation, and full disclosure of conflicts of interest and funding.

Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose financial and non-financial conflicts of interest using the ICMJE Disclosure Form or an equivalent declaration accepted by the journal.

Editors and reviewers must also disclose any personal, professional, academic, institutional, or financial relationships that could influence their participation in the editorial process.

Research Involving Humans or Animals

  • Research involving humans: Studies must have prior approval from an institutional ethics committee or review board and comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable national and international regulations. Informed consent must be obtained and documented when required.

  • Research involving animals: Studies must comply with internationally recognized animal welfare standards, including the ARRIVE guidelines and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, when applicable.

The name of the approving institution, approval number, and date of approval must be included in the manuscript.

Informed Consent

Authors must protect the privacy, confidentiality, and dignity of research participants. The publication of identifiable information, including text, images, photographs, videos, or clinical details, requires written informed consent for publication.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

TUMI Health Sciences Research applies post-publication corrective actions when necessary.

  • Corrections: Published when unintentional errors affect the presentation, interpretation, or accuracy of an article without invalidating its main findings.

  • Retractions: Issued in cases of confirmed misconduct, major errors, plagiarism, data falsification, duplicate publication, or serious ethical violations.

  • Expressions of concern: Published when substantial doubts arise regarding the integrity or reliability of a published article while an investigation remains ongoing.

All corrective actions follow COPE recommendations and remain permanently linked to the original article.

Preprint Policy

TUMI Health Sciences Research does not accept manuscripts that have previously been deposited in preprint servers or other publicly accessible platforms without formal peer review.

Authors are responsible for informing the editorial office about any previous dissemination of the manuscript or its findings.

Data and Reproducibility Policy

Authors must include a formal data availability statement describing whether and where the datasets, analytical code, protocols, instruments, and supplementary materials supporting the findings can be accessed.

Research data should preferably be deposited in trusted open repositories. When public sharing is not possible because of ethical, legal, confidentiality, or institutional restrictions, the reasons must be clearly stated, and the data may be made available upon reasonable request when permitted.

Reviewer Recognition

The journal may publish an annual list of reviewers to acknowledge their academic contribution, without linking individual reviewers to specific manuscripts.

Reviewers are encouraged to register and document their reviewing activities through recognized researcher identification or reviewer recognition services, while maintaining the confidentiality of the editorial process.

Average Editorial Decision Times

Statistics regarding editorial processing times, including the period from submission to first decision and from acceptance to publication, are reported transparently in the Author Guidelines or other relevant sections of the journal website.

Policy Against Paper Mills

TUMI Health Sciences Research maintains a strict policy against paper mills, fabricated manuscripts, manipulated research, purchased authorship, fraudulent peer review, and other organized forms of publication misconduct.

Suspected submissions may undergo additional verification procedures. Confirmed fraudulent manuscripts will be rejected or retracted in accordance with COPE recommendations.

Invited Articles and Editorials

Editorials, invited commentaries, and commissioned articles may not undergo external peer review. However, they are evaluated and approved by the Editorial Board to ensure scientific quality, relevance, transparency, and alignment with the journal’s editorial standards.

Revised: June 2026