Peer Reviews

Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your use of the peer-review services and website provided by ECHEM ENGINEERING LTD t/a Peer Reviews (“Company”, “we”, “us”). They are divided into three parts:

  • Part A: Authors
  • Part B: Reviewers
  • Part C: Website Users

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

Part A: Authors

1. Application

These terms apply when you submit a manuscript to the Company for peer review.

2. Services

We provide manuscript assessment only. Our feedback covers structure, clarity, methodology and literature context.

3. Fees & Payment

  • Flat-fee charged by manuscript type (to be determined).
  • Invoice issued on submission; net 30 days.
  • Late payments accrue interest at 4% above the Bank of England base rate.

4. License & Intellectual Property

  • You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to reproduce, publish and display your manuscript and any materials you submit for the purpose of providing the Services and publishing reviews online.
  • You retain all other rights.

5. Revisions & Refunds

  • If you reasonably believe the quality of review falls below our guidelines, notify us in writing within 14 days of delivery.
  • We will provide one round of updated review comments at no extra charge.

6. Confidentiality

All manuscript content is confidential. We will not publish your manuscript or data without your consent, except for anonymised reviewer reports if you opt in.

7. Disclaimers

  • We do not guarantee acceptance by any journal or publisher.
  • Reviews reflect reviewers’ opinions; we make no representation as to their accuracy or completeness.

8. Indemnification

You indemnify and hold us harmless from any loss, liability or claim arising out of your manuscript, including claims of defamation, plagiarism or infringement of third-party rights.

9. Limitation of Liability

Our aggregate liability to you in respect of any manuscript is capped at £1,000. This cap applies to all claims in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise.

10. Termination

We may suspend or terminate Services if you breach these Terms, including non-payment or misuse of confidential information.

11. Dispute Resolution

Any dispute will first be referred to mediation under the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) Model Mediation Procedure in the UK.

12. Notices

All notices regarding reviews must be submitted in writing to support@peerreviews.com within 14 days of delivery.

Part B: Reviewers

1. Engagement & Scope

When you accept an assignment, you agree to review manuscripts in accordance with our Reviewer Guidelines.

2. Fees & Payment

  • You receive a flat fee per manuscript (as agreed).
  • Payment is made within 30 days of our receipt of your completed review.

3. Deadlines & Performance

  • You must deliver your review by the agreed deadline.
  • Late or incomplete reviews may result in fee reduction or withholding.

4. Conflicts of Interest

You must disclose any actual or potential conflicts before accepting an assignment.

5. Code of Conduct

  • Maintain confidentiality of all manuscripts.
  • Provide fair, unbiased feedback.
  • Do not use manuscripts or data for personal gain or AI training.
  • Notify us immediately of any suspected misconduct.

6. Assignment of IP Rights

You assign to us all copyright in your review reports. We may reproduce, publish and display them online.

7. Confidentiality

You shall not share, distribute or discuss manuscript content outside the Company’s secure channels.

8. Indemnification

You indemnify us against any claim arising from your review, including allegations of defamation or infringement.

9. Limitation of Liability

Our aggregate liability to you is capped at £1,000 per manuscript.

10. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your reviewer account for breach of these Terms or our Code of Conduct.

11. Dispute Resolution

Disputes will first be referred to mediation under CEDR in the UK.

12. Notices

All notices must be sent to reviewers@peerreviews.com.

Part C: Website Users

1. Accounts & Registration

  • Two account types: Authors and Reviewers.
  • Public may access published reviews without registration.

2. Privacy & Data Collection

  • We collect manuscript details, author personal data and payment information.
  • A separate Privacy Policy governs data use and storage.

3. Permitted Use & Prohibitions

  • You may view and download content for personal, non-commercial use only.
  • Prohibited activities include scraping, data-mining, AI training, or sharing confidential manuscripts.

4. Intellectual Property

All content on the site is owned or licensed by us. You may not reproduce, distribute or create derivative works without our prior written consent.

5. Disclaimers

We provide the site and all content “as is” without warranty of any kind, including accuracy, completeness or fitness for a particular purpose.

6. Limitation of Liability

Our aggregate liability to any user is capped at £1,000 per manuscript.

7. Indemnification

You indemnify us against any claim arising from your use of the site, including breaches of these Terms or infringement of third-party rights.

8. Termination & Suspension

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate any account or access for violation of these Terms.

9. Dispute Resolution

Any dispute relating to the site will be referred to mediation under CEDR in the UK.

10. Notices

General notices must be sent to legal@peerreviews.com.

By using our Services or Site, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree to these Terms.