Please read the instructions for authors for details on how to prepare your manuscript before submitting.
Your submitted paper must describe original unpublished work, not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
Peer-review process
All submitted manuscripts will undergo rigorous double anonymised peer-review. Each manuscript is assigned to an Editor(s) who then allocate the manuscript to two reviewers from a constantly updated database.
Reviewers are asked to provide detailed constructive criticism for transmission to the authors within 2 weeks of agreeing to review a paper. All efforts are taken to provide fair and thorough reviews as speedily as possible.We aim to reach a first decision within 6 weeks of submission, however timeliness of peer review is entirely dependent on the availability of external experts, many of whom have other clinical and/or academic commitments. We do what we can at the BIR office to support them in order to ensure a prompt peer review of all submitted manuscripts.
Once two reviewer reports are received, the Editors will make a decision on each manuscript.
Decision categories
- Accept
- Minor revision required
- Major revision required
- Reject and allow resubmission
- Reject
- Editorial Reject
- Reject and Transfer
When revisions are requested, all points raised by the reviewers must be answered point-by-point by the authors in a separate blinded document, returned with their revised manuscript. However, if the authors disagree with specific reviewers' recommendations, authors are free to explain their reasoning when resubmitting their paper.
Authors should also be aware that manuscripts may be returned without external review when the Editor(s) deem that the paper is of insufficient general interest for the broad readership of the relevant journal, or that the scientific quality is such that it is unlikely to receive favourable reviews. In some instances, the Editor(s) may recommend transfer to another journal within the BIR portfolio.
