The International Journal of Medical Science and Dental Health (IJMSDH) follows a transparent, ethical, and structured editorial process to ensure the publication of high-quality scientific research. Every manuscript submitted to the journal undergoes a rigorous evaluation process based on scientific merit, originality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's scope.

The editorial process is conducted fairly and confidentially in accordance with internationally accepted publishing standards. Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by commercial interests or Article Processing Charges (APCs).

Objectives of the Editorial Process

The editorial process is designed to:

• Ensure the publication of original, high-quality research.
• Maintain fairness and transparency throughout the review process.
• Protect the confidentiality of authors and reviewers.
• Promote ethical research and responsible publishing practices.
• Support timely and constructive communication between authors, reviewers, and editors.

Detailed Editorial Process

1. Manuscript Submission

Authors may submit their manuscripts through the journal's online submission system or the official editorial email. Submitted manuscripts should comply with the journal's formatting requirements and include all necessary declarations, author information, figures, tables, and references.

2. Initial Technical Screening

The Editorial Office performs an initial screening to verify that the manuscript is complete, properly formatted, falls within the journal's scope, and complies with submission requirements. Manuscripts that do not meet the basic requirements may be returned to the authors for correction before peer review.

3. Plagiarism and Ethical Compliance

All manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening using appropriate plagiarism detection software. The editorial office also evaluates compliance with ethical standards, including originality, duplicate publication, ethical approval, patient consent (where applicable), and conflict of interest disclosures.

Manuscripts with significant ethical concerns may be rejected without external review.

4. Editorial Assessment

The Editor-in-Chief or an assigned Academic Editor evaluates the manuscript for scientific quality, originality, relevance, and suitability for publication in the journal.

Only manuscripts that satisfy the journal's editorial criteria proceed to external peer review.

5. Double-Blind Peer Review

IJMSDH follows a Double-Blind Peer Review system in which the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the review process.

Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on:

• Scientific quality
• Research methodology
• Originality
• Clinical significance
• Data interpretation
• Ethical compliance
• Quality of presentation

6. Reviewer Recommendations

After evaluation, reviewers may recommend one of the following decisions:

• Accept
• Minor Revision
• Major Revision
• Reject

The Editor-in-Chief considers all reviewer comments before making the editorial decision.

7. Author Revision

If revisions are requested, authors should carefully address each reviewer comment and submit a revised manuscript together with a detailed response explaining the modifications made.

8. Final Editorial Decision

The final publication decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief after considering reviewer recommendations and the revised manuscript.

Editorial decisions are based exclusively on scientific quality and ethical standards.

9. Copyediting and Production

Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, language editing, formatting, typesetting, DOI registration, and metadata preparation before publication.

10. Author Proof Approval

Before publication, the corresponding author receives the final proof to verify author information, affiliations, figures, tables, and references. Only minor corrections are permitted at this stage.

11. Online Publication

Following final approval, the article is assigned a DOI and published online in the scheduled issue. Published articles become immediately accessible under the journal's Open Access policy.

Editorial Decision Criteria

Editorial decisions are based on the following factors:

• Originality of the research
• Scientific quality
• Methodological validity
• Ethical compliance
• Significance of findings
• Clarity of presentation
• Relevance to the journal's scope

Editorial decisions are made independently and are never influenced by Article Processing Charges (APCs).

Average Editorial Timeline

*The review duration may vary depending on reviewer availability and manuscript complexity.

Confidentiality

All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential documents. Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must not disclose any information regarding submitted manuscripts except where necessary for the editorial process.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently by the editorial team based solely on scientific merit, originality, and ethical standards. The publisher does not interfere with editorial decisions, and Article Processing Charges (APCs) have no influence on manuscript acceptance.

Commitment to Quality

The International Journal of Medical Science and Dental Health is committed to maintaining a fair, transparent, efficient, and ethical editorial process that supports the dissemination of high-quality research in medical, dental, and health sciences.