Peer-Review Policy

MHSJ uses double-blind peer review: reviewers do not know the authors’ identities, and authors do not know the reviewers’ identities.

1. Technical check (within 7 working days): The editorial office checks completeness, formatting, declarations, and a similarity report. Overall similarity above 20%, or above 5% from any single source, triggers closer scrutiny.
2. Editorial screening (within 14 days): The Editor-in-Chief or an associate editor assesses fit with the journal’s scope, originality, and basic scientific soundness. Manuscripts may be declined without external review at this stage.
3. External review (within 21 days of accepting the invitation): At least two independent reviewers assess the manuscript. A statistical review is added where needed.
4. Decision: Possible decisions are accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject. Where reviewers disagree, a third reviewer is invited.
5. Revision: Authors should return minor revisions within 14 days and major revisions within 30 days, accompanied by a point-by-point response letter.
6. Final decision: The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision.

• Editors do not handle manuscripts from their own institution, recent collaborators (within the past three years), or relatives.
• Submissions from editorial board members are handled by another editor.
• The author has no access to the review process for such submissions.

Authors may appeal a rejection once, in writing to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days, providing specific reasons for the appeal.

Note: The source text ends after “The appeal is assessed by”; please complete this sentence before publishing the policy.