For Reviewers

Dear Reviewers,

In order to assist you in preparing your review of the manuscript assigned to you, we have outlined some guidelines below:

• Read the manuscript in its entirety

It is important to read the manuscript through to make sure you are a good fit to assess the research. Also, the first read through is significant because this is when you develop your first impression of the article.

• Re-read the manuscript and take notes

After the initial read-through, return to the manuscript for a deeper analysis, rating each aspect on a scale of 1 to 5 based on the following questions:

1. Is this research appropriate for the journal?
2. Is this research important to the field?
3. Does the introduction clearly explain motivation?
4. Is the manuscript clear and balanced?
5. Is the author a source of new information?
6. Are the ideas and methods presented worthwhile, new, or creative?
7. Does the paper evaluate the strengths and limitations of the work described?
8. Are the tables and figures clear, relevant, and correct?

• Write a clear and constructive review

Comments are mandatory for a peer review. The best way to structure your review is to:

1. Open your review with the most important comments—a summarization of the research and your impression of the research.
2. Make sure to include feedback on the strengths, as well as the weaknesses, of the manuscript. Examples and explanations of those should consume most of the review. Provide details of what the authors need to do to improve the paper. Point out both minor and major flaws and offer solutions.
3. End the review with any additional remarks or suggestions.

• Make a recommendation

The last step for a peer reviewer is making a recommendation of either accept, reject, revise, or transfer. Be sure that your recommendation reflects your review. A recommendation of acceptance upon first review is rare and only to be used if there is no room for improvement.