What is a key responsibility of reviewers in the peer review process?

The key responsibility of reviewers in the peer review process is preserving the confidentiality of the submission. This entails maintaining the privacy of the work under review, including any data, concepts, and findings presented by the authors. Reviewers have access to sensitive information that, if disclosed, could undermine the integrity of the review process, the authors' rights, or the trust between researchers. By protecting this confidentiality, reviewers help to ensure a fair evaluation of the research, maintain the trust of the authors, and uphold the standards of academic integrity within the scholarly community. This commitment to confidentiality fosters an environment where authors can submit their work without fear of premature exposure or misuse of their ideas.