Reviewers’ Guidelines

We encourage reviewers to help authors improve their manuscripts. The report should give constructive analysis to authors, particularly where revisions are recommended. Where reviewers do not wish authors to see certain comments, these can be added to the confidential comments of the Academic Editor.

While expectations vary by discipline, some core aspects that reviewers should critique may include:

  • Are the research questions valid?
  • Is the sample size sufficient?
  • Is ethical approval and consent necessary, and was the research ethical?
  • Are the methods and study design appropriate for answering the research question?
  • Is the reporting of the methods, including any equipment and materials, sufficiently detailed that the research might be reproduced?
  • Are any statistical tests used appropriately and correctly reported?
  • Are the figures and tables clear and accurately represent the results?
  • Has previous research by the authors and others been discussed, and have those results been compared to current ones?
  • Are there any inappropriate citations, such as not supporting the claim or too many citations to the author's articles?
  • Do the results support the conclusions?
  • Are the limitations of the research acknowledged?
  • Is the abstract an accurate summary of the research and results without spin?
  • Is the language clear and understandable?

To help authors receive timely reviews, reviewer reports should be submitted via the manuscript tracking system on or before the agreed deadline. Reviewers should contact the editorial board to arrange an alternative date if they cannot meet the deadline.

We encourage reviewers to focus their reports on objectively critiquing the submission's scientific aspects, including the methodology's soundness and whether the results can support the conclusions. At the end of their review, we ask reviewers to recommend one of the following actions:

  1. Publish Unaltered
  2. Consider after Minor Changes
  3. Consider after Major Changes
  4. Reject

However, it is important to note that the Academic Editor will make the overall decision