Why do manuscripts submitted to the Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation get rejected?

Abstract

Objectives: The study aimed to examine the reasons for the rejection of manuscripts, considering the increased rejection rates of our journal of up to 73% in 2022, and help authors realize what the editors and referees are paying attention to while assessing the manuscript. Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, original articles, case reports, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses submitted and rejected to the Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine Rehabilitation were searched between January 1, 2016, and June 30, 2022. After reviewing the referee's evaluations and editorial opinions for all rejected articles, the reasons for rejection were classified under three main headings: journal, manuscript, and ethical issues. The manuscript issues were detailed under 11 subheadings. Results: A total of 1,293 rejected submissions were reviewed. Of these, 35% were rejected at the editorial stage, while 65% were rejected after peer review. Thirty-three submissions were rejected for ethical reasons, 168 were out of the journal's field of interest, and 1,092 (84%) submissions were rejected for reasons related to the manuscript. The three most common reasons for rejection were protocol/methodology errors (44%), lack of contribution to the literature (41%), and lack of adequate discussion (40%). Conclusion: Before starting the studies, supporting the hypotheses with the current literature review, planning with the right protocol, and interpreting the findings in the discussion will facilitate the acceptance of the manuscripts to our journal.