Reviewer Guidelines

Accept only if the manuscript falls within your expertise, you can review it without a conflict of interest, and you can complete it within the period you agree with the editor. Decline promptly otherwise, and suggest alternatives where you can.

Declare any conflict, such as recent collaboration, shared institution, financial interest or a close personal or competing relationship with the authors, and let the editor decide whether you should proceed.

The manuscript is confidential. Do not share it, discuss it with others or use its content before publication. If you wish to involve a colleague, ask the editor first.

After submitting the review, reviewers should securely delete downloaded manuscript files and must not retain or use unpublished material.

Reviewers must obtain journal permission before using AI to assist with a review. Any permitted use must be disclosed, and confidential manuscript content must not be uploaded where confidentiality cannot be assured.

Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request.

For double-blind manuscripts, reviewers must not attempt to identify the authors.

• Fit with the scope of the journal
• Soundness of the study design, data sources and statistical analysis
• Handling of bias, confounding and missing data
• Whether the conclusions follow from the results and the limitations are stated
• Ethical compliance, including approval, consent and trial registration
• Adherence to the appropriate reporting guideline, such as STROBE or PRISMA
• Availability of data and code, and clarity of the presentation

Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal.

Give a brief summary of the work, then major concerns and minor points, with specific, constructive comments the authors can act on. Keep criticism professional and directed at the work. Separate comments for the authors from confidential comments for the editor. State your recommendation (accept, minor revision, major revision or reject); the editor makes the decision.

Report suspected plagiarism, data problems, duplicate publication or undisclosed conflicts to the editor in confidence, without investigating independently.