- For reviewers
- ISSN 2691-6622 (online)
- Open access · CC BY 4.0
Reviewer Guidelines
Peer review is the basis of the International Journal of Aquaculture Research and Development. This page explains what reviewers are asked to assess, how to write a useful report, and the standards of confidentiality and conduct that apply.
Accepting an invitation
Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request. Manuscripts that proceed to external peer review are normally evaluated by at least two independent subject-matter experts.
- Accept only if the subject is within your expertise and you can complete the review.
- Declare any conflict of interest, such as a recent collaboration, a shared institution, a competing interest, or a financial relationship, and decline the invitation when it could affect your judgment.
- For double-blind manuscripts, reviewers must not attempt to identify the authors.
- Reviewing is independent of payment and of any relationship with the journal.
What to assess
Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal.
- Scope and originality: fit with the Aims and Scope, and what the work adds.
- Design and methods: suitable design, replication, controls and culture conditions, and enough detail to repeat the work.
- Analysis and results: appropriate statistics, accurate presentation, and conclusions proportionate to the evidence.
- Ethics: animal ethics approval and welfare measures, collection permits, and consent or a documented waiver for human participants, where applicable.
- Reporting and data: reporting-guideline items, data availability and the clarity of tables, figures and references.
- Integrity: concerns about duplication, image manipulation or undisclosed conflicts, reported to the editor.
Writing the review
- Summarize the work and its main contribution in your own words.
- List major concerns that affect the validity of the conclusions, then minor points on clarity and presentation.
- Be specific and constructive, and refer to sections, figures or lines.
- Give a recommendation to the editor: accept, minor revision, major revision or reject. The editor makes the decision.
- Keep comments to the authors professional, and put confidential remarks to the editor in the separate field.
Confidentiality, AI and file handling
Manuscripts are confidential. Do not share, discuss or use them or any data in them, and do not contact the authors directly.
Reviewers must obtain journal permission before using AI to assist with a review. Any permitted use must be disclosed, and confidential manuscript content must not be uploaded where confidentiality cannot be assured.
After submitting the review, reviewers should securely delete downloaded manuscript files and must not retain or use unpublished material.
Becoming a reviewer
Researchers with publications in aquaculture and related fields are welcome to apply. Send a short curriculum vitae, ORCID iD and areas of expertise to the editorial office.