Reviewer Ethics

Ethical principles and professional standards for reviewers participating in the JIECoP peer-review process.

COPE has published its Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers, outlining the basic principles and standards to which all peer reviewers should adhere during the peer-review process.

Access the COPE Guidelines
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In addition, peer reviewers should:

01 — Expertise and timeliness

only agree to review manuscripts for which they have the subject expertise required to carry out a proper assessment and which they can assess promptly;

02 — Confidentiality

respect the confidentiality of peer review and not reveal any details of a manuscript or its review, during or after the peer-review process, beyond those that are released by the journal;

03 — Proper use of information

not use information obtained during the peer-review process for their own or any other person’s or organization’s advantage or to disadvantage or discredit others;

04 — Conflicting interests

declare all potential conflicting interests, seeking advice from the journal if they are unsure whether something constitutes a relevant interest;

05 — Impartiality

not allow their reviews to be influenced by the origins of a manuscript, by the nationality, religious or political beliefs, gender, or other characteristics of the authors, or by commercial considerations;

06 — Constructive review

be objective and constructive in their reviews, refraining from being hostile or inflammatory and from making libelous or derogatory personal comments;

07 — Reciprocal responsibility

acknowledge that peer review is essentially a reciprocal endeavor and undertake to carry out their fair share of reviewing in a timely manner;

08 — Accurate credentials

provide JIECoP with personal and professional information that is accurate and a true representation of their expertise;

09 — Reviewer identity

recognize that impersonation of another individual during the review process is considered serious misconduct.