Writing the Review

This section provides guidance on how to structure your review, provide constructive feedback, and make recommendations to the editor regarding the manuscript's suitability for publication.

Review Structure

A well-structured review typically includes:

• Summary: Brief overview of the manuscript and your overall impression
• Major comments: Significant issues that affect the validity or interpretation of the research
• Minor comments: Specific suggestions for improving clarity, formatting, or presentation
• Confidential comments to editor: Any concerns not appropriate to share with authors
• Recommendation: Your overall recommendation to the editor

Providing Constructive Feedback

Effective feedback should be:

• Specific: Reference specific sections, pages, or lines
• Constructive: Suggest improvements rather than just identifying problems
• Objective: Focus on the work, not the authors
• Balanced: Acknowledge strengths as well as weaknesses
• Professional: Use respectful, professional language

Recommendation Options

Reviewers typically can recommend:

• Accept: Manuscript is suitable for publication with minor corrections
• Minor revisions: Accept after addressing specific minor concerns
• Major revisions: Requires substantial changes and re-review
• Reject: Manuscript is not suitable for publication

Provide a clear rationale for your recommendation based on your evaluation.

Review Examples

Effective comment: "The methodology section would benefit from more detail about the sampling procedure. Specifically, please describe how participants were recruited and what inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied."

Ineffective comment: "The methods are unclear."