PUBLISHING PROCESS

I. PUBLICATION PROCESS

1.1. Manuscript Submission

Manuscripts are received through:

1.2. Screening

The editorial secretary will screen submissions to ensure compliance with the journal's requirements regarding scope, topic, format/structure, and research ethics (within 1 week).

Notification of manuscript status:

  • Manuscript not accepted
  • Manuscript requires revision before peer review
  • Manuscript will be sent for peer review

1.3. Double-Blind Peer Review

The Editor-in-Chief or the Deputy Editor-in-Chief assigned by the Editor-in-Chief will identify appropriate experts to review each manuscript.

The secretary sends invitation letters to experts to review the manuscript. The secretary sends the manuscript and the manuscript review form to experts who agree to review.

Each manuscript is sent to 02 independent reviewers (after author information has been removed). The content of the manuscript is kept confidential; reviewers shall not share any information about the manuscript with anyone without prior permission from the Editor-in-Chief.

Reviewers shall return their review comments to the Journal (the Editor-in-Chief or the assigned Deputy Editor-in-Chief and the secretary) within 2 weeks of receipt.

Reviewers are encouraged to use standardized tools widely used by scientists worldwide, including:

  • Clinical trials: CONSORT
  • Observational studies: STROBE
  • Systematic reviews or meta-analyses: PRISMA
  • Case reports or case series: CARE
  • Other study designs: Refer to https://www.equator-network.org/

Reviewers evaluate manuscripts on the following aspects (not limited to these aspects):

  • Is the research topic important, novel, and of interest to the community?
  • Are the research objectives clearly defined?
  • Is the research methodology scientifically sound (ensuring validity and reliability) and appropriate to achieve the research objectives?
  • Are the research results presented clearly?
  • Are the research results interpreted and discussed reasonably based on existing knowledge?
  • Are limitations and assumptions presented clearly?
  • Are the conclusions and recommendations reasonable and based on the research results?
  • Applicability of the research results?
  • Other specific comments

Conclusion on the manuscript in one of the following categories: 1) Accepted for publication, no revisions needed; 2) Accepted for publication, revisions needed, no re-review required; 3) Accepted for publication, revisions needed, re-review required; 4) Not accepted for publication.

1.4. Handling Peer Review Results

Manuscript accepted by both reviewers:

The secretary notifies the author(s) of the reviewers' comments (anonymized). The author(s) revise the manuscript based on the comments from both reviewers and return the revised manuscript along with a response to reviewers' comments to the secretary within 2 weeks. In cases where the author(s) disagree with a reviewer's comments, the secretary reports to the Editor-in-Chief for a decision.

Manuscript accepted by one reviewer and rejected by the other:

The secretary notifies the author(s) of both reviewers' comments and sends the manuscript to a third reviewer (ensuring anonymity). If the third reviewer accepts the manuscript for publication, the process follows the same procedure as for manuscripts accepted by both reviewers. In cases where reviewers have differing opinions, the secretary reports to the Editor-in-Chief for a decision.

Manuscript rejected by both reviewers:

The secretary notifies the author(s) of the review results, and the manuscript is not considered for publication.

1.5. Plagiarism Check

Manuscripts accepted by reviewers will undergo plagiarism checking using plagiarism detection software (iThenticate). Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding the allowable threshold of >20% or containing passages of 100 or more identical words will be rejected from further publication processing. Additionally, the authors of such manuscripts will be banned from submitting future articles to the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

1.6. Technical Editing

Manuscripts accepted by reviewers and for which authors have completed revisions will undergo technical editing and issue assignment. Issue assignment follows these principles: chronological order based on the date of acceptance; grouping by topic, content, and article type.

The editorial secretary compiles articles/images and forwards them to the design/layout department. The designer/layout editor sends the proof to the editorial secretary for review and correction. The editorial secretary submits the final version for approval by the Editor-in-Chief or the assigned Deputy Editor-in-Chief.

1.7. Printing and Distribution

The final approved version (approved by the Editor-in-Chief or the assigned Deputy Editor-in-Chief) is sent to the printer. Online publication is available at https://yhoclamsang.vn/ and https://vjol.info.vn/index.php/yhlsbvbm.

