Peer Review Process

Caring & Sharing Nursing Journal (CSNJ) applies a rigorous, fair, and confidential peer-review process to ensure the quality and integrity of all published articles.

1) Review Model

CSNJ uses double-blind peer review, where the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from each other during the review process.

2) Initial Editorial Screening (Desk Review)

All submissions are screened by the editorial office before being sent to reviewers. The screening includes:

  • Scope fit and relevance to CSNJ

  • Completeness of manuscript components and metadata

  • Compliance with the journal template and basic submission requirements

  • Ethical compliance (where applicable: ethics approval, informed consent, patient confidentiality)

  • Similarity screening to identify potential plagiarism/redundant publication

Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements may be returned to authors for correction or rejected at this stage.

3) Reviewer Assignment

Manuscripts passing desk review are assigned to at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise. Reviewers are selected based on:

  • subject expertise and methodological fit

  • absence of conflict of interest

  • review performance history (quality and timeliness)

4) Review Criteria

Reviewers are asked to evaluate manuscripts based on:

  • originality and contribution to nursing knowledge/practice

  • methodological rigor and ethical considerations

  • clarity of presentation and logical structure

  • appropriateness of analysis and interpretation

  • quality and currency of references

  • relevance to CSNJ aims and scope

5) Editorial Decision

Based on reviewer reports and editorial assessment, CSNJ issues one of the following decisions:

  • Accept

  • Minor Revision

  • Major Revision

  • Reject

Authors receive anonymized reviewer comments and an editorial decision letter. For revision decisions, authors must submit:

  • a revised manuscript, and

  • a point-by-point response explaining how each comment was addressed.

Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers when necessary.

6) Timeline (Target)

CSNJ targets the following turnaround times (may vary depending on reviewer availability and manuscript complexity):

  • Desk review: 7–14 days

  • First decision after peer review: 21–45 days

  • Review of revised manuscript: 14–30 days

7) Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest

Reviewers and editors must treat all manuscripts and review materials as confidential. Reviewers must declare any conflict of interest (financial, institutional, collaborative, or personal) and decline the review when a conflict exists.

8) Ethical Oversight and Misconduct Handling

If ethical concerns arise (e.g., plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated data, authorship disputes), CSNJ follows documented procedures consistent with recognized publication ethics guidance, including actions such as clarification requests, rejection, and—if already published—corrections or retractions where warranted. (publicationethics.org)

9) Appeals and Complaints

Authors may submit an appeal if they believe an editorial decision was made based on factual errors or procedural issues. Appeals must be supported by a reasoned explanation and evidence. CSNJ also maintains a complaints procedure for concerns related to editorial handling, peer review integrity, or publication ethics. Complaints and appeals are handled transparently, fairly, and confidentially. (publicationethics.org)