Excerpt from the P.I.E. Guidelines for Reviewers – Confidentiality

1 Details of the review, or of the manuscript under review, should not be revealed to third parties unless with prior agreement.

2 The privacy of the author must be respected and if the reviewer wishes to seek an opinion from another peer professional, permission from the editor should be sought. Whereby it is the written policy of the editor or publication not to reveal the identity of the reviewer, whether to the author of a text or any other individual, the reviewer will take the necessary steps to protect their privacy and comply with editorial regulations. Direct contact to the author is not permitted without proper authentication.

3 A reviewer should not involve others in the review of the manuscript, including junior researchers they are mentoring, without prior permission from the journal. The names of anyone who has had input to the review should be included in order to accurately maintain records and award credits.

4 The editor must be notified immediately ifconcerns of an ethical nature arise, irregularities identified or plagiarism is suspected; these may be construed as misconduct during research, writing or submission. Reviewers should not disclose their concerns to others or attempt personal investigation unless requested.