We recently came across an article by Dr. Stuart J. Salasche in the June, 1997 issue of Dermatologic Surgery in which he suggested eight steps reviewers should take when reviewing journal manuscripts. We’ve modified them slightly to come up with what we think are valuable guidelines that should be at the core of any review process:
- Read the material once through to gain a general familiarity with it.
- Identify the author’s main objective or hypothesis.
- Reread the material as many times as necessary to gain a full understanding of it.
- Determine if the main objective was satisfied or the hypothesis proven.
- Determine if new or valid information was provided or if older material was successfully assimilated and clarified.
- Decide whether the material should be accepted or rejected.
- Suggest ways the material could be improved.
Are these guidelines sufficient? Are they too specific? Are they just right? Let us know your thoughts.
