ReviewerPolicies

  1. Reviewers Guidelines
  2. Conflict of Interest and Financial Disclosures (specific to reviewers)

1. Reviewers Guidelines

AJP’s reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the quality and integrity of published content. The following guidelines outline their responsibilities and best practices:

Eligibility and Expertise

  • Reviewers are selected based on their expertise in the relevant subject area.
  • They should have a proven track record of research or academic contributions in physics or related disciplines.

Responsibilities

  • Timely Reviews: Reviewers must adhere to agreed deadlines for submitting their evaluations.
  • Constructive Feedback: Provide detailed, constructive, and respectful comments to help authors improve their work.
  • Confidentiality: Treat the manuscript and associated data as confidential and avoid sharing it with others.

Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts based on:

  • Originality and significance of the research.
  • Scientific rigor, methodology, and clarity of presentation.
  • Ethical considerations, including proper citations and avoidance of plagiarism.

Recommendations

Reviewers are required to provide one of the following recommendations:

  1. Accept.
  2. Minor Revisions.
  3. Major Revisions.
  4. Reject.

2. Conflict of Interest and Financial Disclosures (specific to reviewers)

To maintain impartiality, reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review invitation.

Types of Conflicts

  1. Personal Relationships: Any personal or professional relationship with the authors that might bias the review.
  2. Financial Interests: Financial ties, such as funding from entities with stakes in the manuscript’s outcome.
  3. Competing Work: Involvement in competing research that could influence the evaluation.

Disclosure Requirements

  • Reviewers must inform the editorial office immediately if they recognize a conflict after accepting a manuscript for review.
  • If the conflict is significant, the reviewer should decline the invitation.

Confidentiality Clause

Reviewers must not use unpublished information from the manuscript for their personal or professional benefit.