Aim and Scope

The journal mission is to promote scientific achievements in fundamental and applied immunology to various medical fields, the publication of reviews, lectures, essays by leading domestic and foreign experts in the field of fundamental and experimental immunology, clinical immunology, allergology, immunodiagnostics and immunotherapy of infectious, allergy, autoimmune diseases and cancer. 

Section Policies

REVIEWS

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Peer Review Process

St. Petersburg Regional Branch of the Russian Association of Allergologists and Clinical Immunologists, as a founder and publishing organization, is committed to the strict supervision of the published research materials. All reviews and research papers received by the editorial office, are subject to mandatory unilateral anonymous ("blind") reviewing: the authors do not know the reviewers of the manuscript and receive an e-mail with comments, signed by the editor in chief.

Publication Frequency

bi-monthly

Open Access Policy

Medical immunology (Russia)  is an open access journal. All articles are made freely available to readers immediatly upon publication.

Our open access policy is in accordance with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) definition - it means that articles have free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself.

For more information please read BOAI statement.

Archiving

• Scientific library of National Electronic Information Consortium (NEICON), Russia;
• Russian State Library (Moscow);

Peer-Review

All scientific articles submitted to the editorial office of the journal "Medical Immunology (Russia)" undergo mandatory single-anonymous ("blind") peer review (the authors of the manuscript do not know the reviewers and receive a letter with comments signed by the Editor-in-Chief).

1. Peer review of articles is carried out by members of the Editorial Council and the Editorial Board, as well as by invited reviewers – leading specialists in the relevant field of medicine in Russia and other countries. The decision to choose a particular reviewer for the expert evaluation of an article is made by the Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Scientific Editor, or Head of the Editorial Office. The review period is 2 weeks, but may be extended at the reviewer’s request.
2. Each article is sent to 2 reviewers.
3. Each reviewer has the right to decline to review in the case of an obvious conflict of interest that affects the perception and interpretation of the manuscript materials. Based on the results of the manuscript review, the reviewer provides recommendations on the further fate of the article (each reviewer’s decision must be substantiated):
   • The article is recommended for publication in its present form;
   • The article is recommended for publication after correction of the noted shortcomings;
   • The article needs additional review by another specialist;
   • The article cannot be published in the journal.
4. If the review contains recommendations for correcting and revising the article, the journal’s editorial office sends the author the text of the review with a proposal to take them into account when preparing a new version of the article or to argue (partially or completely) against them. Revision of the article should not take more than 10 days from the moment the email is sent to the authors about the need to make changes.The revised article is sent again for peer review. If the reviewer makes further comments, the time for revision is reduced to 1 week. From the third round of review onwards, the revision period is 4 days.
5. If the authors refuse to revise the materials, they must notify the editorial office in writing or orally of their refusal to publish the article. If the authors do not return the revised version within 3 months from the date the review was sent, even in the absence of any notification from the authors refusing to revise the article, the editorial office removes it from registration. In such situations, the authors are sent a corresponding notice that the manuscript has been de-registered due to the expiration of the time allowed for revision.
6. If irresolvable contradictions arise between the author and the reviewers regarding the manuscript, the editorial board has the right to send the manuscript for additional review. In conflict situations, the decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief at a meeting of the Editorial Board. Articles submitted to the editorial office may be checked using the Anti-plagiarism If the check reveals improperly formatted borrowings, the article may be rejected.
7. The decision to reject the publication of a manuscript is made at a meeting of the Editorial Board in accordance with the reviewers’ recommendations. An article that is not recommended for publication by the decision of the Editorial Board will not be reconsidered. A notice of rejection is sent to the author by email.
8. After the Editorial Board decides to accept an article for publication, the editorial office informs the author thereof and indicates the publication timeframe.
9. The presence of a positive review is not a sufficient basis for publishing an article. The final decision on publication is made by the Editorial Board. In conflict situations, the decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief.
10. Original reviews are kept in the journal’s editorial office for 5 years.

