Policies for reviewers
EWA Publishing supports its reviewers by providing clear guidelines and resources to uphold ethical standards and review quality. Editors, reviewers, organisers, 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 editors, reviewers, organisers, and authors 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)
Peer-review process
Editors or members of the Editorial Board may occasionally submit manuscripts for potential publication in the series. In such instances, the peer-review process will be overseen by alternative Board members to ensure impartiality, and the submitting Editor or Board member will not participate in the decision-making process.
By agreeing to review for an EWA Publishing series, reviewers commit to adhering to the highest standards of publication ethics and best practices, as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). EWA Publishing rigorously supports and adheres to these guidelines. Additionally, should a high-quality manuscript not be suitable for our series, it may be referred to another series within our network that shares a similar subject focus. All associated peer-reviews and evaluations will be transferred to facilitate further assessment and decision-making by the receiving series. Reviewers consent to EWA Publishing using their peer-reviews across our services and to the potential transfer of their personal details and reviews to relevant series.
EWA Publishing is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of integrity throughout our publishing process. In alignment with COPE’s Core Practices, we manage our publication workflows to ensure confidentiality is maintained at every stage of peer-review. We expect all peer reviewers to honor this confidentiality and to not disclose any details of a manuscript or related communications, during or after the review process, unless such details are officially released by the series.
Furthermore, we require authors to respect the confidentiality of the peer-review process. However, this requirement may vary for series that have adopted an open review model.
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.
