Peer Review Policy

JCI uses double-blind peer review. Author and reviewer identities are concealed from one another during review.

Editorial screening

An editor first checks scope, originality, reporting quality, ethics, biosafety, data availability and whether the evidence is sufficient for specialist review.

External review

Suitable manuscripts are normally assessed by at least two independent reviewers with relevant biological or methodological expertise. Reviewers consider the question, experimental design, controls, replication, analysis, interpretation, reproducibility and contribution.

Decision and confidentiality

Decisions may be accept, minor revision, major revision or reject. Authors should answer each comment and identify changes. Editors and reviewers must keep manuscripts confidential, declare conflicts and avoid using unpublished material.