Peer Review Oversight

This section details the EIC's role in overseeing the peer review process, ensuring its fairness and integrity, and resolving any conflicts that may arise during the review of manuscripts.

Peer Review Management

As EIC, you are responsible for:

• Ensuring a fair, rigorous, and timely peer review process
• Selecting appropriate associate editors for manuscript handling
• Identifying and recruiting qualified reviewers
• Monitoring review quality and providing feedback to reviewers
• Addressing concerns about reviewer bias or conflicts of interest

Reviewer Database Management

Maintaining a robust reviewer database involves:

• Continuously expanding and diversifying the reviewer pool
• Tracking reviewer performance, response rates, and review quality
• Recognizing outstanding reviewers through awards or acknowledgments
• Removing inactive or consistently poor performers from the database
• Ensuring geographic and gender diversity in reviewer selection

Quality Assurance

To maintain review quality, EICs should:

• Establish clear criteria for evaluating manuscript quality
• Provide guidelines and training for reviewers
• Monitor review turnaround times and follow up on delayed reviews
• Evaluate the usefulness and constructiveness of reviews
• Intervene when reviews are inadequate or inappropriate

Conflict Resolution

EICs must handle conflicts by:

• Addressing author concerns about the review process
• Mediating disputes between authors and reviewers
• Handling allegations of bias or ethical violations
• Ensuring confidentiality throughout the process
• Documenting all actions taken to resolve conflicts