Guidelines for Reviewers

 

Reviewers Ethics

The peer-review process is essential in ensuring the integrity, quality, and credibility of research published in the Asian Journal of Qualitative Research (AJQR). Reviewers play a crucial role in maintaining these standards. To fulfill their ethical responsibility, reviewers must adhere to the following guidelines.

1. Suitability and Promptness

Reviewers should:

  • Accept reviews only in their area of expertise.
  • Inform the Editor immediately if they lack the expertise to review a manuscript.
  • Complete the review process in a timely manner and communicate any delays.
  • Avoid unnecessary requests for additional data that may delay publication.

2. Standards of Objectivity

  • Reviews should be conducted fairly, objectively, and professionally.
  • Criticism should be constructive, avoiding personal remarks about authors.
  • Decisions should be based on the manuscript’s quality, not personal biases or conflicts of interest.

3. Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

  • Reviewers must not use unpublished materials for personal research.
  • Any potential conflicts of interest (financial, institutional, or personal) must be disclosed.
  • If a conflict exists, the reviewer should decline the assignment.

4. Confidentiality

  • Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents.
  • Information should not be shared without the Editor’s authorization.
  • Manuscripts should not be used for personal advantage.

5. Ethical Considerations

Reviewers should report to the Editor if they suspect:

  • Plagiarism or unethical research practices.
  • Fabricated or manipulated data.
  • Ethical concerns regarding human participants in research.
  • Lack of proper citation of previous works.

6. Originality and Novelty

Reviewers should assess:

  • Whether the manuscript contributes to existing knowledge.
  • The clarity and relevance of research questions or hypotheses.
  • Whether methods used are appropriate and innovative.

7. Structure and Clarity

Reviewers should evaluate:

  • The manuscript’s clarity, organization, and adherence to formatting guidelines.
  • Language proficiency and readability.
  • The accuracy and relevance of data presentation in tables and figures.
  • The logical flow between data, findings, and discussion.

8. Review Report

  • Comments should be constructive, specific, and free from personal bias.
  • Reviewers should provide a clear recommendation: Accept, Revise, or Reject.
  • If revisions are suggested, detailed feedback should be given to help authors improve their work.
  • The final publication decision rests with the Editor, but reviewer input is crucial in the decision-making process.

By following these ethical standards, reviewers help maintain the academic integrity of AJQR and contribute to the advancement of scholarly research.