Peer review process

The BMJ Journals peer review all the material submitted, internally or externally. About half the submissions are rejected without being sent out for external per review on the grounds of priority, insufficient originality, scientific flaws or the absence of message that is important to the readers of the journal. A decision on such papers is taken very quickly, usually within 14 days.

The remaining articles are assigned to one of the Associate Editors who will send it to one or more external reviewers selected from a database of more than 3000 experts. The paper may also be sent to a specialist statistical reviewer.

Reviewers and Associate Editors advise the Editor in Chief who is responsible for the final decision to accept or reject a manuscript.

The Editor can enter into correspondence about papers rejected as being unsuitable for publication, although the Editor’s decision in these matters is final. The Editor retains the customary right to determine style and, if necessary, to shorten material accepted for publication.

We operate an optional system of open peer review. This means that reviewers can sign their reports if they wish. Open peer review does not mean that authors should contact reviewers directly to discuss their reports; all queries should still be directed through the Editorial Office.

View more information about open peer review

Article provenance

Who had the idea, and was the article externally peer reviewed? At the end of every accepted editorial, review, research article, brief report, case report and response article the journal will add a statement explaining the article's provenance. The options are:
•    not commissioned; externally peer reviewed
•    not commissioned; not externally peer reviewed
•    commissioned; externally peer reviewed
•    commissioned; not externally peer reviewed
"Not externally peer reviewed" refers to those articles that have been reviewed internally by a second member of the editorial team.

Peer review for papers submitted by BMJ Journals editorial staff

Editorials and obituaries written by the journal Editor do not undergo external peer review. Original research articles authored by a member of the editorial team are independently peer reviewed; an editor will have no input or influence on the decision of the article.