Journal of Dance and Embodied Structure values the essential contribution of peer reviewers to the quality, integrity, and development of scholarly publishing. Reviewers provide expert evaluation, constructive feedback, methodological insight, ethical attention, and disciplinary guidance that support both editorial decision-making and the improvement of submitted manuscripts.

The journal recognizes peer review as an important form of academic service. This policy explains how the journal acknowledges reviewer contributions while maintaining confidentiality, fairness, editorial independence, and the integrity of the peer review process.

1. General Principle

Reviewer recognition should acknowledge the scholarly labor of reviewers without compromising the confidentiality of manuscripts, reviewer identities, author identities, editorial correspondence, or peer review records.

The journal may provide recognition to reviewers through appropriate forms such as certificates, letters of acknowledgment, annual reviewer acknowledgment, editorial records, or other forms approved by the Editorial Office.

2. Confidentiality of Peer Review

Journal of Dance and Embodied Structure normally uses a double-blind peer review process for research articles, review articles, practice-based research articles, methodological notes, and performance or choreographic analyses.

Reviewer recognition must not reveal confidential information about:

• The manuscript under review;
• The author’s identity;
• The reviewer’s identity in relation to a specific manuscript;
• Reviewer comments or recommendations;
• Editorial decisions or internal editorial discussions;
• Unpublished research materials, data, images, performance documentation, or artistic materials.

Any public acknowledgment of reviewers will be handled in a way that preserves the confidentiality and integrity of the review process.

3. Forms of Reviewer Recognition

The journal may recognize reviewer contributions through one or more of the following forms:

• Reviewer certificates issued by the Editorial Office;
• Letters of acknowledgment for academic service;
• Annual acknowledgment of reviewers on the journal website, where appropriate;
• Editorial records of completed reviews;
• Reviewer contribution confirmation upon request;
• Invitation to future editorial or reviewer activities where appropriate;
• Other forms of recognition approved by the Editorial Office.

Reviewer recognition does not imply endorsement of a reviewer’s views, institution, research, artistic practice, or professional activities.

4. Reviewer Certificates

Reviewers who complete a review may request or receive a reviewer certificate from the Editorial Office. The certificate may confirm that the reviewer has provided peer review service for the journal.

A reviewer certificate may include:

• The reviewer’s name;
• The journal title;
• The role of the reviewer;
• The year or date of service;
• The name of the Editorial Office;
• Signature or authorization by the journal representative where applicable.

Reviewer certificates will not normally include manuscript titles, author names, reviewer recommendations, editorial decisions, or confidential manuscript information.

5. Letters of Acknowledgment

The Editorial Office may provide letters of acknowledgment to reviewers upon request. Such letters may be used for academic service records, institutional reporting, promotion materials, or professional documentation.

Letters of acknowledgment may confirm that the reviewer has contributed peer review service to the journal, but they will not disclose confidential details of the manuscript or editorial process.

6. Annual Reviewer Acknowledgment

The journal may publish an annual acknowledgment of reviewers who have contributed to the peer review process during a given year.

Annual acknowledgment may include reviewer names only where this is consistent with confidentiality requirements and where reviewers have not objected to public acknowledgment.

Public acknowledgment will not identify which manuscripts a reviewer assessed, what recommendations were made, or whether specific articles were accepted or rejected.

7. Recognition and Reviewer Consent

Where reviewer names are publicly acknowledged, the journal may seek reviewer consent or provide reviewers with an opportunity to decline public listing.

Reviewers who prefer not to be publicly acknowledged may inform the Editorial Office. The journal will respect reasonable requests to remain unlisted in public acknowledgment materials.

8. Recognition Without Influence on Editorial Decisions

Reviewer recognition does not influence editorial decisions. The acceptance, rejection, revision, or publication of manuscripts is based on academic merit, relevance, originality, methodological quality, ethical compliance, reviewer reports, and editorial judgment.

Reviewer recognition must not be used to create pressure on authors, reviewers, editors, or editorial board members.

9. Quality and Integrity of Reviews

Reviewer recognition is based on completed peer review service and does not require a particular recommendation, opinion, or decision outcome.

However, the Editorial Office may decline to provide recognition where a review is incomplete, abusive, unethical, substantially negligent, generated in violation of confidentiality rules, or otherwise inconsistent with the journal’s Reviewer Guidelines and Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers.

10. Responsible Review Standards

Recognized reviewers are expected to follow the journal’s ethical and professional standards. Reviewers should provide evaluations that are:

• Confidential;
• Fair;
• Constructive;
• Timely;
• Evidence-based;
• Respectful in tone;
• Free from conflicts of interest;
• Consistent with research integrity and publication ethics.

