COVID-19 in Qatar

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Peer reviewing is the backbone of academic publishing. It is this peer review process to ensure that papers/publications have been vetted scientifically prior to publication by experts in the field, i.e. one’s peers. However, the process is not without its problems. One such problems is the delay in academic publishing. For example, a few days ago we published a substantive editorial on COVID-19 in Qater [1].  When we submitted this in July 2020 the information in our editorial was very up to date, and it still was when the Qatar Medical Journal accepted it on 26th July 2020.  Unfortunately, with all the incredibly rapid developments in vaccine development, approval and roll out some of the paper now reads like ‘historial data’.

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH)

 

Reference:

  1. van Teijlingen, E.R., Sathian, B., Simkhada, P., Banerjee, I. (2021) COVID-19 in Qatar: Ways forward in public health & treatment, Qatar Medical Journal 2020(38): 1-8 https://doi.org/10.5339/qmj.2020.38

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One Response to “COVID-19 in Qatar”

  1. John Fletcher

    Hi Edwin, although I appreciate your frustrations in the publishing process there is another side to this which I am sure you acknowledge. As editors of a peer reviewed journal Anna Hillingdon and I have received double the submissions of manuscripts over the past 12 months (986) as academics, globally, are working remotely and turn their attention to publishing and this presents huge issues to editors in securing reviews. Many journals now have early view systems so that an Academic’s research is in the public domain as soon as the final edits are executed and agreed. We do our best! Incidentally we have received over 200 manuscripts on covid related research. Keep the articles flowing and don’t be despondent! Best wishes John