Indexation

Articles in "Meditsinskaya immunilogiya" ("Medical Immunology (Russia)") are indexed by several systems:

• Russian Scientific Citation Index (RSCI) – a database, accumulating information on papers by Russian scientists, published in native and foreign titles. The RSCI project is under development since 2005 by “Electronic Scientific Library” foundation (elibrary.ru).
• Google Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines. The Google Scholar index includes most peer-reviewed online journals of Europe and America's largest scholarly publishers, plus scholarly books and other non-peer reviewed journals.
• Base
• Dimensions
• DOAJ
• EBSCO
• JournalTOCs
• LocatorPlus
• NLM Catalog
• Oxford Library
• RNMJ.RU
• Scopus
• SOCIONET
• VINITI RAS
• WorldCat

Publishing Ethics

1. Introduction

1.1. Publication of materials in peer-reviewed journals is not only a simple means of scientific communication but also makes a significant contribution to the development of the relevant field of scientific knowledge. Thus, it is important to establish standards of expected ethical behaviour for all parties involved in publication, namely: Authors, the Journal Editor and Editorial Board, Reviewers, and the Publisher for the journal "Medical Immunology (Russia)".

1.2. The Publisher not only supports scientific communication but is also responsible for ensuring that all current recommendations are followed in the published work.

1.3. The Publisher undertakes strict oversight of the published scientific materials. The publications presented in the journal impartially represent the development of scientific thought and research; therefore, we also recognise the responsibility associated with this, especially from the point of view of ethics.

2. Duties of Editors

2.1. Publication decision – The Editor of the scientific journal "Medical Immunology (Russia)" is personally and independently responsible for deciding whether to publish. The validity of the work under consideration and its scientific significance must always underpin the publication decision. The Editor may be guided by the policies of the Editorial Board of "Medical Immunology (Russia)", taking into account existing legal requirements regarding libel, copyright, legality, and plagiarism. The Editor may consult with the Editorial Board and Reviewers when making the publication decision.

2.2. Fair play – The Editor must evaluate the intellectual content of manuscripts regardless of the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, origin, citizenship, or political preferences.

2.3. Confidentiality – The Editor and the Editorial Board of "Medical Immunology (Russia)" are obliged not to disclose information about an accepted manuscript to anyone other than the Authors, Reviewers, potential reviewers, other scientific advisers, and the Publisher, unless necessary.

2.4. Disclosure and conflicts of interest

2.4.1. Unpublished data obtained from submitted manuscripts must not be used for personal research without the written consent of the Author. Information or ideas obtained during peer review and related to potential advantages must be kept confidential and not used for personal gain.

2.4.2. Editors must recuse themselves from considering manuscripts (i.e., cooperate with other members of the Editorial Board in reviewing the work instead of personally reviewing and making the decision) in the event of conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other interactions and relationships with the Authors, companies, and possibly other organisations associated with the manuscript.

2.5. Vigilance over publications – An Editor who is presented with convincing evidence that the statements or conclusions presented in a publication are erroneous must notify the Publisher in order to promptly arrange for correction, retraction, expression of concern, or other appropriate notifications.

2.6. Involvement and cooperation in investigations – The Editor, together with the Publisher, takes adequate responsive measures in the event of ethical complaints regarding reviewed manuscripts or published materials. Such measures generally include interacting with the Authors of the manuscript and substantiating the relevant complaint or claim, but may also involve communication with relevant organisations and research centres.

3. Duties of Reviewers

3.1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions – Peer review helps the Editor make a publication decision and, through appropriate interaction with the Authors, may also help the Author improve the quality of the work. Peer review is an essential link in formal scientific communication, ensuring the quality of published manuscripts.

3.2. Promptness – Any selected Reviewer who feels insufficiently qualified to review the manuscript or lacks the time to complete the work quickly must notify the Editor of "Medical Immunology (Russia)" and ask to be excluded from the review process for that manuscript.

