The Review Process

1
The Review Process

• Elaine Romanelli
• OMT/ODC/MOC Doctoral Student Consortium

2
The Basic Process

• Manuscript Arrives and is Assigned to an Editor
• Review/No Review Decision
• Reviewer Assignment Processes
• editor reads the manuscript
• selects reviewers selected based on relevant
  theoretical and methodological expertise
• Decision Process
• reviewers recommend disposition and supply
  comments for the authors
• editor decides and writes letter
• Expect 120 days for each review process.

3
The Review/No Review Decision

• Editors are looking to include, not exclude.
• Read the journals Notice to Contributors.
• Read several (at least!) recent issues of the
  journal to understand how the notice has been
  translated by successful authors.
• Write and re-write your paper to conform.

4
Reviewer Assignment Process

• What does the editor need?
• knowledgeable reviewers
• competent and responsible reviewers
• available reviewers
• the good will of knowledgeable, competent, and
  responsible reviewers

5
Reviewer Assignment Process

• What does the editor do?
• favors board members over non-board members.
• considers non-board reviewers on the basis of
  expertise in the topic or method as well as
  familiarity with the journals style.
• applies private knowledge about competent and
  responsible reviewers.

6
Reviewer Assignment Process

• What Authors Can Do
• Know Your Journal
• Who on the editorial board is doing work on your
  topic?
• Who else is doing work on your topic? Have they
  published in the journal?
• Make sure that these authors are appropriately
  cited in your manuscript.
• Suggest reviewers and even the handling editor.
• Dont play games with acknowledgements.

7
Decision Process

• Editor re-reads the paper and forms a preliminary
  independent opinion.
• Editor reads the reviewers comments and
  recommendations and evaluates them.
• Editor makes a decision and writes the letter.
• Editors will rarely overrule consistent
  recommendations from reviewers.

8
DecisionRejection

• Reject
• take heed of the criticisms, revise, and submit
  to another journal
• revise (completely overhaul) and request a new
  review process
• Reject and Resubmit (very rare)
• the editor, who knows who the authors are, thinks
  that a very major revision might result in a more
  successful outcome
• when you resubmit, be clear that its a
  resubmission
• the manuscript will go to different reviewers

9
DecisionRevision

• The Editors Job
• What are the reviewers major criticisms and
  suggestions that need attention?
• How should the authors handle reviewer
  disagreements or overtly negative reactions of
  one of the reviewers?
• How likely is success?

10
DecisionRevision

• The Authors Job
• Take some time to digest what youve been told
  and to let your emotions settle.
• Decide whether you can address the criticisms.
• Address the criticisms and suggestions in the
  body of the paper.
• Write a response to the editor and to the
  reviewers.

11
DecisionProvisional Acceptance

• Do what the editor says.

12
Final Advice

• Write your paper well and in the style preferred
  by the journal.
• Get comments from colleaguespreferably ones who
  are familiar with the journalbefore you submit
  the manuscript.
• Be respectful in all your dealings with editors
  and reviewers.