Guidelines for Reviewers

• Disclosure of Conflicts: Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, whether personal, financial, or intellectual, and should decline to review if a conflict exists.
• Timeliness: Reviewers should promptly respond to review requests and only accept if they can complete the review within the given timeframe. Any changes in availability should be communicated to the journal.
• Review Execution: Reviewers are expected to thoroughly assess the manuscript while maintaining confidentiality throughout the process.
• Ethical Concerns: If reviewers suspect any ethical issues, they should inform the editor without conducting independent investigations.
• Peer Review Transfer: Reviewers may be asked to transfer their review to another journal within the publisher's portfolio and should document any changes in criteria if agreed to.

Preparing Review Reports

Review reports should follow journal guidelines, providing objective, constructive, and comprehensive feedback to help authors improve their work. Confidentiality should be maintained, and reviewers should avoid making harsh comments, ensuring feedback aligns with their recommendations and refraining from suggesting unnecessary citations.

Responsibilities of Authors

• Declaring Conflicts: Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest, including personal, financial, or intellectual.
• Timely Revision: Authors should address reviewers' feedback and submit revisions within the specified timeframe.

Post-Review Protocols

Reviewers should be open to reassessing resubmitted manuscripts and notify the journal promptly if any new information impacts their original review. Confidentiality must be upheld even after the review process is completed.