Confidentiality Agreement for Reviewers

As a reviewer for the Journal of Language, Literature & Social Affairs (JLLSA), you are entrusted with privileged access to unpublished academic work. Your role carries a professional responsibility to maintain the highest standards of confidentiality and ethical conduct throughout the peer review process. By accepting a review invitation, you agree to the following terms:

1. Confidentiality of Manuscripts

• All manuscripts and supplementary materials provided to you for review must be treated as strictly confidential.
• You may not share, discuss, or distribute the manuscript with any third party including colleagues, students, or collaborators without prior written authorization from the JLLSA editorial office.
• The content of the manuscript, including ideas, findings, or data, must be regarded as the intellectual property of the authors and cannot be used, cited, or referred to before formal publication.

2. No Unauthorized Use of Information

• You agree not to use any information, insights, or data obtained from the manuscript for personal, academic, financial, or commercial gain.
• The manuscript content may not be incorporated into your own work or shared with others until it has been officially published by JLLSA.

3. Conflicts of Interest

• You must promptly disclose to the editorial office any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may impair your ability to review the manuscript objectively.
• Conflicts may include, but are not limited to:
  • Personal or professional relationships with the authors
  • Direct competition or overlapping research interests
  • Financial stakes or affiliations related to the manuscript content
• If a conflict exists, you should respectfully decline the review request.

4. Anonymity of the Review Process

• JLLSA follows a double-blind peer review You agree to maintain the anonymity of both authors and reviewers throughout the process.
• You must refrain from including any self-identifying information in your review comments or communications.
• Likewise, you should not attempt to discover the identity of the manuscript's author(s).

5. Non-Disclosure of Review Status

• You agree not to disclose your participation as a reviewer or discuss the manuscript’s content, review status, or editorial decision with anyone other than the JLLSA editorial team.
• All inquiries, issues, or concerns related to the review should be directed exclusively to the JLLSA editorial office.

6. No Retention of Manuscripts

• After completing and submitting your review, you agree to delete or destroy all electronic and physical copies of the manuscript and related materials.
• Retention of any materials post-review is only permitted if explicitly requested by the editorial office for follow-up evaluation.

7. Adherence to Ethical Standards

• You agree to conduct your review ethically, fairly, and professionally free from bias, prejudice, or inappropriate conduct.
• If you detect any suspected ethical violations, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate submission, or unethical research practices, you are required to notify the editorial office immediately.
• JLLSA upholds a plagiarism threshold of 10%; any concerns related to academic integrity should be handled confidentially and reported without delay.

By accepting a review invitation from JLLSA, you affirm your commitment to the above confidentiality and ethical standards, thereby supporting the integrity and excellence of scholarly publishing.