For Reviewers
The contribution of peer reviewers at eCurater is invaluable. To ensure the highest quality publication and to maintain the integrity of the journal, peer reviewers at eCurater play a significant role. The peer reviewers are a team of researchers who are into constantly promoting scientific research within their fields of expertise. eCurater proposes the following guidelines for peer reviewers to assist them with a streamlined and methodical review process.
Peer review at eCurater :
eCurater’s main aim is to publish original, reliable, appropriate and technically ingenious articles. After the manuscript makes its way through the first level of screening with respect to its relevance to the scope of the journal, it is then assigned to expert reviewers who further analyse its technicalities. The review process at eCurater is conscientious and aims at providing open and direct assessment reports to the authors.
Reviewers are recommended to be fair and bold enough in drafting their review report. The reviewers’ report should help the authors refine their manuscript. Clear statements are to be provided suggesting revisions in the manuscript wherever required. Any confidential comments that authors are not to be updated about can be separately mentioned addressing the Academic Editor. Peer reviewers must consider all the technical aspects of the manuscript while evaluating and here are a few aspects that reviewers can take into consideration.
- Validity of question under study
- Estimating the appropriateness of sample size and methodology.
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Ethical aspects of the research paper.
- Accuracy of experimental observations and statistical tests.
- Preciseness of tables, figures and other diagrammatical representations.
- Appropriateness of citations
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Clarity and comprehensibility of language.
Once the review is finished, the report should be drafted accordingly by including a brief Summary, Major Issues and Minor Issues. The reviewers should recommend one of the following actions at the end of their review:
- Publish Unaltered
- Publish after Minor Changes.
- Publish after Major Changes.
- Reject.
Commitment to Time
Reviewers at eCurater are recommended to commit to the timeframes as our main agenda is to ensure swift publication. The journal is committed to effective time-bound publications which can be achieved only through a scheduled review process.
Ethics and Morality
Reviewers at eCurater are expected to be fair, transparent and genuine. eCurater is a member of COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) and any breach in the ethical standards with respect to the manuscript should be brought to the notice of the Academic Editor and the Research Integrity Team. Reviewers also must conform to certain ethical principles failing which they will be subjected to possible disciplinary action. See our Publication Ethics page for more understanding.
Confidentiality and Anonymity
Reviewers should keep the review process confidential and must not discuss the manuscripts’ information with anyone outside the peer review process. Under any circumstances, if a reviewer has to discuss the content of the manuscript with his other team members, prior permission should be taken from the Editorial Board. Reviewers at eCurater should not disclose their identity to the authors.
Conflicts of Interest
When reviewers have any potential competing interests that could possibly influence their review, they should declare the same well before starting the review process and can suggest another expert reviewer to handle the task. Conflicts of Interest arise when the reviewers share any co-authorship, personal, financial, regional, religious, political or institutional relationships with the author. For more information on COI, see our Publication Ethics page.
