Review Timeline
Frontiers in Intelligent Medicine & Health · Transparent & Efficient Peer Review
Frontiers in Intelligent Medicine & Health is committed to providing authors with a timely, transparent, and rigorous review process. The following timeline outlines the typical stages from submission to final decision. Actual times may vary depending on reviewer availability, manuscript complexity, ethical review requirements, and the technical nature of medical or health-related submissions.
Key commitment: First decision within 4–6 weeks · Continuous improvement to reduce waiting times.
1. Three-Tier Review Process
| Stage | Description | Expected Time |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Review | The editorial team checks journal scope, manuscript format, completeness of required documents, plagiarism, ethical approval, informed consent statements, data availability, and compliance with medical publication standards. Manuscripts that do not meet basic criteria may be rejected without external review. | 3–5 business days |
| External Peer Review | Double-blind review by at least two independent experts in intelligent medicine, digital health, clinical research, biomedical engineering, public health, or related fields. Reviewers are normally given 3 weeks to submit their reports. | 4–6 weeks |
| Editorial Decision | The handling editor or Editor-in-Chief evaluates reviewer reports, ethical considerations, methodological rigor, clinical relevance, and overall contribution before issuing a decision: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject. | Within 2 weeks after receiving reviews |
2. Detailed Stage Breakdown
- Submission: Authors submit the manuscript through the online submission system. The system generates an automatic confirmation.
- Technical Check: Editorial staff verify file formats, metadata, declarations, ethical approval statements, patient consent where applicable, conflict of interest statements, and adherence to journal policies.
- Editorial Pre-screening: The editor assesses novelty, relevance to intelligent medicine and health, methodological soundness, clinical or public health significance, and overall quality. Desk rejection may occur at this stage.
- Reviewer Invitation: The editor invites 2–4 potential reviewers with relevant expertise. The review period begins once at least two reviewers accept the invitation.
- Peer Review: Reviewers submit confidential comments and recommendations. Reminders are normally sent after 2 weeks.
- Decision Formulation: The editor synthesizes reviewer reports and issues a decision with clear instructions for revision, acceptance, or rejection.
- Author Revision: If major or minor revision is requested, authors should resubmit the revised manuscript with a detailed point-by-point response within the specified timeframe.
- Final Decision & Publication: After satisfactory revision, the manuscript is accepted and sent to production. Online publication normally occurs within 2–3 weeks with a DOI.
3. Summary of Key Deadlines
| Milestone | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Acknowledgement of receipt | Within 48 hours |
| Initial check result | 3–5 business days |
| First decision after peer review | 4–6 weeks |
| Minor revision resubmission | Within 14 days |
| Major revision resubmission | Within 30 days |
| Production to online publication | 2–3 weeks |
4. Appeals Process
If an author believes a decision was based on factual error, procedural irregularity, or misinterpretation of the manuscript, they may appeal in writing to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days of the decision. The appeal will be reviewed independently, and a final response will normally be provided within 4 weeks.
5. Contact Editorial Office
For questions about the review timeline or to check the status of a manuscript, please contact: