Overview

Medical Letter (Med Ltr) is committed to ensuring the quality, integrity, and scientific validity of all published articles through a rigorous and transparent peer-review process. The journal employs a Single-Blind Peer Review system, in which reviewers are aware of the identities of the authors, while the identities of reviewers remain confidential.

The peer-review process is designed to evaluate the originality, significance, methodological soundness, ethical compliance, and relevance of submitted manuscripts.

Initial Editorial Assessment

Upon submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial screening by the Editorial Office and Editor-in-Chief to determine whether:

• The manuscript falls within the scope of the journal.
• The submission complies with the journal’s formatting requirements.
• The manuscript meets basic standards of scientific quality.
• Ethical requirements have been satisfied.
• The similarity/plagiarism level is within acceptable limits.

Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements may be rejected without external review.

Single-Blind Peer Review Process

Manuscripts that pass the initial editorial assessment are assigned to qualified independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant subject area.

Under the Single-Blind Peer Review model:

• Reviewers know the identity of the authors.
• Authors do not know the identity of the reviewers.
• Reviewer identities remain confidential throughout and after the review process.

Typically, each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers.

Reviewer Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers assess manuscripts based on:

• Originality and novelty of the research.
• Scientific validity and methodological rigor.
• Significance and contribution to the field.
• Accuracy and clarity of data presentation.
• Quality of analysis and interpretation.
• Relevance to the scope of Medical Letter.
• Ethical compliance and research integrity.
• Quality of writing, organization, and references.

Editorial Decision

Based on the reviewers’ reports, the Editor-in-Chief may make one of the following decisions:

• Accept without revision
• Accept with minor revisions
• Major revisions required
• Reject and resubmit
• Reject

The Editor-in-Chief has the final authority regarding all editorial decisions.

Revision Process

Authors receiving revision requests should:

• Address all reviewer comments carefully.
• Submit a revised manuscript within the specified deadline.
• Provide a detailed response letter explaining how each comment was addressed.

Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation when necessary.

Confidentiality

All manuscripts submitted to Medical Letter are treated as confidential documents.

Editors and reviewers must not:

• Share manuscript content with unauthorized individuals.
• Use unpublished information for personal benefit.
• Disclose reviewer identities without permission.

Conflict of Interest

Editors and reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence their assessment of a manuscript.

Individuals with significant conflicts of interest may be excluded from the review process.

Ethical Standards

Medical Letter adheres to internationally recognized publication ethics and follows the guidelines and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics.

The journal does not tolerate:

• Plagiarism
• Data fabrication or falsification
• Duplicate publication
• Citation manipulation
• Authorship misconduct
• Ethical violations involving human or animal research

Any suspected misconduct will be investigated according to established ethical procedures.

Peer Review Timeline

The journal strives to provide authors with timely decisions. While review times may vary depending on reviewer availability and manuscript complexity, every effort is made to complete the review process efficiently and fairly.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision may submit a written appeal to the Editorial Office. Appeals must provide a clear justification and supporting evidence. The Editor-in-Chief will review the appeal and make a final decision.

Policy Statement

The peer-review process at Medical Letter (Med Ltr) is designed to ensure the publication of high-quality, reliable, and ethically sound research. Through independent expert evaluation, the journal seeks to maintain academic excellence and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of medical sciences.