Peer Review Process

Poltekkes Kemenkes Makassar Health Media Journal

Peer review is the primary foundation in maintaining the quality, credibility, and scientific integrity of academic publications. Through this process, the journal ensures that only manuscripts that meet scientific, ethical, and relevance standards within the journal's scope are published. All manuscripts submitted to the Media Kesehatan Politeknik Kesehatan Makassar Journal undergo the following peer review procedures:

1. Initial Evaluation by the Editor

Each manuscript received is first reviewed by the editorial team to assess its suitability with the scope of the journal, which includes:

nursing, midwifery, environmental health, pharmacy, health analysis (medical laboratory), nutrition science, physiotherapy, dental health, public health science, and other fields in the health sciences;
Language quality, manuscript structure, and completeness of scientific components (abstract, methods, results, etc.);
Originality, contribution to scientific development, and relevance to contemporary health issues;
Compliance with journal writing guidelines and publication ethics principles.

Manuscripts that are clearly outside the scope of the journal, contain plagiarism, have serious methodological weaknesses, inadequate language, or lack originality, may be rejected immediately without external review. This decision is final.

2. Type of Review Process: Single-Blind Peer Review

The journal implements a single-blind review system, in which:

The identity of the reviewer is kept confidential from the author.
The identity of the author is known to the reviewer (including institutional affiliation and full name).

This approach allows reviewers to assess manuscripts in the context of the author's background, while maintaining objectivity and protecting reviewers from external pressure unless reviewers choose to sign their manuscripts.

3. Reviewer Selection

Reviewers are selected based on:

Expertise relevant to the topic and discipline of the manuscript,
Academic reputation, publication experience, and institutional affiliation,
Availability and commitment to deadlines.

The journal maintains a reviewer database comprising academics, researchers, and practitioners from various fields of health science at both national and international levels.

4. Reviewer Duties and Focus

Reviewers are asked to evaluate manuscripts objectively based on the following criteria:

Novelty and originality of the research,
Accuracy of design, methodology, and data analysis,
Validity of results and consistency with conclusions,
Relevance, completeness, and currency of the literature review,
Compliance with research ethics principles (e.g., ethical approval, informed consent),
Suitability with the scope and mission of the journal.

Note: Grammar corrections and manuscript conformity with the template are not a significant part of the reviewer's task. However, general suggestions regarding clarity of presentation may be provided.

5. Editor's Decision

Based on the reviewer's report, the Editor determines one of four decisions:

Accept: Manuscript accepted (with or without minor revisions),
Revise: Authors are asked to revise the manuscript substantially or technically.
Reject with possibility of resubmission: After thorough revisions,
Reject outright: Due to scope incompatibility, methodological flaws, or lack of scientific contribution.

The Editor's decision is final and is based on a holistic assessment, not solely on the reviewer's recommendations.

6. Process Duration

The peer review process typically takes 6–12 weeks, depending on the reviewers' responsiveness and the complexity of the manuscript. In exceptional circumstances (e.g., difficulty in finding reviewers with specific expertise), a decision may be made based on a single comprehensive and convincing reviewer report.

7. Becoming a Reviewer

Academics, researchers, or practitioners from various fields of health sciences who are interested in becoming reviewers are welcome to contact the editorial board via the journal's official email at mediakesehatan@poltekkes-mks.ac.id. Contributing as a reviewer is a form of scientific service and can be recognized in your professional development portfolio.

Editorial Rights:

The Editor in Chief of the Media Kesehatan Politeknik Kesehatan Makassar Journal has full authority to determine the fate of each manuscript to ensure scientific quality, relevance, and public trust in the journal.