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Preventive Care in Nursing & Midwifery Journal
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Reviewers Guidelines

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 | Post date: 2019/01/9 | 
Peer Review Guidelines for Preventive Care in Nursing and Midwifery Journal (PCNM)
Last Updated: September 2024

1. Peer Review Process Overview
2. Invitation and Response Protocol
2.1. Review Invitations
2.2. Registration Requirement
2.3. Review Timeline
3. Benefits for Reviewers
3.1. Recognition and Certification
3.2. Professional Development
4. Conflicts of Interest
4.1. Personal Conflicts
4.2. Financial Conflicts
4.3. Academic Conflicts
5. Review Content Guidelines
5.1. Scientific Assessment
5.2. Originality and Integrity
5.3. Constructive Feedback
6. Review Tone and Communication
6.1. Professional Conduct
6.2. Review Structure
7. Confidentiality and Ethics
7.1. Confidentiality Requirements
7.2. Data Handling
7.3. Ethical Responsibilities
8. Becoming a Reviewer
9. Useful Resources
10. Contact Information

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1. Peer Review Process Overview
PCNM employs a double-blind peer review system where both reviewers and authors remain anonymous to each other. All manuscripts undergo rigorous peer review to ensure scientific quality, originality, and relevance to the journal's scope. Our review process follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers.

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2. Invitation and Response Protocol
2.1. Review Invitations
  • Review invitations are sent electronically through the journal's submission system and via email
  • Potential reviewers are selected based on their expertise, publication history, and previous review quality
  • Reviewers are requested to accept or decline invitations promptly through the online system
2.2. Registration Requirement
  • New reviewers must register on the journal's website at: https://nmcjournal.zums.ac.ir/
    Existing reviewers can access their accounts using their credentials
2.3. Review Timeline
  • Standard review period: 14-21 days
  • Maximum allowable period: 28 days (with prior approval from the editorial office)
  • Reviewers may request extensions through the online system before the deadline
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3. Benefits for Reviewers
3.1. Recognition and Certification
  • Certificate of Peer Review: Official certificate provided upon completion of timely, quality reviews
  • Annual Recognition: Outstanding reviewers are acknowledged annually in the journal's special edition
  • Priority Processing: After completing 5 quality reviews, reviewers receive priority processing for their own submissions (subject to standard peer review acceptance)
3.2. Professional Development
  • Early exposure to cutting-edge research in nursing and midwifery
  • Enhancement of critical appraisal skills
  • Contribution to maintaining scientific standards in the field

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4. Conflicts of Interest
Reviewers must decline review invitations when conflicts of interest exist, including:
4.1. Personal Conflicts
  • Close personal relationships with authors (family members, close friends)
  • Recent collaboration with authors (within the past 3 years)
  • Current institutional affiliation with authors
4.2. Financial Conflicts
  • Financial interest in products, companies, or institutions mentioned in the manuscript
  • Funding relationships that could influence objectivity
4.3. Academic Conflicts
  • Competitive research interests that might affect impartial assessment
  • History of disagreement with authors that could bias the evaluation
Note: If reviewers recognize author identity despite blinding measures, they should immediately notify the editorial office.

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5. Review Content Guidelines
5.1. Scientific Assessment
  • Evaluate the accuracy and currency of content
  • Assess whether authors have missed important literature
  • Verify that primary sources are appropriately referenced
  • Identify any methodological flaws or statistical errors
5.2. Originality and Integrity
  • Check for plagiarism or inappropriate text recycling (though all manuscripts undergo software screening)
  • Verify proper attribution of others' work
  • Assess novelty and contribution to the field
5.3. Constructive Feedback
  • Provide specific, actionable comments for improvement
  • Suggest additional references where appropriate
  • If recommending revision, offer clear guidance for addressing concerns
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6. Review Tone and Communication
6.1. Professional Conduct
  • Maintain a respectful, constructive tone throughout the review
  • Begin with positive aspects of the manuscript before addressing concerns
  • Avoid disparaging or personal comments
  • Focus criticism on the work itself, not the authors
6.2. Review Structure
  • Use the journal's online review form for standardized assessment
  • Provide separate comments for editors (confidential) and authors (shared)
  • Rate manuscripts on specific criteria using the provided scoring system
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7. Confidentiality and Ethics
7.1. Confidentiality Requirements
  • Treat all manuscripts as strictly confidential documents
  • Do not discuss unpublished manuscripts with anyone without editor's permission
  • Do not use unpublished information for personal research or advantage
7.2. Data Handling
  • Destroy manuscript copies after completing reviews
  • Maintain copies of review comments for 3 months for potential follow-up
  • Do not share manuscripts with students or colleagues without editor approval
7.3. Ethical Responsibilities
  • Alert editors to any ethical concerns (plagiarism, data fabrication, etc.)
  • Identify potential overlaps with other publications
  • Maintain objectivity throughout the review process
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8. Becoming a Reviewer
Qualified professionals interested in joining our reviewer database should:
  1. Send their curriculum vitae to pcnmzums.ac.ir
  2. Include their ORCID iD (if available)
  3. Specify their areas of expertise using MeSH terms
  1. Provide information about previous reviewing experience
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9. Useful Resources 10
10. Contact Information
For questions about the peer review process, contact:
  • Peer Review Coordinator:  pcnmzums.ac.ir, pcnmjournalgmail.com
  • Editorial Office: Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, School of Nursing and Midwifery
PCNM appreciates the vital contribution of peer reviewers in maintaining scientific excellence and upholding publication ethics.

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