CARE checklist

Case Reports: reviewed like a reviewer would

Case reports are desk-rejected more than any other article type because editors ask one question first: what is new here? The CARE checklist and a clear statement of the report's contribution are what get a case past that question.

For the manuscript you're submitting · no accept/reject verdict
What the review checks

Built around CARE.

Single-patient or small case-series manuscripts route to the CARE checklist.
  • CARE audit: title and keywords, abstract structure, patient information and de-identification, clinical findings, timeline, diagnostic assessment, therapeutic intervention, follow-up and outcomes, discussion, patient perspective, and informed consent.
  • Novelty statement: the review checks whether the report states what it adds and whether the literature cited supports that claim.
  • Consent and privacy: presence of a consent statement and any identifying detail in text or figures.
  • Reference verification against PubMed and Crossref with retraction screening, plus the target-journal compliance audit.
  • Journal formatting applied to the .docx as tracked changes, included.
The evidence

Why this matters, in numbers.

Each figure is quoted from its primary source; the bracketed number links to the reference below. Verified 2026-09-12.
44–76%

Lack of new or useful knowledge was the most common reason for rejection at AJR, accounting for 44–76% of rejections in every country. [3]

78% / 39%

JAMA Internal Medicine rejected 78% of the manuscripts it received in 2017 without review; the pre-review rejection rate at Parasites & Vectors was 39%. [4]

top-10 list

Respiratory Care's editor ranked poor study design, inadequate description of the methods, and suboptimal reporting of results among the top reasons manuscripts are not published. [14]

3.9–10%

Across nine JAMA Network journals, 2025 research acceptance rates ranged from 3.9% (JAMA) to 10% (JAMA Otolaryngology). [53][54][55][56][58][59][60][57][61]

16.4 days

Reviewers take a median of 16.4 days to complete a review after accepting the invitation (mean 19.1 days). [6]

17 of 49

Of 49 top-ranked journals across general medicine and 38 specialties that we checked, only 17 publish an acceptance rate on their own site or in an annual editorial; 25 publish none and 7 block automated capture. [53][63][64][66][67][52][65]

From Peer review statistics 2026, 89 verified statistics
What you get

One pass, $49.

Included
  • 16-section review
  • Every reference checked against PubMed and Crossref; status per reference; retraction screening on every DOI
  • Audit against the target journal's author instructions
  • Journal formatting applied to your .docx as Word tracked changes, included
Ground rules
  • No accept/reject verdict.
  • Zero Data Retention (Anthropic); never stored or used for training.
  • $49 per manuscript, no subscription. Journal Brief $2.99 per paper (first free). ESL add-on $19.99.
  • Full 16-section sample review published.
What it cannot do

It cannot detect fabricated or falsified data, manipulated images, or anything that is not visible in the manuscript text and references. It finds the manuscript-visible problems that reviewers and editors find, before they do.

Protected by Anthropic’s Zero Data Retention
Your manuscript is never stored, logged, or used for training.
FAQ

Questions, answered.

Don't see yours? Email us — we read every one.

Sources

Sources cited on this page

Every figure on this page is quoted from the primary source listed here. Verification dates are recorded per source.
  1. [1]Ehara S, Takahashi K. Reasons for rejection of manuscripts submitted to AJR by international authors. AJR. American journal of roentgenology 2007. doi:10.2214/ajr.06.0448 PMID 17242215.peer-reviewed article (Europe PMC / Crossref record) · verified 2026-09-12
  2. [2]Dantas-Torres F. Top 10 reasons your manuscript may be rejected without review. Parasites & vectors 2022. doi:10.1186/s13071-022-05543-w PMID 36357928.peer-reviewed article (Europe PMC / Crossref record) · verified 2026-09-12
  3. [3]Publons. 2018 Global State of Peer Review. Clarivate Analytics; 2018. publons.com/static/Publons-Global-State-Of-Peer-Review-2018.pdfindustry report (PDF on file) · verified 2026-09-12
  4. [4]Pierson DJ. The top 10 reasons why manuscripts are not accepted for publication. Respiratory care 2004. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15447812/ PMID 15447812.peer-reviewed article (Europe PMC / Crossref record) · verified 2026-09-12
  5. [5]NEJM. About NEJM; Publication Process (NEJM Media Center). Pages captured 12 September 2026. www.nejm.org/about-nejm/about-nejmjournal website · verified 2026-09-12
  6. [6]Bibbins-Domingo K, Christiansen SL, Curfman G, et al. 2025 Year in Review and Vision for the Path Ahead. JAMA. Published online 13 April 2026. jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2847844journal editorial · verified 2026-09-12
  7. [7]Inouye SK. JAMA Internal Medicine—The Year in Review, 2025. JAMA Intern Med. Published online 16 March 2026. jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2846285journal editorial · verified 2026-09-12
  8. [8]Christakis DA. JAMA Pediatrics—The Year in Review, 2025. JAMA Pediatr. Published online 16 March 2026. jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2845861journal editorial · verified 2026-09-12
  9. [9]Kibbe MR. JAMA Surgery—The Year in Review, 2025. JAMA Surg. Published online 18 March 2026. jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/2846802journal editorial · verified 2026-09-12
  10. [10]Shinkai K. JAMA Dermatology—The Year in Review, 2025. JAMA Dermatol. Published online 18 March 2026. jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/2845993journal editorial · verified 2026-09-12
  11. [11]Bonow RO, Casadei B. JAMA Cardiology Year in Review, 2025. JAMA Cardiol. Published online 18 March 2026. jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2846694journal editorial · verified 2026-09-12
  12. [12]Josephson SA. JAMA Neurology Year in Review, 2025. JAMA Neurol. Published online 16 March 2026. jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2846475journal editorial · verified 2026-09-12
  13. [13]Öngür D. The Year in Review, 2025. JAMA Psychiatry. Published online 18 March 2026. jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2846481journal editorial · verified 2026-09-12
  14. [14]Piccirillo JF. JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery—The Year in Review, 2025. Published online 19 March 2026. jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/2846035journal editorial · verified 2026-09-12
  15. [15]Gut (BMJ). About: Journal Statistics 2025. Captured 12 September 2026. gut.bmj.com/pages/about/journal website · verified 2026-09-12
  16. [16]British Journal of Sports Medicine (BMJ). About: Journal Statistics 2025. Captured 12 September 2026. bjsm.bmj.com/pages/about/journal website · verified 2026-09-12
  17. [17]PLOS Medicine. Journal Information. Captured 12 September 2026. journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/s/journal-informationjournal website · verified 2026-09-12
  18. [18]Elsevier ScienceDirect Journal Insights pages for the journals named (publishing timeline and, where shown, acceptance rate). Captured 12 September 2026. www.sciencedirect.com/journal/ophthalmology/about/insightspublisher website · verified 2026-09-12
  19. [19]Springer Nature journal pages for European Journal of Epidemiology, Journal of Hematology & Oncology, Genome Medicine, BMC Medicine (Journal metrics, 2025). Captured 12 September 2026. link.springer.com/journal/10654publisher website · verified 2026-09-12

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For the manuscript you're submitting