Initial assessment of submissions

We are committed to publishing high quality new work that makes a significant contribution within the scope of the journal. In order to meet this aim, submitted manuscripts undergo initial evaluation by an editor to ensure that they meet essential criteria for publication in the journal. Only those manuscripts that pass this initial review process will be forwarded to reviewers for further consideration. After checking to see if the submission is complete and we have all the files we need, the  manuscript may be returned to the author(s) without external review if, in the opinion of the editor(s), one or more of the following apply:

• the manuscript clearly falls outside the scope of the journal.
• the work is of poor scientific quality such that it is clearly not suitable for publication in a scientific journal.
• the manuscript is of insufficient general interest for the journal and would be better suited to a more specialized journal.
• the novelty of the work falls below that required for the journal.
• the manuscript contains redundant information or significant amounts of material that has already been published elsewhere or is under consideration by another journal.
• the quality of the English in the manuscript is so poor as to render the science presented unclear.
• the conclusions drawn by the manuscript are well known or have been published previously.

Review process.

JPME operates a double-blind review process. All contributions will be initially assessed by the editor for suitability for the journal. Papers deemed suitable are then typically sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. Authors are required to provide at least 5 international reviewers (including their affiliation and email address) in their submission.

Revised manuscripts

If the manuscript has reports from reviewers, then the author will be asked to resubmit the revised files. These files should include a summary of any new work added and a point-by-point response to the reviewers’ comments. Authors should be aware that the reviewers’ comments are transferred to the editor of the journal together with the manuscript files. When a revision is requested, authors must submit the revised manuscript promptly. The revision deadlines for peer-reviewed manuscripts are as follows:

• Minor Revision: 21 days
• Major Revision: 30 days
• Reject & Resubmit: 90 days

After acceptance

The corresponding author will receive an e-mail with the formatted manuscript for proof reading and preparing any necessary edits/changes. All instructions for proofing will be given in the e-mail we send to authors.

Appeal procedure

Our appeal procedure provides authors with the opportunity to respond to the editorial decision on their manuscript. Authors have the right to appeal to the editor against any decision taken on their manuscript at any stage; an appeal will be considered at the discretion of editorial team of JPME. Through the appeal process further opinion is sought on the manuscript's suitability for publication in the journal. After the appeal process the editor's decision is final.

• Step 1: Send a rebuttal letter to the editor via the journal email. Your letter should explain clearly why you disagree with the decision on your manuscript and should include a detailed response to any reviewers’ comments.
• Step 2: The editor will consider your appeal. All appeal requests are handled on a case by case basis and the editor's decision is final.
• Step 3: If your appeal is granted. your manuscript will undergo further assessment by an independent reviewer.
• Step 4: The editor will make a final decision on your manuscript.