Peer Reviewing Process

Peer Review Policy

Archives of Pediatric Neurosurgery (APN) employs a rigorous peer reviewing process to confirm the validity and ensure scientific accuracy of published articles. Independent researchers with relevant expertise assess submitted manuscripts to help journal editors determine whether a manuscript should be published.

Peer Review Type

APN uses a double-blind peer review system, where reviewers do not know the names of the authors, and the authors do not know who reviewed their manuscript. This process is ensured by masking the front-page file containing author information before it is shared with reviewers.

Peer Reviewing Process

  • At least two reviewers with appropriate technical and clinical expertise are randomly assigned to each manuscript by the Chief Editor.

  • Reviewers are selected based on their individual publishing experience, especially as first or senior authors in the subject area.

  • A balanced panel of experienced and early-career reviewers ensures high-quality and diverse evaluations.

  • All manuscripts are screened for similarity and/or plagiarism using Turnitin™. Submissions with more than 30% duplication (excluding references) will be returned for revision or rejected.

Submission and Review of Articles by Editors and Editorial Board Members

To uphold transparency, fairness, and the highest ethical standards, APN has strict policies for the submission of manuscripts by editors or editorial board members:

  • Editors or board members who are authors of a submitted manuscript will not be involved in any part of the peer review or editorial decision process for their own work.

  • The manuscript will be handled independently by another editor with no conflict of interest, ensuring an unbiased review.

  • The peer review process will remain double-blinded and follow the same rigorous standards as any other submission.

  • No preferential treatment, guarantees of publication, or implicit bias will be tolerated.

  • Any potential conflict of interest must be clearly declared by the editor-author during submission.

Ethical Conduct and Conflict of Interest

APN is committed to regularly reviewing and strengthening its ethical policies, with emphasis on:

  • Promoting ethical conduct in research and publication;

  • Establishing clear authorship and contributorship guidelines;

  • Responding to concerns of misconduct, authorship disputes, or plagiarism with defined investigation procedures;

  • Ensuring transparency in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. Any use of generative AI (e.g., for writing or image creation) must be declared and comply with responsible AI use practices;

  • Adhering to COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines in all ethical matters.

An explicit and publicly accessible Ethics Statement section on the journal’s website outlines the steps for authors, reviewers, or readers to raise and address ethical concerns.

Revision Procedure

The desk review includes three steps:

  1. Checking submission completeness and document compliance (author guidelines, ORCID registration, etc.);

  2. Plagiarism check via Turnitin™;

  3. Editorial screening by Journal and Associate Editors before peer review.

If the submission passes these steps, it proceeds to the assigned reviewers for detailed evaluation.

Possible Results and Further Steps

After peer review, the editorial decision will be one of the following:

  • Accepted

  • Minor revisions

  • Major revisions

  • Rejected

If revisions are required, authors must submit both a marked-up and a clean version of the revised manuscript, along with a detailed point-by-point response to the reviewers’ comments. Track Changes in Microsoft Word is recommended for visibility of changes.

The Editors may then:

  • Accept the revised version,

  • Request another review round, or

  • Reject the manuscript.

Final approval is made by the Editor-in-Chief or Co-Editor-in-Chief.

Appeals and Complaints

All appeals regarding editorial decisions or complaints related to peer review and publication must be submitted in writing to the APN editorial office: editorialoffice@sbnped.com.br.

All cases will be handled according to COPE guidelines to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability.

 

Last Update: 16th June 2025