The Journal of Clinical and Translational Immunology (JCTI) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scientific quality, transparency, and ethical publishing. To achieve this, all manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process, ensuring that both the reviewers and authors remain anonymous throughout the review.

1. Initial Editorial Screening

• All submitted manuscripts are first evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief or Handling Editor.
• Submissions are checked for relevance, originality, adherence to author guidelines, and ethical compliance.
• Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s standards or fall outside its scope may be declined without external review (desk rejection).

2. Reviewer Selection

• Manuscripts that pass initial screening are assigned to at least two independent expert reviewers with relevant subject expertise.
• Reviewers are selected based on their academic qualifications, publication record, and prior reviewing experience.
• Conflicts of interest are carefully considered before confirming reviewer assignments.

3. Double-Blind Review

• Both author and reviewer identities are concealed to promote fairness and minimize bias.
• Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on scientific validity, novelty, clarity, methodological rigor, and ethical soundness.
• Constructive feedback is provided to help authors strengthen their work, even if the manuscript is not accepted.

4. Reviewer Reports

Reviewers are asked to provide:

• A critical assessment of the study’s originality, methodology, results, and conclusions.
• Specific comments for authors on how to improve the manuscript.
• A confidential recommendation to the editor:
  • Accept as is
  • Accept with minor revisions
  • Major revision required (revise and resubmit)
  • Reject

5. Editorial Decision

• Based on reviewer feedback, the Handling Editor makes a preliminary decision.
• In case of conflicting reviews, an additional reviewer may be consulted.
• Final decisions rest with the Editor-in-Chief, ensuring consistency and fairness.

6. Revision Process

• Authors are invited to address reviewer comments and submit a revised version.
• Revised manuscripts may undergo further review, particularly if major changes were requested.
• Authors must include a response letter detailing how each comment was addressed.

7. Final Acceptance & Production

• Once a manuscript is accepted, it is sent for copyediting, typesetting, and proofreading before publication.
• Articles are published online under an open-access model, ensuring wide visibility and accessibility.

8. Ethical Oversight

• JCTI follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
• Cases of plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate submission, or ethical misconduct are investigated thoroughly.
• The editorial team reserves the right to retract or correct published content if integrity issues are identified.

9. Timeliness

JCTI aims to provide timely, fair, and constructive reviews, with the first decision typically communicated within 4-6 weeks of submission.