Peer Review Process

REAL in Nursing Journal (RNJ) employs a rigorous and transparent peer-review system to ensure the highest quality, validity, and scientific integrity of all published articles.

Double-Blind

To maintain strict confidentiality and objectivity throughout the evaluation, RNJ utilizes a Double-Blind Peer Review model. Under this system, the identities of both the authors and the reviewers are completely concealed from each other.

Evaluation Process

The evaluation process consists of the following structured phases:

1
Initial Screening (Desk Evaluation)
Upon submission, every manuscript undergoes a preliminary review by the Editorial Board. The editors assess whether the manuscript fits within the journal's focus and scope, adheres to the Author Guidelines, and meets basic academic integrity standards (including plagiarism checks via Turnitin). Manuscripts that fail to meet these fundamental requirements will be rejected immediately without external evaluation.
2
External Peer Review
Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned to independent external reviewers who possess specific expertise in the relevant field of nursing or health sciences. Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on its originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, clarity of presentation, and contribution to the scientific community. The typical timeframe for this peer-review phase is approximately 3–6 weeks.

Peer Review Flowchart

AUTHOR
↓
MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION
↓
PRELIMINARY SCREENING by Editor-in-Chief
↘
DESK REJECTION
Does Not Meet Requirements
↙
MEETS REQUIREMENTS
↓
SELECTION EDITOR ASSIGNMENT
↓
REVIEWER ASSIGNMENT
↓
PEER REVIEW (3-6 weeks)
↓
EDITORIAL DECISION
↓
REJECTED
END
↓
MINOR REVISION
↓ AUTHOR REVISION
↓ REASSESSMENT
↓
MAJOR REVISION
↓ AUTHOR REVISION
↓ 2nd–3rd PEER REVIEW
↓
ACCEPTED
↓
FINAL DECISION BY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
↓
✓ ACCEPTED
↓
COPYEDITING & LANGUAGE
→
TYPESETTING & PROOF
→
AUTHOR PROOFREADING
→
FINAL PRODUCTION CHECK
→
PUBLISHED

REAL in Nursing Journal (RNJ) — Committed to rigorous, transparent, and fair peer review to advance nursing science and practice.