Ethical principles applicable to Reviewers
The reviewing process is an important aspect of the publishing process. Reviews help the Editor-in-Chief to make publishing decisions, and help Authors to improve the quality of their manuscripts. The “Polylogue. Neophilological Studies” journal uses the so-called blind peer review process, in which the Authors do not know who is reviewing their manuscript, and the Reviewers do not know the Authors’ identity.
Before accepting a manuscript for review, Reviewers should be convinced that:
a. the manuscript is in the area of their research interests and that they are prepared to make a review;
b. they have sufficient time to write a review within the established deadline.
Moreover, Reviewers are required to meet the following requirements:
1. Confidentiality
Manuscripts submitted for review are material obtained in trust, solely for the purposes of making a critical review. Therefore, they cannot be shared or discussed with other people without the consent of the Editor-in-Chief. It is unacceptable to use information obtained in the review process either for the private benefit of the Reviewer, or to discredit other people.
2. Objectivity
The reviews should be made objectively. Reviewers may not be guided by:
a. the origin of the manuscript;
b. the Author’s religious, political or cultural opinions;
c. the Author’s citizenship, race, ethnicity or gender. It is unacceptable to use comments which may sound hostile, or in any way derogate Authors, or accuse them.
3. Reliability
Reviewers’ comments should be provided in a transparent and constructive manner. Reviewers’ comments should be supported by facts regarding the content of the manuscript. It is recommended to pay attention to:
a. originality;
b. contribution to a given area of knowledge;
c. technical quality of the manuscript;
d. clarity of the message;
e. depth of the study.
4. Identification of the sources used in the manuscript
Reviewers should identify materials which were not cited by the Author of the article. Any suspected convergence of the reviewed manuscript with another publication should be immediately reported to the Editor-in-Chief.
5. Disclosure of data and conflict of interest
Reviewers may not review manuscripts which create a conflict of interest arising from competition, cooperation, or other relationships with the Authors, or with the institution associated with the submitted manuscript.