Peer Review Policy
Peer review is a fundamental part of the editorial process, ensuring the quality of scientific publications.
For several decades, Birth and Growth Medical Journal has been one of the leading national scientific journals in the field of Maternal-Fetal, Neonatal, and Paediatric Health, and the contribution of reviewers has been essential to its continuity and development.
Before accepting or declining a review invitation, please consider the following:
- Is the subject of the article within your area of expertise?
- Do you have any potential conflicts of interest? If so, please inform the Editor.
- Do you have the availability to review the article within a reasonable timeframe?
We kindly ask that you respond to the invitation promptly—whether to accept or decline—to help ensure a smooth and timely review process. If you are unavailable, we would appreciate it if you could suggest an alternative reviewer, if possible.
The reviewer’s role includes:
- Assisting the Editors, as a subject-matter expert, in assessing the originality and quality of the article;
- Identifying flaws in the article (clinical, methodological, or structural);
- Providing objective and impartial comments, suggesting improvements where applicable;
- Alerting the Editor if there is any suspicion of plagiarism or self-plagiarism.
Review Management
Reviewers are invited via email, but the review process is conducted through our online editorial system, the Scientific Journals Hosting Service (SARC - Serviço de Alojamento de Revistas Científicas).
If you accept the review, you must ensure the confidentiality of the documents under evaluation, as the Birth and Growth Medical Journal operates a double-blind peer review process.
We kindly ask reviewers to submit their reports within 15 days of accepting the invitation. If it is not possible to meet this deadline, please inform us by email.
How to login to begin the review
The journal’s editorial process is managed through the SARC platform, which you can access via the following link: https://revistas.rcaap.pt/nascercrescer/.
If this is your first time reviewing for Nascer & Crescer, you will need to register on the platform. A Registration Guide has been created to assist you in case you encounter any difficulties.
To access the article and begin the review, please click on the link provided in the invitation email. This will take you directly to your workspace and the article in question.
Once you accept the review task, you will have access to the full text of the article, as well as the review guidelines and evaluation form.
What should be considered when reviewing an article?
The review of an article assesses the relevance and originality of the research, the methodological consistency, the statistical validity of the results, and the overall quality of the manuscript.
Start by reading through the entire document. This will help you form a general impression of the article and guide your final recommendation (accept, reject, or suggest alterations).
At the end of the first reading, you should be ready to answer the following questions:
- Are the conclusions consistent with the evidence and arguments presented? Do they address the research question?
- Is the article well written? Is the text clear and easy to read?
- If the article includes tables or figures, what do they add to the manuscript? Are they easy to interpret and clearly presented?
The answers to these questions will serve as a starting point for a more in-depth analysis of the article.
Guidelines
Evaluation Guide for Original Articles
Evaluation Guide for Review Articles
Evaluation Guide for Clinical Case Reports
Review Structure
Reviewers should submit their comments and suggestions in detail, using a Word document. The review should be conducted point by point, with clear references to specific sections, paragraphs, or sentences of the manuscript.
The document should include:
- General remarks on the scientific quality, clarity, relevance, and originality of the article.
- Specific comments organised by section (e.g., Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion), with suggestions for improvement, corrections, or requests for clarification.
- Suggestions for rephrasing text, where applicable, to improve flow, accuracy, or linguistic correctness.
- Indication of any ethical or methodological issues, if identified.
We emphasise that your review is essential for the Editor’s final decision to accept or reject the article, and your contribution will help improve the final quality of the manuscript. Please be thorough and rigorous in your review. Your report will be sent to the authors while keeping your anonymity.
After completing the review, you should log in to the journal’s platform and submit your report.
The evaluation of an article should be constructive and expressed in correct and respectful language. The aim is always to help the authors improve their manuscript.
After reviewing the article, please indicate whether it should be:
- Accepted without changes
- Accepted with revisions
- Rejected
Acknowledgement of Reviewers
Birth and Growth Medical Journal recognises the essential role of its reviewers by publishing an annual Acknowledgement of Reviewers in the journal and by linking with the Publons platform.
