For Reviewers

How to peer review

The reviewer report should comprehensively critique the submission and consist of much more than a few brief sentences.

GS Publishing does not require a specific structure for reports, however, a suggested format is:

  • Summary
  • Major issues
  • Minor issues

We encourage reviewers to help authors improve their manuscript. 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 to the Academic Editor.

Publication ethics

GS Publishing is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Read the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers for information on best practice in peer review.

See GS Publishing's ethics policy.

 

Confidentiality

Manuscripts under peer review should be strictly confidential. Reviewers must not share manuscripts or discuss their content with anyone outside the peer review process.

Reviewers may, on request, consult with colleagues from their research group trusting that the confidentiality of the manuscript is maintained. Reviewers should first contact GS Publishing or the Academic Editor handling the manuscript and note the name of the colleague(s) in the ‘Comments to the editor’ section of their report.

Reviewers will be anonymous to the authors unless they choose to disclose their identity by signing the review report.

 

Conflicts of interest

 

Reviewers should decline to review a submission when they:

  • Have a recent publication or current submission with any author
  • Share or have recently shared an affiliation with any author
  • Collaborate or have recently collaborated with any author
  • Have a close personal connection to any author
  • Have a financial interest in the subject of the work
  • Feel unable to be objective

Reviewers must declare any remaining interests in the ‘Confidential’ section of the review form, which will be considered by the editor.

Reviewers must declare if they have previously discussed the manuscript with the authors.

Reviewers are encouraged to comment on authors’ declared conflicts of interest. If there are concerns that authors have not fully disclosed financial, institutional, commercial, personal, ideological, or academic interests, this should be raised in the reviewer report.