The journal is published periodically at 1 issue per 1.5 months (8 issues per year, including 6 Vietnamese-language issues and 2 English-language issues).

Note: Authors may contact the Journal to request confirmation of their manuscript's status.

1.8. Full-Text Article Access

The Journal of Clinical Medicine, Bach Mai Hospital, implements an open-access model; all members may download full-text articles via the link provided in each article.

II. OPEN-ACCESS ARTICLE PROCESSING CHARGE (APC) POLICY

The Journal of Clinical Medicine operates under the Open Access model, adhering to the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI), the guidelines of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and international academic publishing regulations.

The journal does not charge fees for submission, processing, peer review, or editing. Authors are only required to pay an Article Processing Charge (APC) after the manuscript has been accepted for publication.

2.1. Publication Fees

  • Articles published in Vietnamese-language issues: 1,000,000 VND/article
  • Articles published in English-language issues: 2,000,000 VND/article

2.2. Discount Policy

A 50% reduction in publication fees is offered for articles whose first author or corresponding author is a staff member or employee currently working at Bach Mai Hospital:

  • Vietnamese-language issues: 500,000 VND/article
  • English-language issues: 1,000,000 VND/article

2.3. Payment Deadline

The publication fee is collected after the manuscript has been accepted for publication and before official publication. Once published, the article will be freely accessible to all readers under the Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC 4.0).

2.4. Payment Location

Finance and Accounting Department, 2nd Floor, Old Administrative Building, Bach Mai Hospital, No. 78 Giai Phong Road, Kim Lien Ward, Hanoi City. Phone: 024 3868 6082.

III. PUBLICATION ETHICS AND SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY POLICY

The Journal of Clinical Medicine, Bach Mai Hospital, adheres to publication ethics principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), scientific integrity principles as stipulated by the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED), and international standards for academic publishing.

3.1. Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism Detection Policy

All manuscripts accepted after peer review will undergo plagiarism checking using iThenticate software. The journal rejects articles with an overall similarity index exceeding 20% or containing continuously duplicated passages of 100 or more words. Authors found in violation will be banned from submitting articles to the Journal in subsequent issues.

3.2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Policy

The journal requires authors to disclose the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or similar tools during manuscript preparation. AI tools shall not be listed as authors of an article. Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the article's content, including sections prepared with AI assistance. The use of AI to generate fabricated research data or falsify research results is strictly prohibited and is considered scientific fraud.

3.3. Retraction Policy

The journal will retract published articles in the following cases: discovery of serious plagiarism or self-plagiarism; fabricated or falsified research data; violations of research ethics involving human subjects or animals; the article has been previously published in another publication; discovery of serious errors that alter the study's conclusions. Retraction notices will be publicly posted on the Journal's website, clearly stating the reason for retraction and linked to the original article.

3.4. Conflict of Interest Management Policy

Authors must disclose all potential conflicts of interest that may affect the objectivity of the research, including: funding sources, financial relationships with relevant organizations, and personal or professional relationships that may cause bias. Reviewers must decline to review a manuscript if they have a conflict of interest with the author(s) or the research content.

3.5. Publishing Copyright Policy

The journal applies the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. Authors retain copyright of their articles and grant the Journal the right of first publication. Content may be reused for non-commercial purposes provided appropriate citation of the source is given.

3.6. Prohibited Conduct

The journal does not accept and will reject articles involving the following conduct: copying content from other sources without citation; reusing one's own content without disclosure; fabricating, falsifying, or manipulating research data; misquoting or misrepresenting the content of reference sources; simultaneous submission to multiple journals; listing authors who did not genuinely contribute to the research; concealing conflicts of interest; violating research ethics regulations involving human subjects or animals.

3.7. Handling of Violations

Upon discovery of violations, the Journal will conduct an investigation following COPE procedures. Depending on the severity of the violation, measures include: rejection of the manuscript, retraction of the published article, notification to the author's affiliated institution, and banning the author from submitting articles for a specified period or permanently.