All manuscripts submitted to Berita Kedokteran Masyarakat (BKM) undergo a rigorous editorial process to ensure academic quality and compliance with publication ethics.

Initial Screening
The Editorial Office first evaluates each submission to ensure that it adheres to the journal’s guidelines, complies with the journal’s formatting requirements, aligns with the journal’s focus and scope, meets standards of excellent academic quality, has a similarity index of ≤20% as verified by Ithenticate, and, where applicable, includes a valid Ethics Approval number. Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria may be returned to the authors without external review.

Double-Blind Peer Review
Manuscripts that pass initial screening are sent to independent expert reviewers. BKM uses a double-blind review process, in which authors and reviewers remain anonymous. Reviewers typically complete their evaluation within 4–7 weeks, depending on the manuscript’s complexity and reviewer availability.

Reviewer Recommendations
The reviewer will provide the following recommendations:

• Accepted: means that the manuscript is acceptable for publication
• Accepted with minor revision: means that the manuscript is acceptable for publication once it is revised in response to the reviewers’ concerns
• Accepted with major revisions: means that substantive inadequacies in the manuscript, such as data analysis, the main theory used, and rewriting of paragraphs, need to be revised
• Rejected: means that the manuscript is not acceptable for publication

The Editors make the final decision based on reviewer feedback and the journal’s standards.

Revision Stage
Once the manuscript has been returned with reviewer comments indicating the need for minor or major revisions, it is sent back to the authors for correction. Authors whose manuscripts require major revisions are given up to 10 days to submit the revised version, while those with minor revisions have 3–5 days to complete the necessary changes. Authors are required to submit the revised manuscript with tracked changes or clearly highlighted modifications, along with a separate Response to Reviewers document that addresses each comment systematically in a point-by-point format. Revised manuscripts may be sent back to reviewers for further evaluation if necessary. Authors who need additional time to complete their revisions should request an extension from the editorial office prior to the revision deadline.

Final Decision
Editors assess whether the revisions sufficiently address the reviewers’ comments. The manuscript may be accepted, returned for further revision, or rejected if the concerns are not adequately resolved.

Proofread
Once the manuscript has been accepted by the Editors, it undergoes a professional proofreading process to ensure linguistic accuracy and clarity. The final layout is then sent to the corresponding author to verify that the content reflects their writing accurately. At this stage, the author may correct any typographical errors. Once the author provides confirmation, the Editorial Secretary will process the manuscript for online publication.