Peer Review - BMC Surgery

Peer Review

All research articles, review articles, case reports, and case series published in BMC Surgery journals undergo full peer review by independent academic editors and reviewers. We only publish articles that have been approved by highly qualified researchers with expertise in a field appropriate for the article.

Submission & Screening

The entire editorial process for manuscript review is performed using BMC Surgery’s online manuscript tracking system. Once a manuscript is submitted for publication, the manuscript is checked by the journal’s editorial office, to ensure the files are complete and that the relevant metadata are in order. After this screening phase is complete manuscripts may then be triaged by a senior Editorial Board member — either the Chief Editor, or a select team of Associate/Section Editors. At this point the manuscript may be rejected if deemed unsuitable for the journal. The Editorial Board is clearly displayed on each journal’s homepage.

Editorial Assignment & Assessment

Manuscripts that successfully pass the previous phase are assigned to an Academic Editor who coordinates peer review process. This assignment is performed algorithmically according to their subject expertise, or personally by a senior Editorial Board Member.

The Academic Editor performs an assessment of the manuscript before inviting a number of potential reviewers to provide a peer-review report for those they deem potentially publishable. Reviewers are asked to summarise the manuscript, give constructive analysis, and suggest whether the manuscript should be accepted, reconsidered after changes, or rejected.

Making A Decision

On the basis of the submitted reports the Academic Editor makes one of the following decisions:

1. Reject
2. Consider After Major Changes
3. Consider After Minor Changes
4. Publish Unaltered

If the Academic Editor decides to “Reject,” the authors are sent any review reports that have been received and are notified that their manuscript will no longer be considered for publication in the journal.

If the Academic Editor decides to “Consider after Major Changes,” the authors are notified to prepare and submit an updated version of their manuscript with the necessary changes suggested by the reviewers. This might require new data to be collected or substantial revision of the text. The manuscript is then reassessed by one or more of the original reviewers before the Academic Editor makes a new recommendation.

If the Academic Editor decides to “Consider after Minor Changes,” the authors are notified to prepare and submit a final copy of their manuscript with the required minor changes suggested by the reviewers. Once the Editor is satisfied with the final manuscript, optionally having sought further advice from one or more of the reviewers, the Academic Editor can recommend “Publish Unaltered”.

If the Academic Editor decides to “Publish Unaltered,” the manuscript will undergo a final check by the journal’s editorial office in order to ensure that the manuscript and its review process adhere to the journal’s guidelines and policies. Once done, the authors will be notified of the manuscript’s acceptance.

For any further information you can write to us at info@bmcsurgery.com

Additional article types

‘Editorials’ are written by BMC Surgery’s Editorial Board Members or Guest Editors and do not typically undergo peer review.

‘Letters to the Editor’ are usually assessed by the editor who handled the original article and decides whether to publish the letter. In some cases, the editor will make this decision after having consulted peer reviewers.

‘Errata’, ‘corrigenda’, ‘retraction notices’, and ‘expressions of concern’ are all written by BMC Surgery’s editorial staff and do not typically undergo peer review.