Desk Rejection Policy

Desk Rejection Policy

The editorial team of Al-Rafidain Dental Journal conducts an initial assessment of all submitted manuscripts to ensure they meet the basic criteria for further peer review. Manuscripts that fail to meet these criteria may be rejected without external review (desk rejection). This process helps ensure timely decisions and maintains the integrity of our peer review system.

Reasons for Desk Rejection

Manuscripts may be rejected at the editorial screening stage for the following reasons:

  1. Out of Scope: The topic does not align with the journal’s aims and scope.

  2. Ethical Concerns: Evidence of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data manipulation, or violations of ethical standards in research.

  3. Poor Manuscript Quality:

    • Excessive language or grammar issues.

    • Poor structure or organization.

    • Incomplete or missing sections (e.g., methods, results).

  4. Lack of Novelty or Contribution: The study does not offer new insights or significant contributions to the field.

  5. Non-Compliance with Guidelines:

    • Manuscript formatting not in line with journal requirements.

    • Missing required elements such as ethical approval, conflict of interest statements, or author contributions.

  6. Flawed Study Design or Methodology: Fundamental weaknesses that compromise the scientific validity of the study.

  7. High Similarity Index: A similarity score exceeding acceptable thresholds (e.g., 20%) as determined by plagiarism detection software.

Editorial Process and Responsibility

  • Desk rejections are made solely at the discretion of the editorial team and are based on academic merit, quality, and relevance.

  • Editors follow COPE’s Code of Conduct to ensure fairness, objectivity, and transparency in all decisions.

  • All decisions are free from bias related to authors’ identity, nationality, institutional affiliation, or other personal factors.

Feedback to Authors

While detailed peer review comments are not provided for desk-rejected manuscripts, authors will receive a brief explanation outlining the main reason(s) for the rejection. Authors are encouraged to revise and resubmit to a more appropriate venue if applicable.

Appeals

If an author believes a desk rejection was made in error, they may submit an appeal to the editorial office, including a clear justification. Appeals will be reviewed by a senior editor or editorial board member not involved in the initial decision.