Role of the referee

Referees play a key role in maintaining the quality of the Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (CJEF).

The purpose of the report is to assess whether the manuscript makes a clear and credible contribution and meets the journal’s standards in terms of rigor, clarity, and relevance. Referees are also encouraged to provide constructive feedback to the authors.

Referees are asked to focus on the following:

• Contribution: Is the paper original and relevant to the literature?
• Methodology: Are the methods appropriate and correctly applied?
• Evidence: Are the conclusions supported by the results?
• Clarity: Is the paper well-structured and clearly written?
• Replication: Is the analysis sufficiently transparent?

A referee’s report should consist of two parts:

• a cover message to the editor with a concise assessment of the manuscript and a clear recommendation;
• separate, unsigned comments addressed to the author(s).

Please provide one of the following recommendations:

• accept (with minor revisions forwarded to the authors);
• revise and resubmit (please be specific about what is required);
• reject.

The recommendation should be supported by a clear explanation.

Referees are typically asked to submit their report within 3-4 weeks. If you are unable to meet the deadline, please inform the editor.

Confidentiality and conflicts of interest

Manuscripts under review are confidential and should not be shared or used for personal research. If you have a conflict of interest, please inform the editor and decline the review.

Use of generative AI

Referees are advised to exercise strong caution when using generative AI or AI-assisted tools in the evaluation of manuscripts.

Manuscripts under review are confidential and must not be uploaded to external AI systems or shared with any third party. Referee reports should reflect the reviewer’s own independent assessment.

Ethical concerns

If a referee identifies possible research misconduct, this should be raised confidentially with the handling editor.