Policies for reviewers

EWA Publishing supports its reviewers by providing clear guidelines and resources to uphold ethical standards and review quality. Editors, reviewers, and authors are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the specific policies of the series.

This policy is crafted to reflect EWA Publishing’s dedication to the advancement of knowledge through ethical and transparent peer-review practices, supporting our reviewers, authors, and editors in contributing to the integrity of the scholarly record.

Identity

Reviewers must be experts in their respective fields, capable of providing unbiased and objective evaluations of manuscripts. To maintain impartiality and prevent conflicts of interest, reviewers should not be:

• Affiliated with the same institution as any of the manuscript's co-authors
• Associated with the funding body of the manuscript under review
• Identified through personal email accounts (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) if an institutional affiliation cannot be confirmed through a basic verification process (involving a search of the reviewer's name, department, and institution)

EWA Publishing enables authors to recommend or oppose specific reviewers at the time of submission, balancing author preferences with editorial discretion.

Peer-review process

EWA Publishing is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of peer-review. Our blind and multi-reviewer process ensures that all articles are rigorously evaluated based on their intellectual merit and contribution to the field. This policy outlines the expectations and processes for our reviewers, ensuring integrity and objectivity in every review.

Reviewers are expected to adhere to the highest ethical standards, following the Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers as established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). EWA Publishing is committed to these principles, ensuring confidentiality and integrity throughout the peer-review process. Reviewers must treat all manuscripts and review communications with the utmost confidentiality, in line with the specific review model (single-, double-, or triple-blind) adopted by the series.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts assigned for review are to be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not disclose any information about the manuscript or its review process to third parties or contact the authors directly without explicit authorization from the editor.

While collaborative discussions and co-reviewing practices are acknowledged, reviewers must obtain prior approval from the editor to ensure that confidentiality is maintained and that all contributors are appropriately recognized.

Any unpublished data or ideas disclosed within a manuscript must remain confidential and cannot be used for the reviewer's personal research without the author's written permission. Reviewers are entrusted to safeguard the confidentiality and proprietary information encountered during the review process.

Conflict of interest

Submissions by Editors or Editorial Board members are subject to the same rigorous review process, managed by alternative members of the Board to eliminate any potential conflict of interest. The involved Editor/Board member will abstain from any decision-making related to their submission.

Standards of objectivity

Reviews should be conducted with objectivity and professionalism. Reviewers must be mindful of personal biases and ensure they do not influence the review outcome. Personal criticism of the authors is deemed unprofessional and unacceptable. Feedback should be constructive, with clear articulation and substantiation of any points of critique.

When recommending citations of their own or associates' work, reviewers must ensure that such recommendations are strictly for the purpose of enhancing the manuscript's scientific merit. The intent must not be to increase personal citation counts or to unduly elevate the visibility of their or their associates' work.

Reviewers consent to the potential transfer of manuscripts and their reviews within EWA Publishing's network to align with series themes or when a manuscript may find a more suitable publication venue. This includes transferring reviewer details to ensure continuity and efficiency in the review process. EWA Publishing adheres to COPE’s Core Practices, ensuring transparency and ethical standards are maintained during transfers and across all publishing activities.