Role and Responsibilities
- Provide an expert, impartial, and constructive evaluation of the manuscript.
- Assess the scientific quality, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journalâs scope.
- Help authors improve their work through detailed, actionable comments.
- Support the editor in making an informed publication decision.
Confidentiality
- Treat all manuscript materials as strictly confidential.
- Do not share, discuss, or use the manuscriptâs data or ideas for personal research.
Ethical Considerations
- Ensure that research involving humans or animals has appropriate ethical approval.
- Identify issues related to plagiarism, duplicate publication, or data manipulation.
- Report any concerns about misconduct confidentially to the editor.
Evaluation Criteria
Reviewers should consider:
- Originality and significance of the study.
- Scientific rigor, methodology, and accuracy.
- Quality and interpretation of data, figures, and tables.
- Clarity, organization, and coherence of the manuscript.
- Adequacy of the literature review and references.
- Appropriateness of conclusions based on data.
- Compliance with journal guidelines.
Review Structure
A helpful review generally includes:
- Summary: Briefly describe the manuscriptâs purpose and main findings.
- Major Comments: Significant issues that affect validity, clarity, or scientific value.
- Minor Comments: Small corrections, language issues, formatting, or clarifications.
- Confidential Notes to Editor: Optional comments about suitability, concerns, or recommendations.
Timeliness
- Accept a review invitation only if you can complete it on time.
- Notify the editor immediately if delays occur.
- Suggest alternative reviewers when appropriate.
Professional Conduct
- Maintain an objective, respectful, and constructive tone.
- Provide clear evidence and justification for recommendations.
- Avoid overly brief, vague, or unhelpful comments.
Final Recommendation
Reviewers should clearly recommend one of the following:
- Accept
- Minor Revision
- Major Revision
- Reject
