Reviewer Confidentiality Policy

Reviewers engaged by DScholar Press International are required to maintain strict confidentiality throughout the peer review process. All manuscripts, supporting materials, correspondence, and related documents received for review are considered confidential and are provided solely for the purpose of evaluation. This confidentiality applies to all peer-reviewed publications, including books, scholarly monographs, edited volumes, conference proceedings, working papers, and research reports.

Reviewers must not disclose, share, distribute, or discuss the content of manuscripts with any individual who is not directly involved in the review process. Manuscripts must not be shown to colleagues, students, or other researchers without prior authorization from the editorial office. Reviewers must not upload manuscripts or related materials to external platforms, including artificial intelligence tools or online services, where confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.

Information contained in manuscripts must not be used by reviewers for personal research, teaching, publication, or any form of professional advantage. Ideas, data, interpretations, and findings obtained through the peer review process must remain confidential until the work is formally published by the Press.

Reviewer identities are protected in accordance with the peer review model adopted for the publication. Where blind review is used, reviewer identity remains confidential and is not disclosed to authors or third parties. Where open review is used, disclosure is managed in accordance with the terms of the specific review model, while still maintaining confidentiality of unpublished content.

Reviewers are required to destroy or delete manuscript files and related materials after completing the review, unless retention is explicitly authorised by the editorial office for administrative purposes. Printed copies or downloaded files must be securely stored during the review process and removed after completion.

Confidentiality obligations remain in effect after the completion of the review process. Submission outcome, editorial decisions, and related communications must not be disclosed or discussed externally.

Failure to maintain confidentiality during peer review is considered a serious breach of publication ethics and may result in removal from the reviewer database and restriction from future review activities for the Press. The Press may also take additional action where necessary to protect the integrity of the publication process.

DScholar Press International expects all reviewers to uphold confidentiality as a core principle of ethical peer review and scholarly publishing. This requirement supports trust, fairness, and integrity in the evaluation of all submitted manuscripts.