Step 1

Submission

Authors must prepare and submit their manuscript along with all required documentation via JMUH’s ScholarOne online submission system. Required materials include:

• Signed Cover Letter to Editor
• Certificate of Language Editing (mandatory for non-native English speakers)
• Signed Checklist Guideline
• Signed License to Publish Agreement
• Ethics Certificate (required for original article or systematic review and meta-analysis, and case report).

1 week

Upon submission, the journal manager and the editor-in-chief conduct a preliminary assessment of the manuscript's scope, scientific soundness, originality, and adherence to journal guidelines. All submissions are screened for similarity using Turnitin plagiarism detection software; manuscripts must maintain an overall similarity index below 25% (For more information, please refer to the Publication Ethics). Submissions with substantial formatting errors, structural deficiencies, language issues, or missing documentation will be returned to authors for correction before editorial assignment. Manuscripts that fail to meet the basic standards or scope of the journal will be desk-rejected as primary rejection without external review.

1 week

Generally, the editor-in-chief assigns the section editor with relevant subject expertise to oversee the evaluation process. The section editor selects independent peer reviewers from diverse institutions.

Reviewers are selected based on subject expertise, publication record, and lack of affiliations with authors' institutions to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure unbiased evaluation.

4-8 weeks

JMUH enforces a double-blind peer review policy, ensuring that the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the process. Reviewers evaluate the manuscript’s methodology, scientific rigor, and clinical significance, providing detailed comments and selecting one of the following recommendations:

The evaluations are submitted to the section editor to recommend the decision to the editor-in-chief. In the event of conflicting reviewer recommendations, the section editor may solicit an additional reviewer.

2-3 weeks

When revisions are required, the section editor returns the manuscript to authors alongside the reviewers' feedback:

Authors must submit a revised manuscript that modified text must be clearly indicated using yellow text highlighting along with a point-by-point response letter detailing all modifications made in response to reviewers' comments. Revisions undergo secondary review by the section editor or external reviewers as necessary. If authors require additional time beyond the specified timeframe, they must notify the editor-in-chief as early as possible to request a reasonable extension prior to the deadline.

1-2 weeks

Following the revision phase, the section editor submits a final recommendation (accept or reject) to the editor-in-chief. The editor-in-chief holds the sole authority for final acceptance, and the official decision is communicated formally to the corresponding author via ScholarOne.

2–3 weeks total for steps 7 & 8

Accepted manuscripts enter the production phase. The text undergoes professional language copyediting, figure/table formatting, visual layout, and assignment of a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) via Crossref.

Step 8

Proofreading

The editor-in-chief conducts a preliminary check of the edited proofs. Subsequently, galley proofs are sent to the corresponding author, who must complete final proofreading within 48 hours to confirm accuracy prior to publication.

1–2 weeks

Once proofreading is complete, the article is published as an Online First article as soon as possible on the journal’s website. When a full issue set of articles (typically 7–8 articles) is finalized, the articles are assigned to a specific volume and issue number, completing the formal publication process.

ScholarOne Manuscript Submission Statuses

The manuscript has been successfully submitted and is undergoing initial administrative screening by the journal manager. This check verifies adherence to journal policies, including scope alignment, plagiarism screening (via Turnitin), formatting compliance, and required documentation. Scientific peer review has not yet commenced.

The editor-in-Chief is reviewing the submission to evaluate its overall fit, scientific quality, and suitability for the journal. The editor-in-chief will either make an initial desk decision (e.g., desk reject) or assign the manuscript to an appropriate section editor.

The manuscript is queued for assignment to the section editor with specialized expertise in the manuscript's subject area by the editor-in-chief. Once assigned, the section editor will manage the peer-review process.

The section editor is identifying potential peer reviewers (typically 2 to 3 independent experts) with relevant academic or clinical expertise and no conflicts of interest.

Formal invitations have been dispatched to prospective reviewers. The section editor is waiting for the invited reviewers to either accept or decline the invitation to review.

Invited reviewers have accepted the invitation, and the system is finalizing their assignment and granting them access to the manuscript files so they can begin evaluation.

The manuscript is actively being evaluated by the assigned peer reviewers, who are assessing its scientific rigor, methodology, clarity, and overall contribution to the field.

One or more peer reviewers have submitted their comments, but the manuscript remains pending additional required scores, detailed evaluations, or outstanding reports from remaining reviewers.

All required reviewer reports have been successfully submitted. The section editor is synthesizing the feedback and preparing a formal recommendation (e.g., accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject) for the editor-in-chief.

The editor-in-chief has rendered a decision requesting revisions (minor or major revision). The manuscript is now in the hands of authors, who must address the peer reviewers' comments, make necessary manuscript modifications, and submit a revised version using yellow text highlighting along with a point-by-point response letter within 2 weeks for minor revision and 3 weeks for major revision.

The manuscript has been formally accepted for publication and transferred to the production team. During this stage, the journal manager and the editor-in-chief verifies that all high-resolution figures, editable source files, copyright forms, and author details comply with publication standards before copyediting, typesetting, and DOI assignment.