Impartiality




Sample Paper Excerpt
A chemistry professor specializing in efforts to develop a safe and efficient chemical warfare agent decontamination system is solicited by a journal editor to review a manuscript that is very close to work she is currently engaged in. The abstract describes experiments that are quite similar to the experiments being conducted by the chemistry professor's collaborators. The potential reviewer realizes that there are only a handful of researchers specializing in this area who could competently provide an assessment of the manuscript, and feels that accepting the request to review would be the responsible thing to do. At this point, the chemistry professor has just seen the title and abstract. However, the chemistry professor also realizes that by reviewing the complete paper, she will be privy to protocols that could aid in completing her own work.

How should the chemistry professor proceed?
Agree to review the manuscript, then decide whether she can remain impartial after reading the complete document. Notify the editor about her concerns about impartiality before reading the complete document.

Proceed to the


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