Responsibilities of Reviewers

Contribution to the decision of the editorial board

Reviewers assist the editorial board in making editorial decisions, and can also assist the author in improving the article.

Confidentiality

Any manuscripts received for review should be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers are notified that the materials sent to them are the private property of the authors and contain information that is not subject to disclosure. Reviewers are not allowed to make copies or transfer received materials to third parties. They should not be shown to third parties or discussed with them, except with the permission of the editors.

Efficiency

Any selected reviewer who feels unqualified to review the manuscript material or knows that they will not be able to promptly prepare a review should promptly notify the editor and remove themselves from the review process.

Standards of Objectivity

Reviews must be given objectively. Personal criticism of the author is unacceptable. Reviewers must express their views clearly and with reason.

Verification of sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been named as authors. Any statement that an observation, conclusion, or argument has been previously reported must be accompanied by an appropriate citation. The reviewer must also bring to the attention of the editors any significant similarities or overlaps between the manuscript under review and any other published work of which they are aware.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

Unpublished materials described in the submitted manuscript must remain confidential and cannot be used for the personal interests of the reviewer without the written consent of the author. Reviewers should not review manuscripts with which they have a conflict of interest as a result of competitive, collaborative or other relationships, or affiliations with any of the authors, companies or organizations associated with the material in the publication.