Publishing in a peer-reviewed medical journal is one of the most important milestones in a researcher’s career, yet the process can feel opaque to first-time authors. Understanding exactly what happens between finishing a manuscript and seeing it in print can save months of frustration and dramatically improve your chances of acceptance. This guide walks through the process end to end, using the standards followed by journals such as the International Journal of Medical Sciences (IJMS) as a practical reference point.
Step 1: Confirm Your Study Fits the Journal’s Scope
Before writing a single word of your manuscript, check whether your research area matches what the journal actually publishes. Submitting a well-written paper to the wrong journal is one of the most common — and most avoidable — reasons for rejection. IJMS, for example, publishes original papers, review papers, and research notes across Medicine, Surgery, Nursing Science, Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Mental Health, Public Health, and other basic medical and health disciplines. If your work fits comfortably within a journal’s stated scope, reviewers are far more likely to engage seriously with it.
Step 2: Prepare Your Manuscript to Specification
Every journal has formatting requirements, and ignoring them signals to editors that a paper hasn’t been carefully prepared. At minimum, expect requirements such as:
- A submission file in Microsoft Word, RTF, OpenOffice, or WordPerfect format
- Single-spaced text in a 12-point font
- Italics rather than underlining (except for URLs)
- Illustrations, figures, and tables placed within the text at the appropriate points, not bundled at the end
- URLs provided for references wherever available
Most journals, including IJMS, provide an official article template. Using it from the start avoids a round of formatting revisions later and shows the editorial team that you’ve engaged seriously with their process.
Step 3: Write an Abstract That Can Stand Alone
Editors often make an initial judgment about a manuscript based on the title and abstract alone, before a single reviewer is assigned. A concise, well-structured abstract that clearly states the research question, method, key findings, and significance dramatically increases the likelihood that your paper moves forward to peer review rather than being desk-rejected.
Step 4: Submit and Receive Confirmation
Once your manuscript is ready, it is submitted through the journal’s editorial system. For IJMS, this means uploading through the Paper Submission portal or emailing the corresponding manuscript to the editorial office. A responsible journal will confirm receipt — typically within 48 hours — and issue a manuscript ID you can reference in all further correspondence.
Step 5: Plagiarism and Quality Screening
Before a manuscript reaches reviewers, most reputable journals run it through plagiarism-detection software and a primary quality check by an editor. This step protects the integrity of the journal and filters out submissions that fall short of basic scholarly standards before they consume reviewer time.
Step 6: Double-Blind Peer Review
This is the heart of the process. In a double-blind review, neither the author nor the reviewer knows the other’s identity, which helps ensure that manuscripts are judged purely on their scientific merit. At IJMS, this stage is typically completed within 3 to 5 days — notably fast compared to many traditional journals, where peer review can take months. Reviewers evaluate the study’s design, methodology, contribution to the field, and clarity of reporting.
Step 7: The Editorial Decision
Based on the review, the editorial team issues one of three outcomes: accepted without revision, resubmission with major or minor revisions, or rejection. If revisions are requested, treat reviewer comments as a genuine opportunity to strengthen your paper rather than a hurdle — a well-addressed revision is often the difference between rejection and acceptance on the next round.
Step 8: Publication Charges and Final Formalities
Reputable open-access journals are transparent about when and how fees apply. IJMS, for instance, charges no fee at submission — payment is only requested after a manuscript is accepted following peer review. Current Article Publication Charges (APC) are USD 150 for professors, scholars, and students, and USD 215 for corporate professionals, which typically include the publication charge, a DOI issued through Crossref, the review report, a digital certificate, and lifetime archiving. Be wary of any journal that demands payment before your paper has even been reviewed — that is a common red flag for predatory publishing.
Step 9: DOI, Certification, and Archiving
Once fees are settled, authors are usually asked to submit a short biography and conflict-of-interest disclosure form. Your accepted paper is then assigned a unique DOI through Crossref, an official Digital Object Identifier registration agency, which ensures your work is permanently citable and discoverable.
Common Mistakes First-Time Authors Make
- Submitting outside the journal’s scope
- Ignoring formatting instructions
- Weak or vague abstracts that fail to summarize the actual contribution
- Failing to disclose conflicts of interest or obtain ethics approval where required
- Assuming any request for payment before review is normal (it is not)
Final Thoughts
Getting published is rarely about luck — it is about matching your work to the right journal, following instructions precisely, and treating peer review as a collaborative process rather than an obstacle. If you have a manuscript ready in Medicine, Surgery, Nursing Science, Public Health, Mental Health, or a related discipline, review the IJMS Scope and start your submission through the Paper Submission page.
For broader guidance on research and publication ethics, the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) maintains widely referenced international standards for authors, editors, and reviewers.