How can reviewers promote ethical peer review?

The preservation of confidentiality of the submission is essential in promoting ethical peer review. When reviewers maintain confidentiality, they protect the intellectual property and ideas of the authors. This ethical obligation fosters an environment of trust and respect within the scholarly community, ensuring that authors can submit their work without fear of having their ideas prematurely disclosed or misappropriated.

Confidentiality also ensures that the peer review process is conducted fairly and without bias, as reviewers can evaluate the manuscript without any preconceived notions or external influences that could arise from knowing the authors’ identities. This practice helps maintain the integrity of the review process, making it more reliable and credible, ultimately benefiting the advancement of research and knowledge.

In contrast, revealing one's identity to the authors or using information from the manuscript for personal gain undermines ethical standards in research. Seeking help from others in the research team can lead to conflicts of interest and bias, further detracting from the quality and integrity of the review process.