Do
- Accept or decline in a timely manner and suggest an alternative reviewer if you decline
- Consider potential competing interests before accepting
- Be specific and support your comments with evidence
- Be polite, constructive and professional when writing comments
- Differentiate between essential and optional feedback
- Raise any ethical concerns about the manuscript with the editor
- Submit the review by the deadline
- Consider opting in for the publication of the review.
Don’t
- Agree to review when you don’t have time or matching expertise
- Write derogatory or unsupported comments
- Request additional work out of the scope of the study
- Request superfluous citations to your own work
- Breach confidentiality of the review process
- Take advantage of any information obtained during the review process
- Include others in the review without notifying the editor or giving credit.