Science and Engineering Ethics
http://www.opragen.co.uk
Editors: Stephanie J. Bird (M.I.T., USA) and Raymond Spier (Univ. of Surrey, UK)
Guidelines for Reviewers
1. This journal is committed to a policy of double blind refereeing. Therefore this manuscript does
not include the author’s name, institution or address.
2. The unpublished manuscript is a privileged document. Please protect it from any form of
exploitation. Reviewers are expected not to cite a manuscript or refer to the work it describes
before it has been published and to refrain from using information it contains for the direct
advancement of their own research.
3. A reviewer should consciously adopt a positive and impartial attitude towards the manuscript
under review. We would hope that your position would be that of the author’s ally, ensuring
that arguments contained within a paper are self-consistent, effectively and accurately
communicated and give due recognition to other relevant work. If you believe you cannot judge
a given article impartially, please return the manuscript immediately to the Corresponding
Editor with that explanation recommending an alternative referee if you see fit.
4. Controversy is welcomed in this journal. However, the editors would be grateful if you would
note on the manuscript evaluation form any comments within the paper which could be
construed as a personal attack. Such personal attacks will not be published.
5. If you find yourself unable to review the manuscript within three weeks of receipt, please return
it immediately (by airspeeded delivery). Alternatively, if you can suggest another referee,
perhaps a colleague in your department, please discuss the possibility with the Editor by
telephone or fax.
6. For your review, please use the manuscript evaluation form provided.
7. You are not requested to correct deficiencies of style or mistakes in grammar but any help you
can offer to the Editor in this regard will be appreciated.
8. An anonymous copy of your review will be sent to the authors.
9. The Editor appreciates the reviewer’s recommendations but as editorial decisions are usually
based on evaluations from several sources, a reviewer should not expect the Editor to honour
every recommendation.
10. In order to ensure timely publication of papers, referees are encouraged to return evaluation
forms to the corresponding editor by email.
11. Corresponding Editor’s address:
Professor Raymond Spier
School of Biological and Medical Sciences
University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1483-855679 ; fax: +44 (0) 1483-560074
Email: r.spier@surrey.ac.uk