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Preliminary Evaluation
Technical Assessment
Upon the submission of the manuscript, an initial review is performed to verify adherence to established guidelines, which encompass conflict of interest disclosures, reporting standards, acknowledgements, comprehensive author information, and copyright permissions. Should any section of the manuscript be found incomplete or non-compliant, the author will be instructed to make the necessary revisions.
Content Examination
Plagiarism Review
Following the initial technical assessment, the manuscript undergoes a thorough plagiarism check utilizing Turnitin software. This step is executed concurrently with a careful verification of the author’s credentials.
Authentication of Author Identity
To confirm the authenticity of the authors, a meticulous evaluation of their qualifications, publication histories, and digital identifiers is undertaken. Furthermore, institutional email addresses are rigorously validated. During the manuscript submission process, acknowledgement emails are dispatched to the email addresses of all co-authors listed. If any of these emails are undeliverable, it raises concerns regarding the accuracy of the provided information, thereby prompting further scrutiny.
Peer Review
Following the initial evaluation by the Editor-in-Chief, manuscripts proceed to the peer review phase. In close coordination with the Editor-in-Chief, manuscripts are assigned to appropriate members of the Editorial Board and other experts with relevant qualifications in the field. At CM, we uphold the highest standards of transparency and rigour, ensuring the implementation of strict protocols to prevent any potential conflicts of interest between reviewers and authors. Should any conflict arise, the reviewer will be promptly replaced. Manuscripts are assessed through two to three review reports, after which the Editor-in-Chief will make a decision based on the feedback provided by the reviewers. It is essential to emphasize that the recommendations of the reviewers are confidential and shared solely with the journal editors, not the authors. All decisions regarding revisions, acceptance, or rejection are supported by detailed justifications. The reports provided by the reviewers are a critical tool for the editors, who carefully consider all feedback before reaching a final decision. In most cases, all comments directed to the authors are communicated; however, in certain circumstances, comments may be adjusted to maintain anonymity and ensure a professional tone. For a comprehensive overview of our peer review process and guidelines, we invite you to visit our dedicated Peer Review Workflow page.
Decision by the Editor-in-Chief and Manuscript Revision Procedure
The Editor-in-Chief carefully examines the feedback provided by the reviewers to determine whether the manuscript should be accepted, rejected, or revised. The outcome of this decision is subsequently communicated to the author. In instances where revisions are necessary, the author must submit the revised manuscript along with a comprehensive response letter within seven days, unless a formal extension is requested and granted. It is strongly recommended that authors address all comments and suggestions from both reviewers and editors in detail to improve the overall quality of their manuscript. Responses to reviewer feedback should explicitly highlight the changes made or offer well-founded explanations for any disagreements. The revised manuscript must be accompanied by a new cover letter containing a point-by-point response to the reviewers’ and editors’ comments. In the case of minor revisions, authors should submit the final version reflecting the required adjustments for the editor’s review. For major revisions, the manuscript is returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation, and their feedback is integral to the Editor-in-Chief’s final decision. Generally, no more than two rounds of major revisions are permitted. Upon completion of the revisions, the manuscript is resubmitted to the Editor-in-Chief, who may then choose to:
- Accept the manuscript,
- Request additional revisions, or
- Re-engage the same reviewers for another round of evaluation.
The Editor-in-Chief may, on occasion, diverge from the recommendations provided by the reviewers; however, they are obligated to present a well-substantiated justification for such decisions, thereby ensuring transparency and benefiting both the authors and the reviewers. The ultimate decision concerning the acceptance, revision, or rejection of a manuscript is solely within the purview of the Editor-in-Chief, with no involvement from the editorial staff in these determinations. In instances where the original reviewers fail to respond to a revised submission, an alternative Editorial Board member or a reviewer with expertise in a related field may be appointed to complete the re-review process. Both the revised manuscript and the authors’ responses to the reviewers’ comments will be supplied to the new reviewers for consideration. Generally, a manuscript is permitted a maximum of two cycles of revision; if significant concerns raised by the reviewers are not satisfactorily addressed within this timeframe, the manuscript will be rejected. Should the revision process exceed 45 days, authors are strongly encouraged to withdraw their manuscript and submit it as a new submission.
