Confidentiality

Confidential review information includes unpublished manuscript versions, supplementary files, reviewer identities and reports, editorial correspondence, and internal deliberations. Access to this information is limited to authorized purposes.

1. Access and Permitted Use
Editors, reviewers, and authorized staff may use confidential material only for assessment, administration, production, or integrity-related tasks connected with their assignment. Unpublished ideas or information must not be used for personal or professional advantage.

Editors may share relevant reports with other assigned reviewers where this helps the assessment, while keeping reviewer identities masked. Authors receive the comments they need to understand and respond to the decision.

Authors must not publicly disclose confidential reviewer identities, reports, or private editorial correspondence without appropriate permission. This does not prevent authors from raising concerns through authorized complaint, institutional, or legal channels.

2. Consultation and External Tools
Reviewers who wish to involve another person in the review must first obtain the editor’s approval. The person must be identified to the editor, meet the required independence standards, and accept confidentiality obligations. Reviewers remain responsible for their reports.

Confidential manuscripts, reports, and identifying information must not be uploaded to external generative AI services to produce substantive reviews or editorial assessments. Other external services may not receive confidential material unless the journal has authorized them and appropriate safeguards are in place. Use of tools is further governed by the AI Policy.

3. Licensing
Published articles are licensed under CC BY 4.0. Confidentiality obligations do not restrict lawful reuse of openly licensed published content. Likewise, the article license does not extend to private review records, such as reviewer reports, reviewer identities, or editorial correspondence.

4. Safeguards and Exceptional Disclosure
Use the designated journal systems, protect account access, and avoid making uncontrolled copies of confidential files. Reviewers should securely delete local copies after completing their assignment, unless retention has been authorized. Handling of journal records is described in the [Privacy Statement].

Disclosure to a competent institution, an authorized independent assessor, or a legal authority may be necessary for a legitimate investigation or legal obligation. Such disclosure should be limited to what is necessary and carried out with appropriate safeguards.

Suspected unauthorized access or disclosure must be reported promptly. Confidentiality obligations continue after rejection, withdrawal, publication, or completion of the review assignment.