ABSTRACT
One of the Committee on Publication Ethics’ (COPE) rules for a referee immediately kicks in, namely that upon accepting an invitation to referee, one need to explain to the editor what portion of the submitted article one is professionally qualified to comment on. The COPE rules are an excellent guide to pretty much all the issues that may arise, and one should adopt them as his skills base of how to approach the task properly. COPE is a forum for editors and publishers of peer-reviewed journals to discuss all aspects of publication ethics. It also advises editors on how to handle cases of research and publication misconduct. While the president of the United States has not personally taken an interest in the importance of the role of a referee for a journal, the role of the referee for grant proposals is a very important role.
