Peer Review Process

HSIJ is a double blind peer-reviewed journal with a rigorous multi-stage editorial screening and assessment process. 

First, we do an initial in-house quality check to detect potential issues such as competing interests, ethical standards for human and animal subjects, financial disclosures, data availability, and English and readability. At this point, submissions may be returned to authors for modifications or clarifications.

After passing quality control, each submission is assigned to an editor (either the editor-in-chief, an associate editor, or an editorial board member) who screens it for scientific and policy requirements, such as the scope of the HSIJ journal, advancement, or effect of the publication. The submission may be rejected if the manuscript does not meet the standards.

If the manuscript meets the requirements, it will be sent to reviewers (at least two) on relevant subjects. The editors will make a judgment after receiving the reviewers' remarks. A manuscript may be approved without alteration, suggested for revision and additional review, or rejected due to a consequence of the technical review process.

The received date in the published article is the date the editors received the original (or if previously rejected, resubmitted) manuscript. The revised date is the date the editors received the most recently fully updated version of the article (the manuscript may be returned to the authors for modification). After receiving the reviewers ' suggestions, the authors will be allowed a few weeks to modify the article.) The paper is formally accepted after all outstanding editorial difficulties are resolved. When the editor sends the acceptance letter, it is the accepted date.