Journal Information
Guideline for Editors
Standards of conduct and operational responsibilities for all CJBEHM associate and section editors.
Editorial Responsibilities
Initial Assessment
Upon receiving a new submission, the handling editor must perform an initial screening within 5 business days. Check that the manuscript falls within the journal's scope, meets basic formatting requirements, and is free from obvious ethical concerns.
Reviewer Selection
Assign a minimum of two independent, qualified reviewers with expertise in the manuscript's subject area. Avoid reviewers with known conflicts of interest, recent collaborators, or institutional affiliates of the authors.
Managing the Review Process
Monitor review progress and send reminders to reviewers who approach the deadline. Replace unresponsive reviewers promptly. Target a first decision within 6 weeks of submission.
Rendering Decisions
Evaluate reviewer comments holistically and make a fair editorial decision: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject. Provide constructive, anonymised feedback to authors regardless of the outcome.
Handling Revisions
Review author responses to reviewer comments critically. Confirm that all concerns have been addressed adequately before accepting a revised manuscript. Send back to original reviewers for major revisions if necessary.
Post-Acceptance
Verify that accepted manuscripts are complete and properly formatted before handoff to production. Communicate estimated publication timelines to authors.
Target Timelines
| Stage | Target Timeframe |
|---|---|
| Initial screening decision | 5 business days |
| Invite reviewers | 7 business days |
| First review deadline | 21 days |
| First decision to authors | 6 weeks from submission |
| Revised manuscript review | 3 weeks |
| Final decision | 10 weeks from original submission |
Code of Conduct
- 1Maintain strict confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities.
- 2Base all decisions solely on the manuscript's scientific merit, relevance, and originality.
- 3Disclose conflicts of interest and recuse from handling manuscripts where a conflict exists.
- 4Do not use unpublished work from submitted manuscripts for personal purposes.
- 5Respond to queries from authors and reviewers in a timely and professional manner.
- 6Report suspected research misconduct to the Editor in Chief immediately.
Interested in joining our editorial board?
We are always looking for qualified academics to strengthen our team.