PROCESS OF PUBLISHING THE HUẾ MEDICAL JOURNAL

Step 1: Preliminary Review Process

The preliminary review process is to carry out procedures to check the validity of the manuscript in all aspects as specified by the Journal.

• Step 1: The editorial secretary receives the manuscript from the author through the Journal's submission portal, performing this task regularly on working days.

• Step 2: The secretary checks the manuscript for compliance with content and formatting requirements, then provides feedback to the author regarding the preliminary review results.

  • If the manuscript meets the Journal’s criteria, it will be classified and listed for peer review, and the author will be notified with instructions for the next steps.

  • If the manuscript does not meet the requirements, the secretary will notify the author to make revisions according to the Journal's guidelines.

The preliminary review process takes about one week.

Step 2: Peer Review Process

2.1. Peer Review

The Chief Editor receives the list of manuscripts from the secretary and then selects appropriate peer reviewers based on the content of the submitted manuscript, inviting two independent reviewers to assess the manuscript through a double-blind review process.

The Chief Editor and the Executive Secretary will appoint two experts in the relevant field (or closely related fields) to review the manuscript according to the established standards, criteria (using a review form), and within a time frame of no more than 25 days. The reviewers’ feedback will include recommendations on the manuscript quality, with the following possible outcomes:

• The manuscript is accepted for publication without any revisions.

• The manuscript is accepted with required revisions and additions based on the reviewers' comments.

• The manuscript requires further revisions and resubmission for a second round of peer review. In this case, the editorial board will send the revised manuscript to the reviewers for a follow-up evaluation, with a deadline of no more than 15 days.

• The manuscript is rejected.

2.2. Handling Peer Review Results

• If both reviewers agree on the manuscript: The editorial board will notify the author through the online journal management system, requesting the author to revise the manuscript based on the reviewers’ comments using a revision explanation form within 10 days and resubmit the revised manuscript via the online journal management system. Upon receiving the revised manuscript, the editorial board will check the revision explanations before reporting to the Chief Editor and Executive Secretary for a decision on whether to send it for further peer review or accept the manuscript for publication through the journal management system.

• If one reviewer agrees and the other disagrees: The editorial board reports to the Chief Editor and Executive Secretary for a decision, which may involve one of two options:

  • Sending for a third review: The manuscript will be evaluated again by an additional expert according to the timeline in section 3.

  • Rejecting the manuscript: The Chief Editor and Executive Secretary will decide to reject the manuscript through the online journal management system and provide feedback from both the agreeing and disagreeing reviewers, along with the editorial board’s comments on the rejection reasons. If the author wishes to resubmit, they can revise the manuscript according to the reviewers’ and editorial board’s feedback and submit a new version following the initial submission process.

• If both reviewers reject the manuscript: The Chief Editor and Executive Secretary will decide to reject the manuscript through the online journal management system and send feedback from the reviewers along with the editorial board’s comments explaining the rejection reasons.

2.3. Handling Accepted Manuscripts

• If the manuscript is accepted for publication but the author does not resubmit the revised manuscript within 10 days, the manuscript will be rejected.

• If the manuscript is resubmitted after 10 days, the editorial board will check the formatting, spelling, references, etc., and contact the author to make final revisions within 7 days. After receiving the final manuscript, the editorial board will forward it to the Chief Editor and Executive Secretary for final approval to proceed with publication.

After receiving the Chief Editor’s and Executive Secretary’s decision, the editorial board will notify the author about the planned publication issue, the expected publication date, and when the article will be available online.

Step 3: Layout, Proofreading, and Electronic Publication Process

The layout process involves editing and proofreading the manuscript to create the final version for printing and online publication.

• Step 1: The editorial secretary performs the editing and proofreading of the manuscript to ensure it meets the Journal’s standards for a scientific paper. After checking for errors and proofreading, the manuscript is sent to the Executive Secretary for approval.

• Step 2: The Chief Editor approves the publication of the manuscript.

If the manuscript meets the requirements, the Chief Editor approves the publication and forwards the manuscript to the editorial board.

If the manuscript does not meet the requirements, the Chief Editor will request further editing and proofreading.

• Step 3: The editorial board assigns a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to the manuscript, attaches the manuscript file, and includes it in the current issue of the Journal. The article will be published on the Journal’s website and begin circulation. The article with the DOI assigned and published on the website is considered an official version of the published paper. The electronic publication process is complete.