Reviewer Guidelines
Help us maintain the highest standards in orthopedic case reporting.
The Role of a Reviewer
Peer reviewers are essential to maintaining the quality and credibility of OSCRSJ. As a reviewer, you provide expert evaluation of submitted manuscripts, offering constructive feedback that helps authors improve their work and ensuring that published articles meet the highest standards of scientific rigor and clinical relevance.
All reviews are double-blind: you will not know the identity of the authors, and they will not know yours. This ensures objectivity and fairness in the evaluation process.
Review Process & Deadlines
48 hours
Accept or decline
After receiving a review invitation, please respond within 48 hours so we can reassign if needed.
21 days
Complete your review
We ask reviewers to submit their evaluation within 3 weeks of accepting the invitation.
7 days
Revision re-review
If asked to re-evaluate a revised manuscript, please respond within 1 week.
Review Criteria
Originality & Novelty
Does the case present new information or a unique clinical scenario that adds to the literature?
Clinical Relevance
Will this case influence clinical decision-making or educate readers on an important orthopedic topic?
Scientific Rigor
Is the case presentation thorough, accurate, and supported by appropriate evidence and references?
Ethical Compliance
Is patient consent documented? Are identifiers removed? Does the work comply with the Declaration of Helsinki?
Writing Quality
Is the manuscript well-organized, clearly written, and free of major grammatical errors?
Figures & Images
Are clinical images high-quality, properly labeled, and essential to understanding the case?
What We Ask of Reviewers
Provide specific, constructive feedback — explain what should change and why.
Maintain confidentiality — do not share manuscript content with anyone.
Disclose conflicts of interest — recuse yourself if you have a relationship with the authors or a competing interest.
Be respectful — critique the work, not the authors. Remember that many OSCRSJ authors are trainees.
Be timely — if you cannot meet the deadline, let us know as soon as possible so we can reassign.
Interested in reviewing for OSCRSJ?
We are actively recruiting reviewers across all orthopedic subspecialties.