Our Ethical Standards
Built on COPE, GDPR, and ICMJE Principles
Accreditations & Compliance Framework
Ethics Is Not a Feature — It Is Our Foundation
MeritPeer operates in the intersection of academic publishing and researcher trust. Our ethical framework is built on the same principles that govern the world's most respected journals and publishing bodies.
COPE-Aligned Practices
MeritPeer operates in full alignment with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines for pre-publication advisory services. We do not ghostwrite, fabricate data, or engage in any form of academic misconduct.
GDPR Compliant
We are fully compliant with UK and EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). All personal data is processed lawfully, transparently, and with purpose limitation. Data subjects have full rights of access, rectification, and erasure.
ICMJE Consistent
Our service model is consistent with International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines on the use of professional writing and editing assistance, which explicitly permits advisory peer review services.
ISO 27001 Principles
Our data handling and security practices align with ISO 27001 information security principles: encryption, access control, incident response, and documented data retention policies.
NDA Protocol
Every reviewer signs a per-manuscript non-disclosure agreement — legally binding, with financial and professional liability clauses. No blanket agreements. Every NDA is manuscript-specific.
WCAG 2.1 Accessibility
Our website is built to WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards: semantic HTML, keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, colour contrast compliance, and skip navigation links.
What MeritPeer Is — and Is Not
Pre-submission peer review is a legitimate, ethical, and widely practised form of academic support. It is no different in principle from a supervisor reading a student's manuscript, a colleague providing feedback, or a statistician checking an analysis.
What MeritPeer does: reviews, advises, identifies weaknesses, and suggests improvements.
What MeritPeer never does: ghostwrite, fabricate, falsify, or misrepresent research.
Questions About Our Ethics?
Contact our team — we respond to every ethics or compliance inquiry within 24 hours.
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