Editorial and Peer Review Process

How We Evaluate Manuscripts

Every manuscript submitted to the International Journal of HIV and AIDS Sciences goes through a structured evaluation process. We've designed it to be thorough but not interminable — we respect your time while ensuring that what we publish meets our standards.

Here's what happens after you hit "submit."

Stage 1: Initial Screening

When your manuscript arrives, our editorial staff conducts an initial quality check. This isn't peer review yet — it's making sure the basics are in order.

Does the manuscript fall within our scope? Is it formatted according to our guidelines? Are all required sections present? Have you included the necessary declarations — ethics approval, conflicts of interest, funding sources?

If something's missing or unclear, we'll send the manuscript back with a request for clarification. This isn't a rejection — it's housekeeping. Once everything's in order, we move forward.

Stage 2: Editorial Assessment

After clearing the initial checks, your manuscript is assigned to an Academic Editor—typically a member of our Editorial Board with expertise in your paper's subject area.

The handling editor reads your manuscript and makes a judgment: Does this work have the scientific rigor, originality, and relevance to warrant full peer review? Not every submission goes forward. Some manuscripts are clearly outside our scope, or have fundamental flaws that reviewers won't be able to fix.

If the editor sees potential, they'll move the manuscript to external peer review.

Stage 3: Peer Review

We use double-blind peer review. This means reviewers don't know who wrote the paper, and authors don't know who reviewed it. We do this to reduce bias and ensure manuscripts are judged on their merits.

The handling editor selects reviewers based on their expertise, publication record, and track record of providing thoughtful, constructive feedback. We aim for reviewers who can genuinely assess the science — not just look for obvious flaws.

During submission, you can tell us if there's anyone who shouldn't review your manuscript — a competitor, someone with a known conflict. We'll take this into account.

Stage 4: Editorial Decision

Once reviews are in, the handling editor weighs the feedback alongside their own assessment. The decision isn't simply a vote count — one insightful review can matter more than two superficial ones.

There are four possible outcomes:

Accept: The manuscript is ready for publication, perhaps with minor copyediting. This is rare on first submission.

Minor Revision: The paper is fundamentally sound but needs some polishing — clarifications, additional analysis, or responses to specific reviewer concerns.

Major Revision: Significant work is needed. This might mean additional experiments, reanalysis of data, substantial rewriting, or addressing fundamental concerns about methodology.

Reject: The manuscript isn't suitable for publication in International Journal of HIV and AIDS Sciences. This might be due to scope, quality, or both.

You'll receive the decision in a formal letter, along with the reviewers' comments and any additional guidance from the editor.

Revising Your Manuscript

If you're asked to revise, you'll typically have four weeks to resubmit. For major revisions, this might extend to eight weeks. If you need more time, let us know — we're generally flexible if you keep us informed.

When you resubmit, include a detailed response letter explaining how you've addressed each reviewer comment. Point-by-point responses work best. If you disagree with a reviewer, say so — but explain why.

Revised manuscripts usually go back to the same editor. Depending on the extent of changes, they might make a decision themselves or send the paper back to reviewers.

Tracking Your Submission

The corresponding author can check the status of a manuscript anytime through our online submission system at https://www.hivjournal.com.

Appeals

If your manuscript is rejected and you believe the decision was wrong, you can appeal. But appeals aren't just for expressing disappointment. They're for cases where:

You believe a reviewer or editor made a significant factual error that affected the decision. Or you have evidence that the review process was compromised in some way.

Submit your appeal in writing to the Editor-in-Chief. At least one senior editor will review it. We may decline to consider appeals that don't present new information or don't address the reasons for rejection.

Important: While your appeal is under consideration, your manuscript remains formally with International Journal of HIV and AIDS Sciences. You shouldn't submit it elsewhere until the appeal is resolved.

What to Expect: Timelines

We aim to reach a first decision within 2–4 weeks of submission, though complex manuscripts or difficulty finding reviewers can extend this. We'll keep you informed of any delays.

Once accepted, production typically takes 1–2 weeks before your article appears online.

Questions?

If you have questions about the review process or want to check on a manuscript that seems stuck, contact us at hiv.publish@gmail.com.