Editorial Workflow Policy

Purpose and Scope

The Tamil Psychiatry Journal (TPJ) ensures that all manuscripts are processed fairly, transparently, and ethically in accordance with international publication standards.

This policy outlines each step of the editorial workflow — from submission to publication — and defines the responsibilities of editors, reviewers, and authors.

The editorial process follows the guiding principles of:

• COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)
  
• ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors)
  
• CSE (Council of Science Editors)

 Manuscript Submission

• Manuscripts must be submitted electronically via the TPJ online submission system.
  
• Authors must ensure compliance with the journal’s Author Guidelines, Authorship Policy, and Conflict of Interest Disclosure requirements.
  

Each submission must include:

• Title page with author details and institutional affiliations
  
• Abstract and keywords
  
• Main manuscript text (prepared as a blinded copy for review)
  
• Conflict of interest and funding statements
  
• Ethical approval details (for research involving humans or animals)

 Initial Editorial Screening

The Editor-in-Chief or Managing Editor conducts an initial screening to ensure that:

• The submission fits the scope and aims of the journal.
  
• The manuscript meets formatting and quality standards.
  
• There is no evidence of plagiarism or ethical violations.
  

Manuscripts that fail to meet basic criteria may be desk-rejected with feedback or returned to authors for revision prior to peer review.

Plagiarism and Ethical Compliance Check

• Ethical aspects — including IRB approval, informed consent, and conflict disclosures — are verified before review.
  
• Manuscripts found to violate ethical standards will be handled according to COPE misconduct procedures.
  

Peer Review Process

TPJ follows a double-blind peer review system to ensure impartial evaluation.

Key principles:

• Reviewer and author identities remain confidential.
  
• Each manuscript is typically evaluated by an independent reviewer selected for their subject expertise.
  
• Reviewers are chosen based on qualifications, impartiality, and absence of conflicts of interest.
  

Reviewer responsibilities:

• Provide constructive, objective, and confidential feedback.
  
• Declare any potential conflicts of interest immediately.
  
• Submit reviews within the specified time frame.
  

Editorial Decision

Following peer review, the Editor-in-Chief (or Section Editor) considers reviewer comments and makes one of the following decisions:

• Accept the manuscript
  
• Request minor or major revisions
  
• Invite resubmission after substantial revision
  
• Reject the manuscript
  

Authors receive detailed reviewer feedback. Revised manuscripts are re-evaluated by editors (and reviewers if necessary).

Final acceptance is based on scientific merit, originality, clarity, and relevance to psychiatric and mental health research.

Production and Proofing

Once accepted, manuscripts proceed to the production stage, which includes:

• Copyediting, typesetting, and formatting for publication.
  
• Proofs sent to authors for correction of typographical or factual errors.
  

Major content changes or authorship modifications are not permitted at this stage. The corresponding author must provide final approval before publication.

Publication

• Articles are published online after final approval and subsequently assigned to a specific issue.
  
• Each article receives a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for permanent citation.
  

The final version includes:

• Author contribution statement
  
• Conflict of interest and funding statements
  
• Data availability and ethical approval notes (where applicable)

Post-Publication Oversight

After publication, the editorial board maintains continuous oversight of the journal’s integrity.

• Post-publication comments, corrections, or ethical concerns are managed under the Post-Publication Discussion and Corrections & Retractions Policies.
  
• The editorial team ensures prompt investigation and transparent resolution of reported issues.
  

Editorial Independence

• All editorial decisions are made independently, without influence from sponsors, advertisers, or institutional affiliations.
  
• The Editor-in-Chief holds ultimate authority over all editorial content and publication decisions.
  
• Editors and reviewers must strictly adhere to conflict of interest and confidentiality standards.
  

Confidentiality

All manuscripts under review are considered confidential documents.
Editors, reviewers, and staff may not:

• Share manuscript content with others, or
  
• Use unpublished information for personal advantage.
  

Confidentiality is maintained throughout and after the review process.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions or raise concerns regarding the review process. Formal appeals must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief.

Appeals are reviewed by an independent editorial subcommittee, in accordance with TPJ’s Appeals and Complaints Policy and COPE guidelines.

Transparency Statement

This editorial workflow policy is based on ethical and procedural standards recommended by:

• COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)
  
• ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors)
  
• CSE (Council of Science Editors)
  

The Tamil Psychiatry Journal (TPJ) is committed to maintaining editorial fairness, transparency, and integrity in all its publications, fostering trust among authors, reviewers, readers, and the psychiatric research community.