Peer-reviewers

Information and Instructions for Peer Reviewers

As a peer reviewer for Health & Caring, you play a vital role in ensuring the quality and integrity of the published scholarly work. The journal follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Here are key points regarding your responsibilities and the review process:

• Role and Process:

Peer review is a critical assessment of submitted manuscripts by experts, usually external to the editorial staff.

It is an important extension of the scientific process and helps editors decide which manuscripts are suitable for the journal.

Peer review often helps authors and editors improve the quality of reporting.

All papers submitted to the journal first undergo an initial assessment by the Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editors to ensure they are consistent with the journal's aims and focus and meet the minimum quality criteria.

The review process is independent and anonymous (double-blind peer review). This means the author's name is removed from the manuscript to ensure anonymity.

Papers that pass the initial assessment are subject to peer review by two independent reviewers who are experts in the subject matter.

Reviewers are selected by the Editor-in-Chief / Associate Editors and are expected to be free from personal or professional relationships with the author(s) and not from the same department.

The journal's editors do not guarantee acceptance of a manuscript for publication or a prompt review. Editorial decisions may be informed by issues beyond manuscript quality, such as suitability for the journal.

You may be asked to review primary research, review articles, editorials, or letters to the editors, depending on the type of submission.

• Ethical Conduct and Confidentiality:

You must follow the ethical recommendations of COPE: Ethical_guidelines_for_peer_reviewers_0.pdf

Manuscripts submitted to journals are privileged communications and the authors' private, confidential property.

You must keep manuscripts and the information they contain strictly confidential.

You must not publicly discuss the authors' work.

You must not appropriate authors' ideas before the manuscript is published.

You must not retain copies of the manuscript for your personal use and should destroy paper copies and delete electronic copies after submitting your review.

Confidentiality may have to be breached if dishonesty or fraud is alleged, but editors will notify authors or reviewers if they intend to do so.

• Disclosure of Relationships and Activities:

As a participant in the peer-review process, you must consider and disclose your relationships and activities when fulfilling your role. You will be asked if you have relationships or activities that could complicate your review.

You must disclose to the editors any relationships or activities that could bias your opinions of the manuscript. Also, you should refrain from reviewing specific manuscripts if the potential for bias exists.

You must not use knowledge of the work you are reviewing before its publication to further your own interests.

• Using artificial intelligence (AI) during Review:

You must maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript, which prohibits uploading it to software or other AI technologies where confidentiality cannot be assured.

You must request permission from the journal PRIOR to using AI technology to facilitate your review.

You should be aware that AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete, or biased.

• Submitting Your Review:

You are expected to respond promptly to requests to review and to submit reviews within the time agreed.

Your comments should be constructive, honest, and polite.

If you seek assistance from a trainee or colleague in performing the review, you should acknowledge these individuals' contributions in the written comments submitted to the editors.

The editors are responsible for ensuring you have access to all materials relevant to evaluating the manuscript, including supplementary material. You will be asked to provide your feedback in the journal system by logging in at the system. 

In addition to qualitative feedback, we ask that you make one of the following recommendations:

1. Published without editing.
2. Published after incorporating the reviewers' comments ("minor revision").
3. Not published in the given form, a complete revision ("major revision") and a new review is proposed and possible.
4. Rejected.

Note: If a complete revision ("major revision") is recommended to the authors, both reviewers are asked to provide a new review upon receipt of the revised manuscript; in case of refusal, another reviewer is selected.

• After Your Review:

You will be notified of the ultimate decision to accept or reject a paper.

Health & Caring will acknowledge your contribution as a peer reviewer.

In cases of contradictory opinions between two reviewers, the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the Associate Editors, may approach a third reviewer, or the Editor-in-Chief / Associate Editors may make the final decision.

Thank you for contributing your expertise to Health & Caring.