Ensuring Double Blind Review

To ensure the integrity of the double-blind peer review for submission to this journal, every effort should be made to prevent the identities of the authors and reviewers from being known to each other. This involves the authors, editors, and reviewers (who upload documents as part of their review) checking to see if the following steps have been taken with regard to the text and the file properties:

  1. The cover title page and originality statement must be uploaded separately from the manuscript, as an additional file with select the kind of file for each upload as Other, during step 2 of the online submission process. Make sure that the manuscript does not include the name and identity of the author
  2. The authors of the document have deleted their names from the text, with "Author" and year used in the references and footnotes, instead of the authors' names, article title, etc.
  3. Author identification should also be removed from the properties of the file if the manuscript is written in a Microsoft Office document.
  4. The authors of the document have removed personal information from the file properties by taking the following steps:

Microsoft Word 2010, 2013:

  • Choose File
  • Choose Check for issues
  • Choose Inspect document
  • Uncheck all of the checkboxes except Document Properties and Personal information
  • Choose Inspect
  • Choose Remove all
  • Save the file

Microsoft Word 2007:

  • Click on the Office button in the upper-left hand corner
  • Choose Prepare
  • Choose Properties
  • Delete all of the information in the document property fields that appear under the main menu options
  • Save the file

Microsoft Word for Mac 2011:

  • Choose File
  • Choose Properties
  • Choose Summary
  • Remove all of the identifying information from all of the fields
  • Save the File

Microsoft Word 2003 and previous versions, and Macintosh versions of Word:

  • Choose File
  • Choose Save As
  • Choose Tools (or Options with a Mac)
  • Choose Security
  • Remove personal information from file properties on save
  • Save the file

PDF:

  • Go to File
  • Select Properties
  • Remove any name in the author field
  • Click OK
  • Save the document