Reviewer Guidelines

1. Introduction

Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the academic quality and integrity of IMAC Review. All manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review to ensure objective evaluation. Reviewers are expected to adhere to the highest standards of professionalism, confidentiality, and ethical conduct.

2. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to:

1. Evaluate manuscripts impartially, based on relevance, originality, methodology, legal reasoning, and clarity.

2. Maintain confidentiality; manuscripts and related materials must not be shared.

3. Declare conflicts of interest and decline reviews if a conflict exists.

4. Provide constructive feedback that helps authors improve the quality of the work.

5. Complete reviews within the requested timeline (typically 3–6 weeks).

6. Recommend appropriate action: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject.

3. Review Criteria

Manuscripts should be assessed on the following:

• Originality and contribution to mediation, arbitration, or ADR law

• Methodological and legal rigor

• Analytical depth and critical reasoning

• Compliance with ethical and legal standards

• Proper citation and referencing according to OSCOLA

• Clarity, coherence, and presentation quality

4. Confidentiality

• Manuscripts are confidential documents.

• Reviewers must not use the material for personal research.

• Discussions of manuscripts with third parties are strictly prohibited.

5. Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must declare any potential conflicts, including:

• Personal or professional relationships with authors

• Competing research projects

• Financial or institutional interests

If a conflict exists, reviewers must decline the assignment.

6. Ethical Conduct

Reviewers are expected to:

• Avoid bias based on nationality, gender, ethnicity, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs.

• Respect intellectual property of authors.

• Provide honest, constructive, and timely evaluations.

7. Review Report Format

A standard review report should include:

1. Summary of the manuscript

2. Strengths of the paper

3. Weaknesses or issues

4. Suggestions for improvement

5. Recommendation (Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, Reject)

Reports must be submitted via the OJS system.

8. Recognition

IMAC Review acknowledges reviewers’ contributions in:

• Annual reviewer lists (with consent)

• Certificates of recognition upon request

9. Reviewer Support

The journal provides guidance and templates to support consistent and fair reviews. Editorial staff are available to clarify queries or handle conflicts.