Guiding principles of the peer review processes

1. The peer review policy is designed to be consistent with the best practices and ethical standards set out in recommendation of  COPE and ICMJE.

2. Double-blind peer review is used (reviewers do not know the identity of authors, including their affiliations, and authors do not know the reviewers).

3. Single-blind peer review is applied for manuscripts submitted by Editorial Board members (reviewers do not know the authors ' identity, including their affiliations).

4. Peer-review is carried out by members of the Editorial Board and Editorial Council, as well as invited reviewers – leading experts in the relevant branch (medicine) in Russia and other countries.

5. Each reviewer has the right to withdraw from the review if there is a clear conflict of interest that affects the perception and interpretation of the manuscript materials.

6. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least 2 reviewers. 

7. Peer review is free of charge.

8. The purpose of reviewing is to determine the compliance of manuscripts with the stated aims and scope and the subject area of the Journal. Manuscripts are reviewed for scientific novelty and clinical relevance, absence of plagiarism, clarity and comprehensibility, as well as compliance with all ethical standards in the field of biomedical research. Other objectives include supporting transparency, reproducibility and data sharing (including proper registration of clinical trials).

9.. The review is conducted in accordance with the internal form and the reviewer's checklist, which require a detailed reasoned statement, necessary information about the terms and conditions of scientific review, the confidentiality regime and the protection of personal data.

10. As part of the procedure of the author's disagreement with the decision of the Editorial Board, the author has the right to submit a written reasoned complaint (once per manuscript). The Editorial Board is obliged to consider it no later than 3 weeks and make a final decision, which is not subject to revision.

Key indicators and timelines

• Term of initial review (screening) of the manuscript: no more than 10 days;
• Duration of the first round of review: no more than 4 weeks;
• Deadline after which a manuscript is rejected if the authors do not return a revised version even if there is no information from the authors with a refusal to finalize the article: after 14 days;
• Average time from manuscript submission to acceptance for printing: 9 weeks;
• Retention period of the original manuscript, reviews and correspondence with authors: 5 years.

Reviewer Requirements

Only researchers who have published within the last three years in Russian and international journals on the topic being reviewed are eligible to serve as reviewers. The Editor-in-Chief's selection is based on a number of factors, including guaranteed peer review, recommendations from authors and Editorial Board members, previous experience working with the reviewer, etc.

How to become a reviewer

E-mail the editorial board at journal@medi-kon.ru about your scientific discoveries and achievements, with the subject line "Become a reviewer."