Reviewer has access to manuscript after declining review request

Hello,

it seems that we may have discovered a rather serious bug in OJS 3.0.2 review workflow:

We have a review workflow set to “Reviewers will have access to the submission file only after agreeing to review it”.

However, after declining the review request, reviewer gains access to article files and the backend looks as if he accepted the review request (file access, review form active, etc.). At the same moment, editor receives his decline (is informed that the reviewer declined the request).

As far as we’re aware - after declining the request, reviewer shouldn’t see files for review.

wow, true :smiley:

This https://github.com/pkp/pkp-lib/blob/master/templates/reviewer/review/step1.tpl#L81-L85
Needs to change to this:

	{if $reviewAssignment->getDateConfirmed() && !$reviewAssignment->getDeclined()}
		{fbvFormButtons hideCancel=true submitText="common.saveAndContinue" submitDisabled=$reviewIsComplete}
	{elseif !$reviewAssignment->getDateConfirmed()}
		{fbvFormButtons submitText="reviewer.submission.acceptReview" cancelText="reviewer.submission.declineReview" cancelAction=$declineReviewAction submitDisabled=$reviewIsComplete}
	{/if}

But a good question is, that do the declined review requests even exist in the archive listing visible for the reviewer?

Added: pkp/pkp-lib#2481 Fix step1 buttons for declined reviews by ajnyga · Pull Request #2478 · pkp/pkp-lib · GitHub

We have a training with journal crew undergoing right now so I can’t modify files but after it’s finished I’ll check if your mod fixes the issue completely and will get back with more info.

you just need to clear ojs cache as well. I did a little testing with a local server and seemed to work for me. PKP will check the pull request when they get the chance.

Hi @szmigieldesign,

I’ve filed this for attention over at Reviewer has access to manuscript after declining review request · Issue #2481 · pkp/pkp-lib · GitHub – watch for a PR over there.

@ajnyga, thanks for jumping onto this. Your PR is partially effective, but doesn’t prevent back-end access to the review – it just stops it from being prevented on the front end. I’ll pull your commit into a larger PR that should remove the back-end access points as well.

Thanks, both, for your efforts on this!

Regards,
Alec Smecher
Public Knowledge Project Team

Hi all,

@ajnyga and @szmigieldesign, FYI, I’ve just posted pull requests over at Reviewer has access to manuscript after declining review request · Issue #2481 · pkp/pkp-lib · GitHub that should resolve the issue. If you’ve got the chance, please give these a crack and see if they resolve it for you.

Thanks,
Alec Smecher
Public Knowledge Project Team

I wrote also on githud about it:

Sorry, we have just upgraded to 3.1.1.4, and while testing, I have found the above problem still existing:

Reviewers declining a review see the submission in their list, and it is nowhere indicated that they have declined it.

What should we do?

Thanks in advance!

1 Like