Editorial and Publication Process

EDITORIAL & PUBLICATION PROCESS
Editorial and Publication Process
 
1. General Principles

The Da Nang Journal of Medicine and Pharmacy (DJMP) manages manuscript submission, editorial assessment, peer review, and publication through its online journal management system.

Manuscripts are evaluated on the basis of their relevance to the Journal’s aims and scope, scientific quality, novelty, academic and practical value, research methodology, research ethics, scientific integrity, and compliance with the Journal’s requirements for authors.

Editorial decisions are based on the scientific merit of the manuscript and are not influenced by the author’s origin, nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, or other personal characteristics unrelated to the scientific merit of the work.

2. Editorial and Publication Process
SUBMISSION → INITIAL SCREENING → EDITORIAL ASSIGNMENT → DOUBLE-BLIND PEER REVIEW → REVISION → DECISION → COPYEDITING & PRODUCTION → ONLINE FIRST → ISSUE ASSIGNMENT & PUBLICATION
Step 1. Manuscript Submission

Authors submit their manuscripts through the DJMP online system and provide all required files, metadata, and information in accordance with the Author Guidelines. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the information provided, authorship, manuscript originality, research ethics, conflicts of interest, funding information, and other relevant declarations.

Step 2. Initial Screening

Before external peer review, the Editorial Board conducts an initial assessment that may include:

• Relevance to the aims and scope of DJMP;
• Article type and manuscript structure;
• Compliance with the Author Guidelines;
• Completeness of the submission;
• Research ethics requirements and relevant declarations;
• Plagiarism, duplication, or other scientific integrity concerns when appropriate.

Manuscripts that fall outside the Journal’s scope, fail to meet basic requirements, or present serious concerns may be rejected at the initial editorial stage without external peer review.

Step 3. Editorial Assignment

Manuscripts that pass initial screening are assigned to an editor with relevant subject expertise. The editor evaluates the manuscript, selects appropriately qualified reviewers, and manages the peer-review process in accordance with DJMP policies.

Step 4. Scientific Peer Review

Manuscripts requiring peer review are sent to at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise.

DJMP applies a double-blind peer-review process, in which the identities of the authors are not disclosed to reviewers and the identities of reviewers are not disclosed to authors. Reviewers assess scientific quality, novelty, methodology, results, discussion, conclusions, research ethics, presentation, and other matters relevant to manuscript quality.

Step 5. Editorial Decision

Following peer review, the Journal may issue one of the following decisions:

Accept: The manuscript is accepted and proceeds to the editorial production stage.
Minor Revision: Revisions are required but do not fundamentally alter the study design, methodology, or principal conclusions.
Major Revision: Substantial revisions are required, and the revised manuscript may be returned for further peer review.
Reject: The manuscript does not meet DJMP’s publication requirements.

Reviewer recommendations serve an advisory scientific role. The final decision to accept or reject a manuscript rests with the Editor-in-Chief of DJMP.

Step 6. Revision and Response to Reviewers

When revision is requested, authors are required to submit:

• A revised manuscript;
• A version showing the changes, when requested;
• A point-by-point response to reviewers (DJMP-AF07 – Response to Reviewers).

Authors should respond to each reviewer comment, describe the revisions made, and identify where changes have been made in the manuscript. Where authors disagree with a comment, an appropriate scientific justification should be provided.

Step 7. Evaluation of the Revised Manuscript

The editor evaluates the authors’ revisions. Major revisions, or manuscripts requiring additional expert assessment, may be returned to the original reviewers or sent to other reviewers for further evaluation. Revision and review may proceed through multiple rounds until sufficient information is available for an editorial decision.

Step 8. Final Decision

After completion of peer review and revision, the Journal makes a final decision on the manuscript. Completion of peer review or requested revisions does not automatically imply acceptance for publication.

Step 9. Copyediting and Production

Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting and production, which may include:

• Content and language editing;
• Standardization of author names, affiliations, and metadata;
• Standardization of references;
• Checking tables, figures, and captions;
• Typesetting and proof checking;
• Finalization of metadata and publication information.

The corresponding author is responsible for checking the proof within the timeframe specified by the Journal. Proof corrections are primarily intended to address editorial or presentation errors; substantial changes to scientific content are subject to Journal approval.

Step 10. Online First

Articles that have completed the editorial and production process may be published by DJMP as Online First before formal assignment to a volume and issue. Online First articles are considered published content and are not manuscripts awaiting peer review.

Step 11. Issue Assignment and Publication

The article is subsequently assigned to an appropriate volume and issue in accordance with DJMP’s publication schedule. Bibliographic information and article metadata are updated to reflect the version of record.

3. Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest

Editors and reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of manuscript content and must not use unpublished information, data, or ideas for personal purposes.

Individuals involved in editorial handling or peer review must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and should not handle a manuscript when such conflicts may compromise objectivity.

4. Integrity in the Publication Process

DJMP may suspend manuscript processing while concerns are investigated when it identifies or receives information regarding plagiarism, unreliable data, fabrication or falsification of data, copyright infringement, duplicate publication, research ethics concerns, or other conduct that may compromise the integrity of the scientific record. Relevant cases are handled in accordance with DJMP’s publication ethics and integrity policies.

EDITORIAL WORKFLOW
Manuscript Editorial Workflow
 
The workflow below outlines the main stages from manuscript submission to official publication in the Da Nang Journal of Medicine and Pharmacy.
01
Manuscript Submission
Author
Submit the manuscript and all required documents in accordance with the Journal's submission requirements.
Time: Immediate
02
Initial Check
Editorial Office
Check submission documents, manuscript formatting, metadata, and basic submission requirements.
Target time: 2–3 days
03
Editorial Assessment
Editor-in-Chief / Handling Editor
Assess the manuscript's scope and suitability and determine whether it should proceed to peer review.
Target time: 3–5 days
04
Peer Review
Reviewers
Evaluate the scientific quality, research methodology, and scholarly content of the manuscript.
Target time: 14–21 days/round
05
Editorial Decision
Handling Editor / Editor-in-Chief
Evaluate the reviewers' comments and make an editorial decision on the manuscript.
Target time: 3–5 days
06
Author Revision
Author
Revise the manuscript and provide a point-by-point response to the reviewers' and editors' comments.
Target time: 7–14 days
07
Copyediting
Editorial Board / Editorial Office
Copyedit the accepted manuscript and verify the publication content before production.
Target time: 3–7 days
08
Production
Production Team
Prepare the article layout and PDF/Galley files and complete final proof checking.
Target time: 3–5 days
09
ONLINE FIRST
Online First Publication
Journal
Publish the completed article online before it is assigned to an official volume and issue.
Time: According to the publication schedule
10
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION
Issue Assignment & Official Publication
Editor-in-Chief / Editorial Office
Assign the article to an official volume and issue and publish it in the Da Nang Journal of Medicine and Pharmacy.
Time: According to the publication schedule
Note: The timelines indicated above are target processing times and may vary depending on the nature of the manuscript, reviewer response times, the number of revision rounds, and additional editorial requirements.