For Academic Peers

Peer review is an essential component of the editorial process and formal academic communication. It assists editors in making informed decisions regarding submitted manuscripts and, through editorial dialogue with authors, contributes to improving the quality of published research.

Serving as a reviewer is a core academic responsibility and a vital part of the scientific community’s collective effort to advance knowledge.

Any invited reviewer who feels unqualified to assess a manuscript, or who knows that a prompt review will not be possible, must immediately notify the editors and decline the invitation so that another reviewer can be assigned.

Manuscripts received for review are confidential documents and must be treated as such.
They should not be shared or discussed with others except with explicit authorization from the editors in exceptional and justified cases. This confidentiality rule also applies to reviewers who decline the review invitation.

The evaluation must be objective, and comments should be clear, reasoned, and constructive, providing feedback that can help authors improve their work. Personal criticism is inappropriate and unacceptable.

Reviewers must identify relevant published work that has not been cited in the manuscript. Any comment, claim, or argument based on prior research should include the corresponding citation.

Reviewers should also alert editors to any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and other works (published or unpublished) known to them.

Reviewers who have a conflict of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or institutional relationships with the authors or related entities must declare it immediately and decline the review invitation.

Unpublished material disclosed in a manuscript may not be used in a reviewer’s own research without the explicit written consent of the authors.

Likewise, any privileged information or ideas obtained through the review process must remain strictly confidential and may not be used for personal advantage. This obligation also applies to reviewers who decline the review.