Guidelines for Manuscript Review and Reviewers
First issued date February 10, 2022
Revision as of October 6, 2023
Revision as of May 3, 2024
Revision as of April 20, 2025
1. These guidelines apply to research papers intended for publication in the Archives of Obesity and Metabolism (hereinafter referred to as the "Journal").
2. The review and acceptance of manuscripts will follow these guidelines.
3. The Journal publishes papers related to obesity, metabolic syndrome, and complications of obesity. Types of manuscripts include original research articles, reviews, commentaries, case reports, editorials, and letters.
4. Manuscripts that do not meet the submission qualifications and guidelines may be rejected without review.
5. The Editorial Committee of the Journal (hereinafter referred to as the "Committee") will assign two or more reviewers to evaluate submitted manuscripts deemed appropriate, and the publication decision will be made based on the review results. However, editorials and letters will be excluded from peer review. The review process will generally be double-blinded.
6. The identities of the reviewers for each manuscript will not be disclosed, and reviewers from the same institution as the author will be excluded from the review process. If a member of the Society’s Editorial Committee (or Chair) submits a manuscript to the Journal, they will be excluded from the reviewer and reviewer recommendation tasks for that issue of the Journal. In such cases, reviewers from different institutions will be appointed to ensure that the authors and reviewers remain anonymous.
7. Reviewers will evaluate the manuscript according to the specific criteria presented in the review guidelines.
1) Write recommendations and detailed comments for the author:
① Applicable to the entire manuscript:
- Is the manuscript appropriate for this journal?
- Is the subject of the manuscript valuable?
- Is the manuscript well-organized and systematically structured?
- Are the references appropriate?
- Are the figures, tables, and supplementary materials appropriate?
② Applicable only to original research articles:
- Is the study design appropriate?
- Was the study conducted without violating research ethics?
- Is the introduction clear, summarizing the research background and principles, and does it include directly relevant references?
- Are the research methods described clearly and in detail?
- Are the results presented clearly?
- Are the conclusions supported by the results?
2) Write recommendations and comments for the editor:
8. The review results are categorized as Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Rejection, and a comprehensive manuscript evaluation (converted to a score out of 100) is provided.
1) Manuscripts classified as "Accept" will be accepted without further correction.
2) A manuscript classified as "Minor Revision" will be revised by the author based on the points raised by the reviewers, after which the Editorial Committee will verify the revisions.
3) A manuscript classified as "Major Revision" will be revised by the author based on the points raised by the reviewers, and the reviewers will re-evaluate the manuscript to determine whether it should be accepted.
4) The criteria for "Rejection" apply when the manuscript is found to meet any of the following conditions:
① The research topic lacks originality or medical significance.
② The research content or results are not different from previous studies.
③ The research results lack reliability or validity or are unclear.
④ Even with substantial revisions, the manuscript is considered unfit for publication.
⑤ The manuscript violates the Journal's ethical guidelines or other research ethics.
⑥ Other reasons (reviewers and the Editorial Committee must present valid reasons for rejection).
5) If the reviewed manuscript involves a violation of research ethics, the relevant details should be thoroughly communicated to the Editorial Committee.
9. Based on the review results, the Editorial Committee may recommend revisions and improvements to the author. After making the recommended revisions, the author must resubmit the manuscript through the manuscript submission and review system within 4 weeks. The manuscript review and revision process will continue until the manuscript is either accepted or rejected or until the authors withdraw it. If the author does not submit the revised manuscript within 12 weeks after the revision recommendation, the manuscript will be considered withdrawn, and the author will be deemed to have abandoned publication.
10. The review process for manuscripts submitted to the Journal must be conducted fairly, and reviewers must pay attention to the following matters to ensure fairness:
1) Reviewers will evaluate manuscripts objectively based on their expertise.
2) Reviewers must ensure the confidentiality of the manuscript being reviewed.
3) Reviewers have the responsibility to report any research misconduct or inappropriate behavior discovered during the manuscript review process to the Editorial Committee.
11. Reviewers must complete their review of the manuscript within 4 weeks of being assigned and the review results must be uploaded online. If the review results are not uploaded by the deadline, the reviewer will be considered to have withdrawn from the review process, and the Editorial Committee Chair may replace the reviewer.
12. When a revised manuscript is submitted, the Editorial Committee member appointed by the Chair will review whether the author has adequately addressed the revisions within 14 days. If the revisions are insufficient, further revisions are required, or the manuscript does not comply with submission guidelines, publication will be postponed, and the author will be asked to revise again.
13. Once the appointed Editorial Committee member has completed the review of the manuscript, the Editorial Director and the Editorial Committee Chair will make the final decision on publication.
14. If the author does not make the required revisions within the deadline set by the Editorial Committee, the manuscript will not be published.
15. If the author disagrees with the review results, they may submit a written statement with specific reasons to request a reconsideration. The appeal can be made through the Editorial Committee member via email, and if the reviewer agrees, the review comments may be disclosed.
16. If a manuscript is appealed, an interim Editorial Committee will be convened to discuss the issue and respond to the author with the meeting's decision.
17. Even if a manuscript is initially judged as "Acceptable," if it is later found to be unsuitable for publication because of plagiarism or other reasons, the Editorial Committee will conduct a re-evaluation.
18. Manuscripts judged as "Rejection" will not be reviewed again.
19. Any matters not specified in these regulations will be addressed according to the decisions of the Editorial Committee.
20. Peer reviewers must not upload manuscripts to generative AI tools. These tools may not reflect up-to-date scientific knowledge and could generate biased or false information. In addition, manuscripts may contain confidential or proprietary content that must be protected. Reviewers should refrain from entering unpublished material into AI systems that store or learn from user input.
While the journal is exploring the potential adoption of secure AI-based peer review systems, the current use of generative AI for language editing or content assistance must be explicitly disclosed in the review report, including the name of the tool and its purpose. Reviewers must not rely on AI-generated content for scientific judgment, as such tools may produce fabricated references or distorted summaries. All evaluations must be based on the reviewer’s own expertise and critical assessment.
<Supplementary Provisions>
(Effective Date) These regulations are effective from February 18, 2022.
<Supplementary Provisions>
(Effective Date) These regulations are effective from October 6, 2023.
<Supplementary Provisions>
(Effective Date) These regulations are effective from May 3, 2024.
<Supplementary Provisions>
(Effective Date) These regulations are effective from April 20, 2025
