Communicating Your Report to the Editor

Once you have completed your evaluation of the article the next step is to write up your report. As a courtesy, let the Editor know if it looks like you might miss your deadline. Some journals may request that you complete a form, checking various aspects of the paper, others will request an overview of your remarks. Either way, it is helpful to provide a quick summary of the article at the beginning of your report. This serves the dual purpose of reminding the Editor of the details of the report and also reassuring the Author(s) and Editor that you have understood the article. The report should contain the key elements of your review, addressing the points outlined in the preceding section. Commentary should be courteous and constructive, and should not include any personal remarks or personal details including your name. Providing insight into any deficiencies is important. You should explain and support your judgment so that both the Editor and Author(s) are able to fully understand the reasoning behind your comments. You should indicate whether your comments are your own opinion or are reflected by the data.

When you make a recommendation regarding an article, it is worth considering the categories the Editor most likely uses for classifying the article.

a)  Reject (explain the reason in the report)
b) Accept (without revision)
c) Revise (either major or minor)
d) Resubmit after Major Revision