11. Reviewer Recognition and Conflicts of Interest

Reviewer recognition does not remove the reviewer’s responsibility to disclose conflicts of interest. Reviewers must decline or disclose review assignments where financial, personal, professional, institutional, artistic, or intellectual conflicts may affect impartial judgment.

Recognition will not be granted for reviews obtained through false identity, undisclosed conflicts of interest, peer review manipulation, or other unethical conduct.

12. Reviewer Recognition and Artificial Intelligence

Reviewers must not upload unpublished manuscripts, reviewer reports, figures, images, data, supplementary files, or confidential editorial materials to artificial intelligence tools or external platforms without explicit permission from the journal.

Reviewer recognition may be withheld if a review compromises confidentiality, relies on artificial intelligence tools in place of the reviewer’s own scholarly judgment, or violates the journal’s AI and Research Integrity Policy.

13. Recognition of Early Career Reviewers

The journal welcomes responsible participation by early career researchers who have appropriate expertise and are able to provide fair, constructive, and confidential reviews.

Early career reviewers may request reviewer certificates or acknowledgment letters for academic service records, provided that the review was completed in accordance with the journal’s standards.

Where a senior scholar wishes to involve a junior colleague in a review, prior approval from the editor is required. The junior colleague must also agree to confidentiality and ethical responsibilities.

14. Recognition of Interdisciplinary Expertise

The journal values reviewers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, including dance studies, performance studies, choreography, embodied research, somatic studies, anthropology, cultural studies, philosophy, aesthetics, education, digital humanities, media studies, movement science, artistic research, and related fields.

Recognition may reflect the journal’s appreciation for reviewers who support interdisciplinary scholarship and contribute expertise across different methods, traditions, regions, and research practices.

15. Reviewer Records

The Editorial Office may maintain internal records of completed reviews for administrative, editorial, and recognition purposes.

Reviewer records may include reviewer name, contact information, area of expertise, review invitation status, review completion date, and general editorial notes. Such records are handled in accordance with confidentiality and journal operations.

16. Use of Reviewer Recognition in Academic Profiles

Reviewers may list their service to the journal in academic CVs, institutional reports, professional profiles, or annual review materials, provided that they do not disclose confidential manuscript information.

A suitable description may be:

Peer Reviewer, Journal of Dance and Embodied Structure, Year.

Reviewers should not identify manuscript titles, author names, review outcomes, or confidential editorial details unless the journal has explicitly permitted such disclosure.

17. Public Use of Certificates or Acknowledgment Letters

Reviewers may use reviewer certificates or acknowledgment letters for professional documentation. If shared publicly, such documents should not reveal confidential manuscript information.

The journal may request removal or correction of publicly shared materials if they disclose confidential peer review details or misrepresent the reviewer’s role.

18. Reviewer Misconduct and Withdrawal of Recognition

The journal reserves the right to withhold, correct, or withdraw reviewer recognition where reviewer misconduct or serious ethical concerns are identified.

Reviewer misconduct may include:

• Breach of confidentiality;
• Undisclosed conflict of interest;
• Use of unpublished manuscript materials without permission;
• Discriminatory, abusive, or inappropriate review comments;
• Coercive citation practices;
• False reviewer identity;
• Peer review manipulation;
• Unauthorized sharing of manuscripts;
• Improper use of artificial intelligence tools;
• Failure to follow journal reviewer policies.

19. Reviewer Appreciation

The journal acknowledges that peer review is often voluntary and requires significant scholarly time and care. Reviewers contribute to the quality of published research, the development of authors’ manuscripts, and the integrity of academic communication.

The Editorial Office appreciates reviewers who provide thoughtful, rigorous, timely, and constructive evaluations.

20. Relationship with Other Journal Policies

This Reviewer Recognition policy should be read together with the journal’s related policies, including:

• Reviewer Guidelines;
• Review Criteria;
• Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers;
• Peer Review Process;
• Publication Ethics;
• Conflict of Interest Policy;
• AI and Research Integrity Policy;
• Complaints and Appeals.

21. Policy Updates

The journal may update this Reviewer Recognition policy when necessary to reflect changes in editorial practice, reviewer acknowledgment procedures, confidentiality requirements, publication ethics standards, or journal operations.

Any updates will be published on this page.

22. Contact

Reviewers with questions about certificates, acknowledgment letters, annual reviewer acknowledgment, reviewer records, or recognition procedures may contact the Editorial Office through the journal’s official contact page.

23. Editorial Note

Journal of Dance and Embodied Structure recognizes peer reviewers as essential contributors to scholarly quality and publication integrity. Reviewer recognition is offered with respect for confidentiality, fairness, ethical responsibility, and the independence of the peer review process.