About the Journal

Focus and Scope

Aims and Scope

The SPMFR Scientific Journal is the only official SPMFR paper publication and its Editor-in-chief is Renato Nunes.

The SPMFR Journal is published biannually since 1992, and is a reference for all Portuguese PRM colleagues and other Portuguese Medical Societies.

The SPMFR Journal goal is to publish articles by PRM specialists and others working or researching on PRM – both original and reviews – poster abstracts, letters to the editor, scientific news and editorials. All manuscripts must be submitted according to the requirements of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Audience

PRM specialists and residents, MDs from all medical specialties and health workers in general with special interest in PMR.

Peer Review Process

1) Article reception (Editor-in-chief): By the Editor-in-chief who will report to the Author in 48h. Decision:

a) Acceptance - the Editor-in-chief sends it to the Technical Editor indicating which Associated Editor is to be chosen. The paper is anonymous and confidential, as every identified elements will be deleted by the Technical Editor. Replies to author indicating that the article will be reviewed first by the Technical Editor to see if it is according to publication rules.

b) Refuse - the Editor-in-chief sends the answer to the Author

2) Technical review (Consultant and Technical Editor)

a) OK - proceeds to Associated Editor

b) KO - sent to author for corrections

3) Send to the Associated Editor: After careful reading of the article

a) If she/he decides to be one of the reviewers, she/he chooses and sends it to one other reviewer.

b) If she/he decides not to be a reviewer: sends it to two reviewers.

c) In case of work corrections already established:

i) Review the corrections (and go to point 4)

ii) Sends it to the reviewer(s) (go to point 3)

Reviewers Panel:

a) Associated Editors / b) Editorial Board / c) Other experts chosen by the responsible Associated Editor

4) Reviewer Analysis: till 2 weeks after article reception to evaluate and issue an opinion and comments, which will be sent to the responsible Associated Editor

a) Eventual consultation to another Reviewer: The Associated Editor, in case of doubt or disagreements can ask an opinion to a third Reviewer.

5) Answer to the Editor-in-chief: The Associated Editor issues or recommends an opinion:

a) Acceptance without corrections

b) Not acceptance.

c) Indispensable corrections :

i) The Associated Editor Sends all anonymous comments to the Technical Editor. That

he asks the author for corrections. The author has a 20 day deadline to reply and insert the corrections, highlighted in a different color.

ii) The corrected paper is than sent again to the Associated Editor, and after the final OK is again sent to the Editor-in-chief.

6) Replay to Author: The Editor in Chief informs the Author about the final editorial decision:

a) OK - publish

b) Not accepted

7) Publication: simultaneously to Authors information, the accepted article will be send to publication by the Technical Editor.

Open Access Policy

This Journal is an Open acess publication following the principles of easy acess and democratization of scientific knoledge.