Peer Review Policy

Overview

Trends in Medical and Biological Sciences (TMBS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence, transparency, and integrity through a rigorous peer review process. Every manuscript submitted undergoes thorough evaluation to ensure originality, scientific validity, methodological soundness, and ethical compliance.

Peer review is the cornerstone of our quality assurance system, ensuring that only credible, impactful, and ethically sound research is published.

Review Model: Double-Blind Peer Review

TMBS employs a double-blind peer review system, which ensures impartiality and fairness:

  • Author anonymity: Reviewers do not know the identity of the authors.

  • Reviewer anonymity: Authors are not informed of the reviewers’ identities.

This approach guarantees that manuscripts are judged solely on their scientific merit, free from institutional, professional, or geographic bias.

Peer Review Workflow

1. Submission and Preliminary Editorial Screening

All manuscripts must be submitted via the official TMBS online submission portal.

The editorial office screens each manuscript for:

  • Scope and relevance to medical and biological sciences

  • Compliance with formatting and submission guidelines

  • Ethical approval (for studies involving human/animal subjects)

  • Plagiarism check (using Turnitin or equivalent software)

Submissions that fail to meet these standards may be rejected without external review.

2. Reviewer Selection and Assignment

Eligible manuscripts are forwarded to at least two independent expert reviewers.

Reviewers are selected based on:

  • Subject matter expertise

  • Research experience and publication record

  • Absence of conflicts of interest with the authors or research

3. Review Process

Reviewers evaluate manuscripts on the following criteria:

  • Scientific rigor and originality

  • Relevance and contribution to the field

  • Study design, methodology, and statistical accuracy

  • Ethical standards and transparency of reporting

  • Clarity, organization, and quality of presentation

Reviewers recommend one of the following outcomes:

  • Accept without revision

  • Accept with minor revisions

  • Major revisions required (resubmission)

  • Reject

4. Editorial Decision and Communication

  • The Editor-in-Chief evaluates reviewer reports before making a final decision.

  • If revisions are required, authors receive detailed feedback with a resubmission timeline.

  • Revised manuscripts may undergo further review.

  • Final decisions are communicated promptly, with reviewer comments included for transparency.

Timeframe

The typical peer review cycle takes 4–6 weeks, depending on:

  • Reviewer availability

  • Complexity of the manuscript

  • Number of revision rounds required

Authors are expected to respond to revision requests within the given timeline to avoid delays in publication.

Reviewer Ethics and Responsibilities

Selection Criteria

Reviewers are chosen for their expertise, professional integrity, and impartiality. TMBS ensures a diverse pool of international reviewers across medical and biological sciences.

Confidentiality

All manuscripts are treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not:

  • Share content with unauthorized parties

  • Use unpublished data or ideas for personal advantage

  • Discuss manuscript details without editor approval

Ethical Conduct

Reviewers must:

  • Provide objective and constructive feedback

  • Declare all potential conflicts of interest (personal, financial, or institutional)

  • Refrain from biased, discriminatory, or unprofessional comments

Appeals Process

Authors who believe their manuscript was unfairly rejected may file a formal appeal with justification.

  • Appeals are reviewed by the Editorial Board.

  • In complex cases, an independent third-party expert may be consulted.

  • The decision of the Editor-in-Chief will be final.

Ethical Standards and Compliance

TMBS follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and complies with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan publishing standards.

Our peer review process is built on transparency, fairness, and academic responsibility.

Reviewer Recognition

To acknowledge the valuable contribution of reviewers:

  • TMBS publishes an annual list of peer reviewers (with their consent).

  • Certificates of appreciation are issued upon request.

Conclusion

The peer review system at Trends in Medical and Biological Sciences ensures that only high-quality, ethical, and impactful research is published. Our double-blind, fair, and transparent process strengthens scholarly communication and advances knowledge in medical and biological sciences worldwide.