Before accepting or declining the invitation to review a manuscript for the Saigon International University Journal of Science, reviewers should consider the following points:

- Is the paper within your area of expertise? Accept the invitation only if you feel confident in providing a fair and accurate assessment of its quality.

- Are there any potential conflicts of interest? If so, please inform the Editor-in-Chief.

- Do you have sufficient time to complete the review within the deadline set by the Saigon International University Journal of Science?

Reviewers should respond to the invitation as soon as possible, as delays—whether accepting or declining—can slow down the review process. If declining, please suggest an alternative qualified reviewer if possible.

Before Conducting the Review

If you accept the invitation, you must commit to maintaining the confidentiality of the manuscript received from the Saigon International University Journal of Science. Specifically, reviewers must not share the manuscript with anyone without the permission of the Editorial Board. As the journal applies a double-blind peer review process, reviewers are also prohibited from sharing any review information with others without the journal’s consent.

The Review Report

The reviewer’s comments and assessment assist the Editorial Board in determining whether the paper should be published. Therefore, reviewers should provide a comprehensive, objective, and accurate evaluation of the manuscript’s quality.

Comments must be polite, constructive, and must not contain any personal criticism or identifying information about the reviewer (including their name).

The journal provides the manuscript along with a standardized peer review form.

Checklist Before Submitting the Review

- Summarize the paper briefly in one paragraph. This confirms to the editors that you have read and understood the research.

- Highlight the strengths of the paper, including its novelty, impact, and contributions.

- Identify specific areas where the paper meets or fails to meet the journal’s standards and requirements.

- Provide detailed comments and suggestions on structure, formatting, title, abstract, introduction, figures, clarity, methods, statistical accuracy, results, discussion, conclusions, language, and references.

- If plagiarism, fraud, or any other ethical concerns are suspected, notify the Editor-in-Chief and provide as much detail as possible.

- As the Saigon International University Journal of Science operates under a double-blind review policy, reviewers must not share their comments or information regarding the review process with anyone, unless authorized by the Editorial Board or the authors involved. This confidentiality obligation applies both during and after publication.

- Any recommendation for authors to cite the reviewer’s (or their associates’) work must be scientifically justified and not intended to increase citations or visibility of the reviewer’s own publications.

Reviewer Recommendations

Reviewers should classify the manuscript into one of the following four categories:

1. i) Accept for publication without revision
2. ii) Accept for publication with minor revisions (no need for further review)

iii) Revise and resubmit for another round of review

1. iv) Reject (a clear explanation must be provided in the report)

Final Decision

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on whether to accept or reject a manuscript. Other members or departments of the Saigon International University Journal of Science have no authority over this decision. The Editorial Board will consider all opinions and may seek a third review or request additional revisions before making the final determination.