Expertise
Accept review invitations only where your expertise is sufficient for a responsible assessment.
For Reviewers
Independent expertise. Constructive judgment.
Peer review should help editors assess the reliability, contribution and presentation of scholarly work while helping authors strengthen appropriate manuscripts.
Independence
Disclose conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment.
Confidentiality
Manuscripts and associated information should be treated as confidential review material.
Respect
Review the research, not the author's identity, institution, nationality or ability to pay.
Review framework
What reviewers should assess
Originality
Does the work make a meaningful contribution or offer a justified scholarly perspective?
Methodological rigor
Are the methods, evidence and analytical approach appropriate to the research question?
Clarity
Is the argument, reporting and presentation sufficiently clear for scholarly evaluation?
Evidence
Do the presented evidence and analyses support the results and conclusions?
Scholarship
Does the manuscript engage appropriately with relevant scholarly literature?
Ethics
Are there ethical, integrity, authorship or conflict-of-interest concerns requiring attention?
Communication standard
Critical without being dismissive.
Reviewer comments should be professional, neutral, evidence-based, respectful and constructive. Where a weakness is identified, explain what requires improvement rather than using generalized or accusatory language.