Reviewer Ethics

Reviewer Ethics

Research Floor is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in peer review. Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record, and with this role comes important ethical responsibilities.

1. Confidentiality

The manuscript you are reviewing is a confidential document. As a reviewer, you must:

• Do not share the manuscript, its content, or any details about it with anyone without explicit permission from the editorial office.
• Do not use the information contained in the manuscript for your own research or personal gain.
• Do not discuss the manuscript with colleagues or the authors.
• Store and dispose of manuscript files securely.

2. Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest that could compromise their objectivity. Conflicts may include:

• Financial Conflicts: Any financial relationships with the authors, their institutions, or competing entities.
• Personal Conflicts: Professional or personal relationships with the authors (e.g., collaborators, mentors, former students, family members).
• Competing Interests: If you are working on a similar project or have a history of academic disagreement with the authors.
• Institutional Conflicts: If you are affiliated with the same institution as the authors.

If you have any potential conflict, recuse yourself from the review process or disclose it to the editor.

3. Objectivity & Fairness

Reviews must be fair, impartial, and based solely on the scholarly merit of the work. Reviewers should:

• Evaluate the manuscript objectively, without bias toward the authors' nationality, gender, race, religion, or institutional affiliation.
• Base judgments on the quality of the research and its contribution to the field.
• Avoid personal criticism of the authors. Focus on the work, not the individuals.
• Provide constructive feedback that helps authors improve their manuscript.

4. Plagiarism & Misconduct

Reviewers have a duty to identify potential misconduct:

• Plagiarism: If you suspect plagiarism or self-plagiarism, bring it to the editor's attention immediately.
• Data Integrity: If you identify issues with data fabrication, falsification, or manipulation, report your concerns.
• Duplicate Submission: If you are aware that the manuscript has been submitted elsewhere, notify the editor.
• Citation Manipulation: Do not request that authors cite your own work unless it is genuinely relevant to the manuscript.

5. Timeliness & Responsiveness

Reviewers must respect deadlines and communicate promptly:

• Respond quickly to review invitations, even if you must decline.
• Meet the agreed deadline for completing your review.
• Inform the editor if you are unable to complete the review within the timeframe.
• Recommend alternate reviewers if you are unable to take on the assignment.

6. Post-Review Conduct

After completing your review, you should:

• Maintain confidentiality about the manuscript and your review.
• Not use the manuscript content for your own research until it is published.
• Retain copies only if necessary, and delete them when they are no longer needed.
• Be prepared to discuss your review with the editor if needed.

7. Compliance with COPE

Research Floor follows the COPE Core Practices for ethical peer review. All reviewers are expected to be familiar with COPE's guidelines and to uphold these standards in their work.

For questions about reviewer ethics, please contact ethics@researchfloor.com.