Peer Review in Medical Journalism

Nowadays, up-to-date sources are produced by researchers worldwide and published in various biomedical journals. Sharing the results of a study in a reputable journal is both a demanding and an exciting process. It is a form of mental exercise and has to be written in a well-organized manner to present logical flow and should respect the accepted international principles; otherwise the paperʹs rejection rate will be increased either by the editors or peer reviewers. Up to 2002, more than 4500 medical journals, mostly in English (88%) have been indexed in MEDLINE. Currently, in Iran more than 80 medical journals are published. At present time, peer review is regarded as a fundamental step for biomedical publications. The peer review system has been truly institutionalized since the 1940’s2 and is a comprehensive review of scientific papers by qualified specialist(s). These specialists analyze the submitted manuscript and evaluate its findings and respond to specific questions asked by the referral source, usually editors of the medical journals. Peer reviewer then gives useful comments on the importance, originality, presentation, validity, ethical aspects, and other features of the study.