Grant, conference proposal, article, chapter, or book reviewer
Responsibilities of a reviewer
A reviewer has an ethical, moral and professional responsibility to complete a fair, equitable and constructive review of any material. It is also the responsibility of the reviewer to ensure that the author receives an impartial review that is kept confidential, and they are given credit for novel, meaningful, and truthful contributions to the field. By providing constructive feedback, an author has the opportunity to improve their work to increase the likelihood it will be published at some point in the future. It may be necessary to do some detective work to be certain that the submitted material is unique, free of plagiarism, and contributes to the larger dialogue in the field. New faculty members will begin receiving requests to review materials and therefore need to develop the necessary skills to be an effective reviewer.
Skills of an effective reviewer
A good critical eye, an analytical frame of mind, familiarity with the subject and recent work in the field, and a willingness to provide constructive criticism are key skills necessary to produce a high caliber review. These are skills that are developed over time by engaging in the review process, reading other reviews, and delving into research on the topic in order to place a new piece within the larger context.
Format of an effective review
A critical review may be short, in the case of an article perhaps one page, or long, in the case of a book, perhaps four pages, but typically has the same basic elements. An introduction may be a paragraph to two or three, and includes the aim of the text, and main findings or arguments, ending with an evaluation of the text that may be positive, negative or mixed. The summary of key points, which should be no more than a third of the review, provides the reader of the review with a few examples to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the material being reviewed. The critique should balance discussion and evaluation of notable features, problems with the text, and strengths, and would be stronger if it includes references or other support for comments made.
Issues with review
Some specific issues of integrity, equity, careful scrutiny, and commitment to accuracy are evident as topics under ongoing discussion in the realm of the peer review process. The advent of electronic publication, and the notion of open access has added new dimensions to the conversation, and has led to a number of conversations about the direction of peer review going forward. Multiple perspectives on all of the issues related to peer review create a lively environment for new faculty members to delve into the dialogue and weigh in on what the future of peer review might look like.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities of Editors and Reviewers
Online Ethics Center (OEC) for Engineering and Research
This website outlines the responsibilities of editors and reviewers, followed by a number of modules, cases and scenarios involving the ethical issues that face reviewers and editors. It addresses: problem of similar manuscripts, weighing contributions of authors, plagiarism, etc.
Guidelines for Different Types of Materials
Peer Review
National Postdoctoral Association
Since postdoctoral students begin to receive invitations to review, it is important for them to begin developing those skills. This site offers a number of links to peer review for novices, and offers tips for being an effective reviewer.
Rights and Responsibilities of a Reviewer
Responsible Conduct of Research, The Graduate School, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Scroll down a short way on this site to see the rights and responsibilities of a reviewer section, which outlines expectations, conflicts of interest that may arise, and what to do in case of a conflict of interest.
How to Write a Book Review
Library, Los Angeles Valley College
This site outlines the various parts of a book review and how to go about completing one.
Writing the Academic Book Review
Belcher, W.
This site offers very specific suggestions for writing a successful book review, and suggests that doing so is a good way to improve writing skills, develop analytical skills, learn how the journal publishing process works, and to get to know editors. It may also be a quick route to publication.
Critical Reviews
The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin Madison
This site outlines how to write a review of a non-fiction book or article, with specific suggestions for each section.
Reviewing Conference Papers
Bernstein, M. (2008). Eastgate Systems, Inc.
This is a paper about how to review conference proposals, how it differs from book and film reviews, and from grading papers, and covers obligations of the reviewer.
How to Review a Technical Paper
Meier, A. (1992). Berkeley Lab, UC Berkeley
This technical note outlines a process for reviewing journal articles and other technical reports. It emphasizes skills for completing a constructive review, and outlines common defects in technical papers.
12 Tips on How to Review Journal Articles
Shane (April 25, 2007). A post doctoral researcher in Psychology, blog post
This post outlines critical skills not always taught in graduate school, from the perspective of a recent doctoral recipient.
Writing a Critical Review
The Learning Center, Academic Skills Resources, University of New South Wales, Australia
This site offers graduate students some pointers on writing a critical review.
Tips for Reviewing Conference Papers
M. Bieber, NJIT
How to review conference papers.
Peer Review Process
Author Services, Taylor & Francis
This site addresses many elements of peer review for authors and reviewers.
How to Review
Bieber, M., New Jersey Institute of Technology
This is a guide for refereeing conference and journal articles, with the philosophy that the review process benefits the author as much as the editor.
Example Book Reviews
Education Review: A Multi-Lingual Journal of Book Reviews
A publication of the Scholarly Communications Unit of the Center for Educational Research for Global Sustainability, Mary Lou Fulton Institute and Graduate School of Education, Arizona State University
This is a site that publishes reviews of recent books in education, covering the entire range of education scholarship and practice.
Issues in Peer Review of Academic Publications
The Future of Scholarly Communication
Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley
This site describes the work of this center, dedicated to studying systems, institutions, and processes of higher education. One of the projects involves the future landscape of scholarly publication.
Peer Review in Academic Promotion and Publishing: Its Meaning, Locus, and Future
Harley, D., Krzys Acord, S., & Earl-Novel, S. (April, 2010). Four working papers.
This site offers drafts of four working papers presented at two meetings hosted by the Center for Studies in Higher Education as part of the Future of Scholarly Communication Project.
Peer Review is Vanity Publishing
Burton, G. (2009). Academic Evolution Blog, with hopes of turning it into a book
This individual attempts to examine peer review using the review process.
Challenges in Systematic Reviews of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Topics
Shekelle, P., Morton, S., Suttorp, M., Buscemi, N. & Friesen, C. (2005). Annals of Internal Medicine, Vol. 142, No. 12, Part 2, P. 1042-1047.
This article describes the particular challenges of systematic peer review of topics in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including identifying evidence about CAM, assessing the quality of individual studies, and addressing rare serious adverse events.
Open Access: Promises and Challenges of Scholarship in the Digital Age
Chan, L., Program Supervisor, Joint Program in New Media Studies and International Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, Academic Matters, Journal of Higher Education.
This article explores some of the access issues, beginning with questions for authors of articles who wonder about the discrepancy in access for various publications. The common link across the questions is the issue of open access, free online access to scholarly publications, particularly those that are the result of public funding.
Assessing the Future of Peer Review
Townsend, R. (June 7, 2010). Blog post, American Historical Association.
This post is a reflection on a recent discussion at The Humanities and Technology Camp concerning the future of peer review in the humanities, and whether it can or should continue in its current form.
