Peer‐review process

The Portuguese Journal of Immunoallergology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal and is governed by the good biomedical publishing standards of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and EQUATOR Network Resource Center Guidance on Good Research Report (study design). The journal's editorial policy incorporates in the review and publication process the Editorial Policy Statements issued by the Council of Science Editors, available at http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3331, which encompasses the responsibilities and rights of the editors of peer-reviewed journals.

All papers are peer‐reviewed by independent external reviewers who determine their acceptance for publication. The Portuguese Journal of Immunoallergology uses a double‐blind peer‐review system where both authors and reviewers are anonymous; i.e., reviewers do not know the names of the authors, and the authors do not know who has revised their manuscript.

After the submission by the corresponding author, the editorial office performs preliminary checks on submitted manuscripts. If considered in compliance with the submission guidelines, editorial policies, and ethical standards, the submission is assessed by the Editor‐in‐Chief, who decides whether to proceed with peer review and may assign a suitable Associate Editor as the handling editor to guide the peer‐review process. The handling editor sends review invitations to independent external experts, who ponder the invitation considering their own expertise, conflicts of interest, and availability, and then accept or decline it, possibly suggesting alternative reviewers.

Each submission must be reviewed by at least two experts in the field, taking into account originality, scientific soundness, study design, sources of bias, among others. The reviewers submit a detailed review of the manuscript to the Journal and recommend its acceptance or rejection or request for further revision before it is reconsidered. If the reviewers’ assessment differs widely, the handling editor may invite an additional reviewer before suggesting a decision. The submission is then sent to the Editor‐in‐Chief, who makes the final decision. All articles, except for Editorials, are externally peer‐reviewed before a final decision is made about acceptance for publication.