To maintain the integrity of peer review Libertas has strict disqualification rules for peer reviewers who are in conflicts of interest or are unqualified to undertake a review.  If you have been asked to peer review a paper you must ensure that you comply with these rules.

You may not undertake a peer review if you are unable to do so objectively.  

If you have agreed to review a paper and subsequently identify a potential conflict of interest, inform jan.mciver @ la-press.com immediately and do not continue your review.  Reviewers in a conflict of interest may not suggest alternative reviewers.

You are deemed to be in a conflict of interest and therefore disqualified from undertaking a peer review if you have, or have had in the past twenty-four months, any commercial associations or financial interests which may be construed as posing a conflict of interest, including but not limited to consultancies, employment, expert testimony, honoraria, retainers, stock holdings or options, and memberships on boards of for-profit organizations with a financial interest in the work under review.

You are deemed to be in a conflict of interest and therefore disqualified from undertaking a peer review if:

• You have worked at the same institution at any time in the past twenty-four months as an author of the paper under review.

• You have co-authored a paper, chapter, monograph, abstract or poster with an author of the paper in the past forty-eight months.

You are deemed to be in a conflict of interest and therefore disqualified from undertaking a peer review if:

• You have a personal social association with an author of the paper under review.

• You are a family member of any of the authors of the paper under review.

You are disqualified from undertaking a peer review if:

• You have ever been subject to a professional disciplinary hearing.

• You are not currently working in the field of the paper under review.

• You are a member of any journal's editorial board that any of the authors of the paper under review are also members of, or have been in the previous 12 months.

• You are the Editor in Chief or Associate Editor of the journal to which the paper under review has been submitted.