BioMedica follows a double-blind peer review process. The journal is owned and published by the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, and hosted by Discover STM Publishing Ltd. The policy follows our Editorial and Publishing Policies and the COPE guidelines.

Key features

• Every research article is reviewed by at least two suitably qualified experts, who may be members of the Editorial Board or external reviewers.
• Authors and reviewers do not know each other's identities during review.
• All publication decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief on the basis of the reviews received.
• Associate Editors and Editorial Board members advise the Editor-in-Chief on specific submissions.
• Editorial staff provide the administrative support that keeps the review fair and timely.
• After publication, the names of reviewers may be displayed on the journal website.

Initial editorial check

New submissions are first read by the editors. A manuscript may be rejected without external review if it is outside the aims and scope of the journal or is of insufficient quality. Submissions are also screened for plagiarism before review.

External review

Suitable manuscripts are sent to at least two experts in the field, chosen by the Editor-in-Chief. Reviewers are asked to recommend acceptance, acceptance with revisions, or rejection. The editor decides whether each submission reports well-conducted research with conclusions supported by the data. Priority is not a factor in decision-making, but a paper must make a novel or incremental addition to the literature.

Revised manuscripts

The editors decide promptly whether to accept, reject or request revisions, based on the reviews. They may seek additional reviews when needed, and the authors are told when this happens.

Withdrawal of manuscripts

Withdrawal of a manuscript after processing is governed by the terms stated on the Article Processing Charges page.

Appeals and complaints

Authors who disagree with a decision may write to the editorial office through the Contact Us page, giving reasons. The Editor-in-Chief will consider the appeal, and complaints are handled following COPE guidance.

Reviewers

Reviewers must keep manuscripts confidential, declare any conflict of interest and give objective, constructive reports. See our Publishing Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement and Conflict of Interest policy for details.