Peer review procedure

Review Procedure

The peer review procedure in Lekarz Wojskowy is based on the principles of scientific integrity and good practices in peer review, in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and international publishing standards.

Manuscripts submitted for publication are subject to both formal and substantive evaluation. It is assumed that all co-authors have agreed to the submission of the manuscript, and the corresponding author represents all co-authors.

Initial Assessment (Editorial Screening)

Each manuscript is first subject to a formal assessment conducted by the editorial secretary and the handling editor. The completeness of the submission and compliance with the Instructions for Authors are verified.

At this stage, the editorial office may reject the manuscript or return it to the authors for revision. Manuscripts that meet all formal requirements proceed to further evaluation.

Peer Review Process

Each manuscript is assigned a unique identification number and submitted for review to at least two independent reviewers – recognized experts in the relevant field – who have no conflict of interest with the authors.

The editorial office of Lekarz Wojskowy applies a double-blind review model, meaning that the identities of the reviewers are not disclosed to the authors, and reviewers do not know the identities of the authors or other reviewers. In the interest of transparency, the editorial office publishes, in the fourth (final) issue of the given year and in the online version, a list of all reviewers who evaluated manuscripts during that year.

Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers assess manuscripts based on:
- originality and scientific value,
- methodological soundness,
- significance of the results for the advancement of science and medical practice,
- relevance to the journal’s scope,
- quality of presentation and reporting of results.

Editorial Decisions

The peer review process takes up to 6 weeks. Reviewers are required to provide a substantive justification of their evaluation and to issue a clear recommendation by selecting one of the following options:
- the manuscript is accepted without revision;
- the manuscript may be accepted after minor revisions without the need for re-review;
- the manuscript may be accepted after major revisions and subsequent re-review;
- the manuscript should be rejected.

Following positive reviews, the manuscript is accepted for publication. In the case of divergent opinions, the editorial office may request an additional review from a third reviewer. The entire editorial process does not exceed 3 months.

Ethical Principles of the Peer Review Process

The peer review process is conducted in accordance with publication ethics principles, in particular:
- maintaining confidentiality,
- avoiding conflicts of interest,
- ensuring objective and fair evaluation,
- prohibiting the use of manuscript content for purposes other than the review process.