The peer review process is essential for maintaining the quality and integrity of publications in the Modern Journal of Physical Therapy and Health Science (Mod. J. Phys. Ther. Health Sci.). This process ensures that all submitted manuscripts are rigorously evaluated by experts in the field before publication.
Submission and Initial Evaluation:
- Manuscript Submission: The corresponding author submits the paper to the journal via official academic email. Submissions must adhere to the journal’s formatting and ethical guidelines.
- Initial Screening: The editorial team performs an initial screening to check for compliance with submission guidelines and relevance to the journal’s scope. Manuscripts that do not meet basic requirements are returned to authors for revision. At this stage, the manuscript may be rejected without peer review due to being not relevant to the journal's scope, do not conform to manuscript formatting requirements, fatal design flaw, inappropriate replications, lack of novelty, or other major concerns. This fast rejection process means that authors are given a quick decision and do not need to wait for the review process. If the manuscript is appropriate, it will be sent out for peer review, usually to two independent reviewers.
Review Process
- Reviewers Selection: All articles published in Mod. J. Phys. Ther. Health Sci. are double-blind reviewed. The Editor-in-Chief appoints two reviewers to review the manuscript based on their expertise, past performance, and absence of conflicts of interest.
- Review Process: Reviewers are given 4 weeks to complete their evaluations. Reviewers assess the manuscript for originality, methodological rigor, clarity, and contribution to the field. Reviewers provide constructive feedback and recommendations: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject.
- Reviewer Feedback: Reviewer comments are compiled by the editorial team. Feedback is anonymized and shared with the authors for revisions.
Decision Making
- Editorial Decision: The editorial board reviews the peer reviewers' reports and makes a decision. If the reviews differ widely, the editor may invite an additional reviewer to get an extra opinion before deciding. Possible decisions include acceptance, request for minor or major revisions, or rejection.
- Author Revisions: Authors revise their manuscripts based on reviewer feedback. Revised manuscripts are resubmitted for further review if necessary. Authors have 8 weeks to complete the revision, which shall be returned to the editorial board. Failure to return the manuscript within 8 weeks will lock the author out of resubmitting the revision. Rejected manuscripts can be resubmitted only with an invitation from the editorial board or editor-in-chief.
- Final Review and Decision: Revised manuscripts may undergo additional review rounds if required. The final decision is communicated to the authors.
Publication
- Accepted manuscripts are copyedited and typeset for publication.
- Authors review proofs for errors before final publication.
- Published articles are made available in print.
Confidentiality and Ethics:
All participants in the peer review process are expected to maintain confidentiality regarding the manuscript content and the review process. Reviewers and editors must disclose any conflicts of interest. The journal adheres to ethical guidelines as per COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics).
Continuous Improvement:
The peer review process is regularly reviewed to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. Feedback from authors, reviewers, and editors is considered for process improvements.
This structured peer review process ensures that the Modern Journal of Physical Therapy and Health Science maintains high standards of academic integrity and quality in its publications.
