Which of the following statements is true regarding the responsibilities of reviewers?

The statement that reviewers should identify the positive and negative aspects of a manuscript and indicate where improvements are needed is accurate and reflects the essential responsibilities of a reviewer. A key role of a reviewer in the peer review process is to provide constructive feedback to authors, helping them enhance the quality of their work. This involves not only pointing out strengths but also critically evaluating weaknesses and suggesting potential improvements. This feedback is crucial for maintaining the integrity and quality of academic publishing, as it contributes to ensuring that only robust and well-validated research is shared with the scientific community.

In contrast, advocating for the author or attempting to convince an editor to publish a manuscript does not align with the impartiality required from a reviewer—whose primary focus should be on the evaluation of the research itself rather than on supporting the author.

Turning down opportunities to review when lacking relevant expertise is also important for maintaining the quality of the review process, as reviewers should be knowledgeable about the topic to provide meaningful feedback.

Lastly, the suggestion that reviewers can use information from unpublished manuscripts for personal gain undermines the confidentiality and ethical standards of the peer review process. Reviewers are expected to maintain confidentiality regarding the content of the manuscripts they review, as misuse of this information could compromise the integrity of the research and the