Peer Review Policy

Peer Review Policy

The Pakistan Journal of Occupational Therapy and Health follows a strict double-blind peer review process to ensure objectivity, fairness, and academic integrity in all published work.

Double-Blind Review Process

In the double-blind peer review system:

  • The authors’ identities are not disclosed to the reviewers.

  • The reviewers’ identities are not disclosed to the authors.

This process guarantees an impartial assessment based solely on the academic quality and relevance of the manuscript.

Review Procedure

  1. Initial Editorial Screening
    All submitted manuscripts are first reviewed by the editorial team to ensure they meet the journal’s scope, formatting requirements, and ethical standards.

  2. Anonymization of Manuscripts
    Before peer review, the editorial team ensures that all identifying information (such as author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, and file metadata) is removed from the manuscript. 

  3. Assignment to Reviewers
    Each manuscript is assigned to at least two independent expert reviewers with relevant academic or clinical expertise.

  4. Evaluation Criteria
    Reviewers assess manuscripts based on:

    • Originality and significance of the topic

    • Clarity and coherence of the manuscript

    • Methodological soundness

    • Relevance to occupational therapy and public health

    • Ethical compliance and scholarly value

  5. Editorial Decision
    Based on reviewer recommendations, the Editor-in-Chief or Associate Editor will make one of the following decisions:

    • Accept

    • Accept with minor revisions

    • Revise and resubmit

    • Reject

  6. Revision and Follow-Up
    Authors are notified of the decision and provided with reviewer feedback for necessary revisions. Revised manuscripts may be re-evaluated by the same or new reviewers.

    Maintaining Anonymity

    • The editorial team is responsible for removing any author-identifying information before review.

    • Reviewers must not attempt to identify the authors and are required to declare any potential conflict of interest.

    The journal is committed to maintaining confidentiality and fairness throughout the peer review process to promote the highest standards of scientific publishing.