Editorial process
The editorial process at BJOA is designed to ensure rigorous and fair evaluation of submitted manuscripts. Our goal is to maintain the highest standards of scientific integrity and quality throughout the review and publication process. The following steps outline our editorial process:
1. Initial Manuscript Screening: Upon submission, all manuscripts undergo an initial screening by the editorial office. This screening ensures that the submission meets the journal's scope and guidelines, and that it adheres to ethical standards. Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned a unique identification number for tracking purposes.
2. Peer Review: Eligible manuscripts are sent to external experts in the relevant field for peer review. BJOA follows a double-blind peer review process, where the identities of both the authors and reviewers are kept confidential. Reviewers are selected based on their expertise and are asked to provide an unbiased and constructive evaluation of the manuscript.
3. Reviewer Evaluation: Reviewers assess the manuscript based on its scientific merit, methodology, originality, and adherence to the journal's guidelines. They provide detailed comments and suggestions to the authors to help improve the quality and clarity of the manuscript. Reviewers also assess the ethical aspects of the research, such as the appropriate use of human or animal subjects and compliance with ethical guidelines.
4. Editorial Decision: After receiving the reviewers' comments, the Editor-in-Chief or Associate Editor makes an editorial decision. The decision can be one of the following: accept, accept with minor revisions, major revisions required, or reject. The decision is based on the reviewers' evaluations, the manuscript's fit with the journal's scope, and the overall contribution and significance of the research. At this stage, authors can submit an appeal if they have concerns or disagreements regarding the editorial decision on their manuscript (see Author Appeal).
5. Author Notification: The corresponding author is notified of the editorial decision, along with the reviewers' comments. If revisions are requested, the authors are provided with a clear set of instructions and a deadline for submitting the revised manuscript. Authors are encouraged to address all the reviewers' comments and provide a point-by-point response to ensure a thorough and effective revision.
6. Revision and Resubmission: Authors revise the manuscript based on the reviewers' comments and submit the revised version within the given timeframe. The revised manuscript undergoes a second round of evaluation, which may involve a re-review by the original reviewers or additional reviewers, depending on the extent of revisions.
7. Final Decision and Acceptance: Once the revised manuscript is received, the Editor-in-Chief or Associate Editor makes the final decision. If the manuscript is accepted, the authors are informed, and the manuscript enters the production process for typesetting, proofreading, and formatting.
8. Publication: Accepted manuscripts are published online and assigned a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) for citation purposes. The final published version is made available to the scientific community through our website and other indexing databases.
