Double-blind review

Belitung Nursing Journal employs a rigorous double-blind review process, where the identities of both the authors and reviewers remain confidential from each other. Submissions that meet the journal's standards will be sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers or external reviewers for evaluation of scientific quality. Ultimately, the final decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of articles rests with the Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

In the unlikely event of any delays, the Managing Editor may request editorial board members to review the articles. Alternatively, the authors may be invited to suggest reviewers or withdraw the manuscript from submission.

It should be noted that letters to editors and editorials are not subjected to peer review. This is also described in the editorial process and section policy. 

To facilitate the double-blind review, authors are required to submit the following separately:

• Title page (with author details): This should include the article title, authors' names and affiliations (including email addresses), acknowledgments, funding sources, declaration of conflicting interests, and a complete address for the corresponding author.
• Blinded manuscript (no author details):The main body of the paper, including references, figures, and tables, should not contain any information that could identify the authors or their affiliations.
• Supplementary materials are also subject to peer review.

Peer review process

When invited to review a journal article, each reviewer will receive an email containing hyperlink invitation responses. Clicking the appropriate hyperlink will send the response to the journal's editorial office, indicating whether or not the reviewer is able to review the article. If the reviewer accepts the offer, they can download the manuscript and complete a Manuscript Review Form, which typically allows for a free-form response.

Reviewers are expected to provide an objective and critical assessment of the manuscript, taking into consideration factors such as the concept of the study, its relevance to current scientific knowledge, scientific content, language, and grammar. Offensive language in the comments is not acceptable.

Although each reviewer is expected to provide an initial decision or recommendation regarding the manuscript's acceptance or rejection, the final decision is ultimately made by the Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief. The decision can be one of the following:

• Accept Submission: The manuscript is deemed suitable for publication without further revisions and can proceed to the copyediting stage.
• Revisions Required: Minor revisions are needed, which can be reviewed and approved by the editor.
• Resubmit for Review: Major revisions are needed, requiring another round of peer review.
• Resubmit Elsewhere: The manuscript does not fit the journal's focus and scope and may be more suitable for submission to another publication.
• Decline or Reject Submission: The manuscript has significant weaknesses and is not suitable for publication in the journal.