3.3. Confidentiality – Any manuscript received for review must be treated as a confidential document. This work must not be disclosed or discussed with any persons not authorised by the Editor.

3.4. Standards and objectivity – The Reviewer must provide an objective assessment. Personal criticism of the Author is unacceptable. Reviewers should express their opinions clearly and with substantiated arguments.

3.5. Acknowledgement of sources – Reviewers should identify significant published works relevant to the topic that are not included in the manuscript’s bibliography. Any statement (observation, conclusion, or argument) previously published must be accompanied by an appropriate bibliographic reference in the manuscript. The Reviewer should also draw the Editor’s attention to any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published work within the Reviewer’s scientific competence.

3.6. Disclosure and conflicts of interest

3.6.1. Unpublished data obtained from submitted manuscripts must not be used in the Reviewer’s own research without the written consent of the Author. Information or ideas obtained during peer review and related to potential advantages must be kept confidential and not used for personal gain.

3.6.2. Reviewers must not participate in reviewing manuscripts in the event of conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other interactions and relationships with any of the Authors, companies, or other organisations associated with the submitted work.

4. Duties of Authors

4.1. Reporting standards

4.1.1. Authors of reports of original research must provide accurate results of the work performed, as well as an objective discussion of the significance of the research. The data underlying the work must be presented without error. The work should contain sufficient detail and bibliographic references to allow replication. False or knowingly inaccurate statements are regarded as unethical behaviour and are unacceptable.

4.1.2. Reviews and scientific articles must also be accurate and objective; the editorial viewpoint must be clearly identified.

4.2. Data access and retention – Authors may be asked to provide raw data related to the manuscript for editorial review. Authors should be prepared to provide open access to such information (in accordance with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases), if practicable, and in any event should be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable period after publication.

4.3. Originality and plagiarism

4.3.1. Authors must ensure that they have submitted entirely original work, and if the work or words of others have been used, appropriate bibliographic references or quotations are provided.

4.3.2. Plagiarism can exist in many forms, from presenting another’s work as the author’s own to copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of others’ works (without attribution) to claiming rights to the results of others’ research. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical behaviour and is unacceptable.

4.4. Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication

4.4.1. In general, an author should not publish a manuscript that is largely devoted to the same research in more than one journal as an original publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently is regarded as unethical behaviour and is unacceptable.

4.4.2. In general, an author should not submit a previously published article for consideration in another journal.

4.4.3. Publication of certain types of articles (e.g., clinical guidelines, translations) in more than one journal is in some cases ethical provided certain conditions are met. The Authors and Editors of the journals concerned must agree to the secondary publication, which must reflect the same data and interpretation as the primary work. The bibliography of the primary work must be provided in the secondary publication. Further details on acceptable forms of secondary publication can be found at www.icmje.org.

4.5. Acknowledgement of sources – The contribution of others must always be acknowledged. Authors should cite publications that are significant to the reported work. Data obtained privately (e.g., through conversation, correspondence, or discussion with third parties) must not be used or reported without clear written permission from the original source. Information obtained from confidential sources (such as manuscript review or grant evaluation) must not be used without the explicit written permission of the Authors of the work involved.

4.6. Authorship of the publication

4.6.1. Only persons who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study may be listed as Authors. All those who have made significant contributions must be designated as co‑authors. Where participants have made a substantial contribution to a specific aspect of the research project, they should be acknowledged as having made a significant contribution to that study.

4.6.2. The Author must ensure that all persons who made a substantial contribution to the study are listed as co‑authors, and that no one who did not participate in the study is listed as a co‑author. Before submitting the article, co‑authors must confirm that they have approved the final version of the work and agree to its submission for publication.

4.7. Hazards and human or animal subjects

4.7.1. If the work involves the use of chemicals, procedures, or equipment that may present any unusual risk, the Author must clearly identify this in the manuscript.

