Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to Jurnal Keperawatan Suaka Insan (JKSI) must align with the journal's focus, scope, and author guidelines. Submissions must demonstrate scientific merit and novelty appropriate to the journal's scope. Furthermore, all manuscripts must be strictly free from plagiarism. The editorial team screens all submitted articles for similarity using the recommended software, iThenticate; the similarity index must not exceed 30%.

1. Editorial Screening and Double-Blind Peer Review

All manuscripts undergo a rigorous editorial screening and double-blind peer review process. Initially, the Editor-in-Chief conducts a pre-review screening within 7 to 14 days to evaluate the manuscript’s scope, originality, and compliance with the guidelines. Manuscripts that do not meet the criteria for inclusion, lack originality, or are otherwise inappropriate will be rejected without external review (desk rejection).

Manuscripts judged appropriate for inclusion are assigned to a Section Editor and sent for formal double-blind peer review. Reviewers' and authors' identities are concealed from one another throughout the process. Typically, at least two independent experts review each paper; however, a paper may be subjected to more advanced scrutiny if specialized advice is needed regarding statistics or complex techniques.

Based on the reviewers’ recommendations, the editors will make one of the following decisions:

  1. Accept and publish: with or without editorial revisions.

  2. Accept with minor or major revision: inviting the author(s) to revise the manuscript and address specific concerns.

  3. Reject outright: typically due to a lack of originality, insufficient conceptual advancements, or major technical and interpretational problems.

2. Revisions and Final Decision

Authors are given a defined period to submit a revised manuscript alongside a point-by-point response to reviewer comments. Any changes to the original manuscript must be clearly stated. Authors should carefully examine the sentence structure, completeness, and accuracy of the revised manuscript's text, references, tables, and graphic contents.

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on article acceptance based on the reviewers’ comments and editorial assessment. The publication of accepted articles, including the sequence of publication, will be determined by the Editor-in-Chief considering the dates of acceptance, geographical distribution of authors, and thematic issues. The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit articles in all aspects of style, format, and clarity. Manuscripts with excessive errors (e.g., spelling, punctuation, or word count) will be returned to authors for revision before resubmission or may be rejected entirely.

3. Handling Reviewer Feedback and Disputes

JKSI welcomes recommendations from reviewers regarding prospective manuscripts. However, in the event of conflicting advice from reviewers, the editors will decide the best course of action. Editors will evaluate the reports from each reviewer, relevant comments made by the authors, and any other available information before reaching a decision.

The journal's primary responsibility is to our readers and the scientific community. To assess the validity and reliability of each paper, editors may return to reviewers for further advice, particularly when there are disagreements or if the authors provide a justified rebuttal on specific points. Reviewers should be willing to provide follow-up advice when requested. However, editors will keep consultations to a necessary minimum to provide a fair and timely hearing for the authors. When reviewers agree to assess a paper, this implies a commitment to review subsequent revisions, provided the authors have made a serious attempt to address the initial concerns.

JKSI takes reviewers’ feedback seriously, and editors are particularly reluctant to disregard technical criticisms. In cases where one reviewer alone opposes publication, editors may consult the other reviewers to determine if an unduly critical standard is being applied. Editors may occasionally bring in additional reviewers to resolve disputes, particularly concerning specialist technical problems.

4. Letter of Acceptance (LoA) Policy

The Management of JKSI enforces the following official guidelines regarding the issuance of the Letter of Acceptance (LoA):

  • Eligibility for LoA: The LoA is issued by the Editorial Board only after a manuscript has successfully passed the rigorous peer-review process, completed all required revisions, and been officially declared fit for publication.

  • Standard Procedure and Timeline: The workflow leading to the issuance of an LoA strictly follows these stages: Submission → Pre-Review by Editor-in-Chief (7-14 days) → Double-Blind Peer Review → Revision → Final Acceptance & LoA Issuance. The estimated timeframe for the issuance of an LoA is 2 to 3 months. Please note that this duration is flexible and highly dependent on the responsiveness of the reviewers and the quality of the revisions provided by the authors.

  • Validity of Document: A legitimate LoA issued by JKSI will contain the following elements: (1) Official Journal Letterhead, (2) Official Reference Number, (3) Complete Author Identity and Article Title, and (4) Signature of the Editor-in-Chief.

  • Editorial Independence: The LoA is issued solely based on the scientific merit and the results of our editorial process. JKSI strictly does not accommodate requests to expedite the issuance of an LoA for personal, administrative, or external reasons (e.g., graduation requirements, Yudisium, or academic examinations). The journal maintains complete editorial independence and has no administrative involvement in the academic deadlines or graduation processes of any institution.