Confidentiality in Peer Review

Finance, Accounting and Business Analysis (FABA) maintains strict confidentiality standards throughout the peer review process to protect authors, reviewers, and the integrity of scholarly communication.

This policy operates in alignment with:

• Editorial Governance & Responsibilities
• Conflict of Interest Policy
• Handling Misconduct Policy
• AI Usage Policy

  1. Confidential Nature of Submissions

All manuscripts submitted to FABA are treated as confidential documents.

Editorial board members, reviewers, and journal staff must not:

• disclose the existence of a submission;
• share manuscript content with unauthorized individuals;
• use unpublished data for personal or professional advantage.

  1. Reviewer Confidentiality Obligations

Reviewers must:

• treat manuscripts as privileged information;
• not copy or distribute submission materials;
• not retain manuscript files after review completion;
• refrain from discussing the manuscript with third parties.

If consultation with a colleague is necessary, prior editorial approval must be obtained.

  1. Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

Reviewers must not upload confidential manuscripts to public AI platforms or external tools that store or reuse submitted content.

AI tools may not be used to generate peer review reports without explicit editorial permission.

  1. Editorial Confidentiality

Editors must:

• ensure double-blind review integrity (where applicable);
• protect reviewer anonymity;
• prevent unauthorized access to submission files;
• handle all communications discreetly.

If an editor has a conflict of interest, the manuscript is reassigned.

  1. Anonymity and Review Model

FABA applies a double-blind peer review model:

• authors do not know reviewer identities;
• reviewers do not know author identities.

Reviewer identities are not disclosed without explicit consent.

  1. Data Protection

All personal data processed during peer review are handled in accordance with the journal’s GDPR Privacy Statement.

  1. Breach of Confidentiality

Any breach of confidentiality may result in:

• removal from the reviewer pool;
• suspension of editorial responsibilities;
• notification to affiliated institutions in severe cases.

  1. Post-Review Conduct

Reviewers must not:

• cite or reference unpublished material;
• use ideas or data obtained through peer review prior to publication.

  1. Commitment to Integrity

Confidentiality in peer review is essential to ensure impartial evaluation, protect intellectual property, and maintain trust in the editorial process.