Before submitting a manuscript for revision, we conduct a meticulous review to confirm compliance with international standards and journal guidelines. This includes an assessment of the quality of any graphics. Should any figures be deemed inadequate in quality, the authors will be informed and requested to enhance them, as high-quality visuals are paramount for publication.
While the initial processing, including peer review, is not delayed, manuscripts cannot proceed to production until all requirements have been fulfilled. This proactive approach enables authors to address any issues comprehensively during the revision phase, incorporating feedback from reviewers, thus resulting in a more refined submission that enhances the likelihood of acceptance.
Author Appeal Process
Authors who wish to challenge a rejection must formally submit a request via email to the journal’s Editorial Office. The appeal should provide a thorough rationale, addressing the reviewers’ and/or Editor’s comments in detail, and must be submitted using the designated appeal form. Appeals are only permitted following a “reject and decline resubmission” decision and must be submitted within three months of the decision date. Appeals submitted after this period will not be considered. Upon receipt, the Managing Editor will forward the manuscript, along with the relevant documentation (including the identities of referees), to a designated Editorial Board Member for an advisory recommendation. The appointed academic editor may propose acceptance, further peer review, or the retention of the original rejection. This recommendation will then be reviewed and affirmed by the Editor-in-Chief. A rejection at this stage is definitive and cannot be appealed.
Production Process
Upon acceptance of a manuscript, it is allocated a distinct identifier (DOI) and transitions to the production phase. This stage encompasses language editing, typesetting, proofreading, preparation of figures and tables, as well as the verification of citations and references, among other tasks.
Reference Verification and Formatting
Subsequent to the manuscript’s acceptance, the Editorial Office performs a meticulous review of the references to guarantee compliance with academic and formatting standards. This process involves:
- Duplicate References: The process of identifying and eliminating any occurrences where references are repeated within the reference section to avoid redundancy.
- Authors’ Self-Citation Rate: An assessment of the ratio of self-citations by the authors to uphold academic integrity.
- Reference Formatting: The verification of the accuracy of reference formatting. Should significant inconsistencies be found, authors will be required to submit corrected versions.
- Relevance of Cited References: CM ensures that all cited references align with international standards and are directly relevant to the article’s content. This includes a review of self-citations at both the journal and publisher levels.
Minor errors are addressed by the Editorial Office, and author approval is necessary before proceeding. In the case of major errors, authors are instructed to submit revised references directly.
English Editing
CM mandates that all submitted manuscripts meet rigorous standards of English language proficiency. Authors are highly encouraged to have their manuscripts reviewed by a native English-speaking expert or utilize professional editing services to rectify any grammatical, scientific, or typographical mistakes prior to submission. For convenience, CM offers its own professional language editing services at competitive rates. Authors are invited to contact us for a customized quote and further details.
Layout Editing
After the completion of language editing, manuscripts undergo the Layout Editing phase, during which formatting is meticulously adjusted to adhere to the journal’s specific guidelines. This process involves refining fonts, margins, headers, footers, and the formatting of figures and tables to ensure uniformity. The manuscript is then converted into a PDF and sent to the authors for review, allowing them the opportunity to verify any discrepancies or errors that may have occurred during the conversion from Word to PDF.
Proofreading
At the final stage, the manuscript undergoes a thorough examination to detect and correct any remaining errors. Revisions suggested by the authors after the layout editing phase are incorporated, and a revised version of the manuscript is submitted to the authors for their final approval. Our skilled proofreaders ensure the manuscript is free of errors, focusing on subtle modifications without significantly altering the content or style. This process serves as the ultimate quality control measure before publication, addressing any details that may have been overlooked.
Online Publication
All articles are published online in both PDF and XML formats. The contact details of corresponding authors and the articles are disseminated via a press release service, ensuring extensive visibility and drawing attention from global media outlets.