Published by Utkarsh Research Network, India
Search Register Login

UJHSE

Utkarsh Journal of Health Sciences and Environment
Open Access
Peer Reviewed
ISSN: [Applied]

For Reviewers

1. Why Review for UJHSE?

Peer reviewers are essential to maintaining the quality and integrity of scholarly publishing. By reviewing for UJHSE, you make a direct and meaningful contribution to the advancement of knowledge in health sciences and environmental health.

  • Contribute to scientific quality: Your expert evaluation helps ensure that only rigorous, well-conducted, and ethically sound research reaches publication.
  • Stay current with the latest research: Reviewing manuscripts gives you early access to new findings, methodologies, and trends in your field before they are published.
  • Gain professional recognition: UJHSE acknowledges the contribution of its reviewers publicly in an annual reviewer acknowledgement published in the journal.
  • Receive a certificate of review: All reviewers who complete their reviews receive a formal certificate of peer review from UJHSE, suitable for inclusion in academic portfolios and promotion dossiers.
  • Develop critical evaluation skills: The review process sharpens your analytical and critical appraisal abilities, which benefits your own research and academic writing.

2. Reviewer Expectations

UJHSE expects all peer reviewers to uphold the highest standards of scholarly review. Reviewers should:

  • Possess expertise in the relevant subject area of the manuscript under review.
  • Complete reviews within 21 days of accepting the invitation. If a delay is anticipated, reviewers should notify the editorial office promptly.
  • Provide constructive, objective, and evidence-based feedback that helps authors improve the quality of their work, regardless of the recommendation.
  • Maintain strict confidentiality regarding the manuscript content, findings, and any related communications. Manuscripts must not be shared with or discussed with others without the editor's permission.
  • Declare any conflicts of interest promptly and decline to review if a conflict exists (e.g., personal, financial, institutional, or collaborative relationship with the authors).
  • Follow the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers (publicationethics.org).

3. Review Process

The peer review process at UJHSE follows a structured workflow designed to ensure fairness, rigor, and timeliness:

  1. Invitation: The handling editor identifies and invites reviewers based on their expertise and publication record in the relevant subject area.
  2. Accept or decline: Reviewers are asked to accept or decline the invitation within 3 days. If declining, suggesting an alternative reviewer is appreciated.
  3. Double-blind review: UJHSE operates a double-blind review process. Both reviewer and author identities are concealed throughout the review. Reviewers receive a blinded manuscript with no author-identifying information.
  4. Structured review form: Reviewers complete a structured review form provided by the journal (see Section 5 below).
  5. Recommendation: Reviewers submit one of the following recommendations:
    • Accept — The manuscript is suitable for publication as submitted.
    • Minor Revisions — The manuscript requires small corrections or clarifications before acceptance.
    • Major Revisions — The manuscript requires substantial changes to methodology, analysis, or interpretation, and should be re-reviewed after revision.
    • Reject — The manuscript is not suitable for publication in UJHSE.
  6. Target completion: Reviews should be completed within 21 days from the date the invitation is accepted.

4. Review Criteria

Reviewers are asked to evaluate manuscripts against the following criteria:

  • Originality and significance: Does the research address an important question and contribute new knowledge to the field?
  • Study design and methodology: Is the study design appropriate for the research question? Are the methods described with sufficient detail for reproducibility?
  • Validity and reliability of results: Are the results credible and supported by the data presented? Are sample sizes adequate?
  • Data analysis and interpretation: Are statistical methods appropriate and correctly applied? Are the conclusions supported by the data?
  • Adherence to reporting guidelines: Does the manuscript comply with the relevant reporting guideline (CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, CARE, ARRIVE, etc.)?
  • Clarity and quality of writing: Is the manuscript well-organized, clearly written, and free from major language issues?
  • References and literature review: Is the literature review current and comprehensive? Are references relevant, accurate, and properly cited?
  • Ethical considerations: Does the study report appropriate ethical approvals, informed consent, and compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki or relevant guidelines?
  • Suitability for UJHSE's scope: Does the manuscript fall within the journal's scope of medical sciences, public health, and environmental health?

5. Structured Review Form

UJHSE provides all reviewers with a structured review form to ensure consistent, thorough, and fair evaluation of all manuscripts. The review form includes the following sections:

  • Overall assessment: A summary evaluation of the manuscript's quality, strengths, and weaknesses.
  • Specific comments to authors: Detailed, numbered comments addressing specific aspects of the manuscript (methodology, results, discussion, references, tables, figures, etc.). Comments should be constructive and actionable.
  • Confidential comments to editor: Comments intended only for the handling editor, such as concerns about ethical issues, data integrity, conflicts of interest, or other sensitive matters not appropriate for the authors to see.
  • Recommendation: The reviewer's overall recommendation (Accept, Minor Revisions, Major Revisions, or Reject) with a brief justification.

6. Ethical Guidelines for Reviewers

UJHSE expects all reviewers to adhere to the highest ethical standards in peer review, consistent with the guidelines issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE):

  • Confidentiality: All manuscripts and associated materials must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not disclose any information about the manuscript or its review to anyone outside of the editorial process.
  • No personal use of unpublished data: Reviewers must not use ideas, data, or information obtained through the review process for their own research or personal advantage before the manuscript is published.
  • Reporting misconduct: If a reviewer suspects plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, or any other form of research misconduct, they must report their concerns to the handling editor promptly and in confidence.
  • Conflicts of interest: Reviewers must decline to review any manuscript where a conflict of interest exists. Conflicts include personal relationships with the authors, direct collaboration within the past 3 years, financial interests related to the research, or any circumstance that could compromise objectivity.

7. How to Register as a Reviewer

UJHSE welcomes expressions of interest from qualified researchers who wish to join our peer reviewer panel. To register:

  1. Visit the UJHSE submission portal at ujhse.utkarshresearchnetwork.in.
  2. Click Register and create an account, selecting the "Reviewer" role during registration.
  3. Complete your profile with your areas of expertise, institutional affiliation, qualifications, and a brief biographical statement. A complete profile helps editors match you with appropriate manuscripts.
  4. You will be contacted when a manuscript matching your expertise is submitted.

For questions or to express interest in reviewing, please contact the editorial office at editor@utkarshresearchnetwork.in.