This page offers suggestions for reviewing a paper in your field critically and constructively.
Adhere to all ethical guidelines, and keep the paper confidential: don’t share its contents with others or upload it to AI tools (see Using AI).
- Read the journal’s review policies, confirm you have no conflict of interest, and accept only if you have the expertise and time to do it justice.
- Read the paper in full.
- Write a 2–3 sentence summary of the paper’s main goals and findings.
- Set it aside for a few days, then re-read with fresh eyes, noting key issues as you go. ⏳
- Sort the issues into three categories:
- Major issues: things that must be fixed before publication (errors, significant oversights).
- Minor items: things the authors can fix easily, or that aren’t critical but would improve the work.
- Specific line items: typos, confusing language, or sentences that contribute to a major/minor issue.
- Re-read your review and verify the language is supportive, assumes nothing about the authors, and aims to improve the science (our norms for giving and receiving feedback apply to reviews too).
- Give the editor a clear recommendation, keeping any confidential notes to them separate from your comments to the authors.
Resources
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