4.7.2. If the work involves human or animal subjects, the Authors must ensure that the manuscript states that all stages of the research comply with the laws and regulatory documents of the research organisations and have been approved by the relevant committees. The manuscript must clearly state that informed consent was obtained from all human subjects. The privacy rights of human subjects must always be observed.

4.8. Disclosure and conflicts of interest

4.8.1. All Authors are required to disclose in their manuscripts any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might be construed as influencing the results or conclusions presented in the work.

4.8.2. Examples of potential conflicts of interest that must be disclosed include employment, consultancy, stock ownership, honoraria, providing expert testimony, patent applications or patent registrations, grants, and other financial support. Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed as early as possible.

4.9. Fundamental errors in published works – If an Author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in a publication, the Author must notify the Editor of "Medical Immunology (Russia)" and cooperate with the Editor to promptly retract or correct the publication. If the Editor or Publisher receives information from a third party that a publication contains a significant error, the Author is obliged to retract or correct the work as quickly as possible.

5. Duties of the Publisher

5.1. The Publisher must follow policies and procedures that help the Editors, Reviewers, and Authors of "Medical Immunology (Russia)" fulfil their ethical duties in accordance with these requirements. The Publisher must ensure that potential revenue from advertising or reprint production does not influence the Editors’ decisions.

5.2. The Publisher shall support the Editors of "Medical Immunology (Russia)" in reviewing complaints regarding ethical aspects of published materials and help them communicate with other journals if that assists the Editors in performing their duties.

5.3. The Publisher shall promote good research practice and implement industry standards in order to improve ethical guidelines, retraction procedures, and error correction.

5.4. The Publisher shall provide appropriate specialised legal support (opinion or consultation) if necessary.

The section is prepared according to the files (http://health.elsevier.ru/attachments/editor/file/ethical_code_final.pdf) of Elsevier publisher (https://www.elsevier.com/) and files (http://publicationethics.org/resources) from Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE - http://publicationethics.org/).

Founder

Russian Association of Allergologists and Clinical Immunologists, St. Petersburg Regional Branch (SPb RAACI)

Author fees

Publication in "Medical Immunology (Russia)" is free of charge for all authors.
Following technical verification and prior to peer review, authors must confirm that they have reviewed the publication fee policy. Payment is required only after a positive decision on acceptance has been made. The publication fee is 30,000 Russian rubles. This covers technical verification, peer review, preparation for publication, and publication in both the electronic and print versions. For international authors, payment may be made in Chinese yuan at the current exchange rate of Sberbank of Russia at the time of invoicing.

Discounts for SPb RAACI members are available as described in the Author Guidelines.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in a reviewer’s own research without the express written consent of the author. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.
Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.

Plagiarism detection

Articles submitted to the editorial office of "Medical Immunology (Russia)" may be checked using the Russian‑language plagiarism detection software Antiplagiat. If the check reveals improperly formatted borrowings, the article may be rejected. If plagiarism is identified, the COPE guidelines on plagiarism will be followed.

Preprint and postprint Policy

Prior to acceptance and publication in "Medical Immunology (Russia)", authors may make their submissions available as preprints on personal or public websites.
As part of the submission process, authors are required to confirm that the submission has not been previously published, nor has been submitted elsewhere. After a manuscript has been published in "Medical Immunology (Russia)", we suggest that the link to the article on the journal’s website is used when the article is shared on personal or public websites.

Glossary (by SHERPA)

• Preprint – In the context of Open Access, a preprint is a draft of an academic article or other publication before it has been submitted for peer‑review or other quality assurance procedure as part of the publication process. Preprints cover initial and successive drafts of articles, working papers or draft conference papers.
• Postprint – The final version of an academic article or other publication – after it has been peer‑reviewed and revised into its final form by the author. As a general term this covers both the author’s final version and the version as published, with formatting and copy‑editing changes in place.