Submission, screening, and triage

• Every newly submitted manuscript to the Khyber Medical University Journal (KMUJ) undergoes an initial screening by the Editorial Office, under the supervision of the Managing Editor, to verify that all required files are complete and that the submission meets the journal’s requirements. This inspection includes checking the availability and adequacy of essential documentation such as:
• The Authors’ Undertaking
• The Authorship Contribution Statement
• The Ethics Approval Certificate
• The Proof of Payment of the Article Processing Fee.
• Manuscripts not submitted in accordance with the KMUJ Instructions for Authors are returned to the authors for correction before further processing.
• After this administrative screening, manuscripts are triaged by an Editor, Managing Editor, or a designated member of the Editorial Board. During this internal editorial review, the assigned editor evaluates the manuscript for originality, significance, and suitability with respect to the journal’s scope, format, and publication standards.
• At this stage, the Editor or Managing Editor may recommend rejection if the manuscript is deemed unsuitable for the journal, lacks scientific rigor, falls outside the journal’s scope, or fails to meet submission requirements.
• All manuscripts are screened for textual similarity using Turnitin plagiarism detection software before entering the peer review process. KMUJ follows the ethical standards set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Manuscripts showing a high similarity index or evidence of plagiarism, redundant publication, or text recycling are rejected without further consideration. In accordance with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan’s Plagiarism Policy, submissions from faculty or researchers affiliated with Pakistani medical universities and institutions must remain within the HEC-defined similarity threshold. Manuscripts exceeding this limit are returned to authors for clarification, revision, or correction and may be rejected if unethical overlap is confirmed.
• The Managing Editor ensures timely communication with authors, maintains workflow tracking, and supports editors in coordinating internal and external reviews.
• Manuscripts may be returned to authors by the Editor or Managing Editor for revision or correction, as identified during editorial screening. Revised manuscripts are assessed for the adequacy of authors’ responses and corrections. Once the Editor or Managing Editor is satisfied with the revisions, the manuscript proceeds to external peer review, initiated under the supervision of the Editor-in-Chief.
• The Editor-in-Chief holds final authority over editorial decisions and ensures that the entire process adheres to KMUJ’s ethical and publication standards.

 

Peer Review

• The manuscript with publication potential will be sent to minimum TWO subject experts for peer review. Peer reviewers will evaluate the suitability of the article for publication based on its quality, novelty, and relevance for publication.
• A period of minimum 4 weeks will be given for a reviewer to go through a manuscript and send his suggestions to the editor. Failing which will generate a reminder from the editor with additional 4 weeks’ time for review to be completed.
• If a reviewer is unable to meet the period agreed upon or he declines to review the manuscript, the manuscript will be sent to another reviewer.
• The editor may establish a system for rapid review of especially important manuscripts. This may include asking reviewers to complete their evaluations within a shorter period of time than is allowed routinely. Authors who seek rapid review should explain why their manuscripts merit such review.

"For more information, please refer to the peer review policy available on the KMUJ website."

 
Final decision

• Reviewers are advisors to authors and editors. The editor may ask reviewers to make recommendations regarding acceptance, revision or rejection of manuscripts.
• Editor will pay attention to the recommendations of the reviewers, but the final decision will be taken by editor.
• Manuscripts suggested revision would be sent back to authors for revision.
• Authors will be requested to do relevant corrections in the manuscript as suggested by the reviewers and resubmit within two to four weeks.
• Authors will be asked to send a detailed cover letter addressing the issues pointed out by the reviewers with a point-by-point answer describing the corrections done/ reasons for not doing so.
• The revised manuscript will be assessed to ensure that the required changes have been made. If the revisions are satisfactory, the manuscript will be accepted and scheduled for inclusion in a future issue of the journal.
• The editor/copyeditor reserves the right to edit the accepted article as per format of the journal.