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Peer Review

“Peer review is the critical assessment of manuscripts submitted to journals by experts who are usually not part of the editorial staff. Because unbiased, independent, critical assessment is an intrinsic part of all scholarly work, including scientific research, peer review is an important extension of the scientific process.” - ICMJE

• Reviewers: Reviewers must keep confidential all manuscripts that are in the peer-review process and destroy copies of manuscript after submitting their review. If a reviewer has assistance from a colleague in conducting the review, they should include these individuals’ contributions in the written comments to the journal editor. The same standards of confidentiality apply to anyone assisting with a review. Reviewers must declare anything that would bias their review of a manuscript and recuse themselves from the review process if there is a conflict of interest.
• Review process:
  1. Once a manuscript is submitted, the corresponding author will receive an email acknowledging receipt.
  2. The manuscript will be checked with anti-plagiarism software prior to editorial review.
  3. Editorial review will determine the suitability of the manuscript for consideration by Transformative Medicine (T-Med). If the manuscript passes editorial review, it will advance to double-blind peer review by two or more peer reviewers. Editors have the discretion to use one peer reviewer, if deemed appropriate.
  4. Authors may suggest potential reviewers, but the journal’s editors can decide whether to select these individuals as reviewers. Authors should not suggest recent or close collaborators who are affiliated with Tower Health-Drexel University College of Medicine. Authors may submit suggested peer reviewers in the cover letter and include the name and email addresses of these individuals.
  5. Reviewers have 21 days to submit their comments for the initial round of peer review.
  6. Manuscripts that pass the first round of the peer-review process may be sent to the authors with recommendations for revision. Authors should prioritize these recommended revisions and send a revised manuscript clearly indicating where revisions have been made. Authors should also send detailed responses to the reviewers’ comments in a cover letter. Author revisions and responses are to be submitted within 14 days of receiving the peer reviewers’ recommended revisions.
  7. Reviewers have 14 days to submit comments on author's revisions.
  8. The editor will make a final decision using the peer reviewers’ recommendations and the author(s) will be notified of the final decision.
  9. Appeals - If authors believe that an editorial error has been made in declining a paper, an appeal is welcome. Appeal letters can be emailed to the appropriate editor. The communication should state why the authors believe the decision is mistaken and include responses to peer reviewers’ comments.