Reviewing #2a--More on writing a good review


In Reviewing #2, I provided a general overview of what makes a good review.  Here I add some details.

It is not necessary to recap the paper.  Many reviewers craft a careful summary of the paper.  The authors and editors know what the paper says, so don't waste time doing this.  On the other hand, a recap can be revealing if you aren't sure what the paper is really about.  In that case, saying something like, "It was difficult to understand the precise point(s) the authors were trying to make.  The paper appears to emphasize (or be about, or report on, or whatever phrase you want to use)....."  If your recap is not what the authors intended, that's a pretty good message for the authors to get.

Your review does not have to be long.  I have gotten reviews that are extremely lengthy and detailed, and I love the reviewers who write them, but I also feel great sympathy for the time they spent doing the reviews.  I even had a reviewer who rewrote the entire Discussion section for the authors!  Really, you just need to address the main strengths and weaknesses.  

Provide both a summary review of the paper and line-by-line comments, including the line numbers.  I mentioned in Reviewing #2 that I keep a Word file open as I go along and make comments as I read.    I note the line numbers.  This not only means half the review is written by the time I get done, but the individual comments often provide the basis for the summary review.

Most journals have a checklist of things to look out for, such as, does the title match the paper, does the abstract match the paper, are the references sufficient, and so on.  If the answers are "yes", you needn't elaborate.  If the answers are "no", please do elaborate.

On the other hand...the journal I edit for has three criteria--innovativeness, provocativeness, and of  broad interest.  Although the journal provides a checklist, it is really helpful when the reviewers elaborate on these questions, regardless of whether the answers are "yes" or "no".

This leads into the conclusion of this topic:  Most reviewers are conscious of the fact that they are writing for the author(s).  But many seem to forget that their first audience is the editor.  This is another reason being straightforward about the criticism (see Reviewing #2) is so important.

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