Peer Review Confidentiality

Policy

Manuscripts under review are confidential. The journal follows the COPE guidance on confidentiality in peer review. See the Peer Review Process.

Editors

Do not share a manuscript, its status, or the identity of its reviewers with anyone who is not involved in handling it.
Do not use the content of a manuscript for their own work.
Keep the identity of reviewers hidden from authors under the single-blind process.

Reviewers

Treat the manuscript and all related material as confidential.
Do not share, copy, or discuss it with others, and do not use it for personal benefit.
Do not upload any part of it to an AI tool. See AI in Peer Review.
Ask the editor first if you wish to consult a colleague. Anyone who helps with a review must be named to the editor.

Authors

Do not try to find out who the reviewers are, or contact them.
Keep the reviews confidential. They are used only to improve the manuscript.

Exceptions

Confidentiality may be broken only when there is a serious concern about misconduct, and then only as far as necessary and with the people who need to know. See Publication Ethics.

Reviews after publication

Reviewer comments are confidential, and are disclosed only with the express agreement of the reviewer. Reviewer identities are not revealed to authors.