I’ve been asked to Review a Paper, a Proposal, an Article…
Oh My!
Jenna Carpenter
OWISE Graduate Seminar
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech University
• It improves your communication skills.
• You learn … about new research, techniques, topic areas, approaches...
• It enhances your professional stature.
• It builds your professional network.
• It allows you to give back to the larger community.
• It is an expected part of your professional service.
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech University
Why should I be a Reviewer?
Journal/Conference Paper:
– Check the correctness of the paper.
– It is NOT primarily to find language errors.
– It is NOT primarily to rewrite the paper.
Grant Proposal: Judge the…
– degree of alignment with program goals
– novelty of the idea/approach
– soundness of the theoretical basis
– likelihood of success
– overall usefulness to the academic community
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech University
What is the Reviewer’s Job?
• The Editor selects potential reviewers* with expertise in the topic area.
* Previous reviewers, recent authors, reviewers for other journals/conferences, people suggested by the author, associate editors, other experts
• The Editor contacts the potential reviewer to inquire about:
– interest in reviewing
– level of expertise
– availability in the allotted time frame, and
– any conflicts of interest with the author.
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech University
What is the Process for a Journal Review?
• The Editor sends the reviewer items such as:
– a copy/link to the paper
– the review criteria for the journal
– formatting requirements
– an explanation of the process of and format for submitting the review
– the review options, and
– the time frame for receipt of the completed review
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech University
If the Reviewer says yes…
• The process for grant proposals can vary.
• Some agencies actively solicit new reviewers.
• You may be able to contact the grants officer and volunteer to serve as a reviewer.
• Some grant reviews take place remotely (mail or electronic review).
• Some grant reviews require that you travel (at the agency’s expense) to conduct the review as part of a group (panel review).
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech
University
What if I am Interested in Reviewing Grants?
• You may be expected to participate in some pre-training and/or pre-reviewing exercises.
• These are designed to:
– educate reviewers about the review process/criteria
– address questions about interpretation of criteria, and
– minimize discrepancies in quality/philosophy of reviews and review bias.
• These usually must be completed before the actual review process begins.
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech University
What if I am asked to review a Proposal?
• You will be sent proposals/given electronic access to proposals.
• You will be required to read/review multiple proposals.
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech University
How Does a Mail Review Work?
• Each proposal is reviewed by multiple reviewers.
• Reviews may be discussed by the entire panel, with one person as the lead reviewer.
• Discrepancies in reviews must be resolved.
• Reviewers may recommend (or not) proposals for funding.
• The grants officer makes final decisions and may factor in other considerations (diversity, goals).
• The process is mentally and physically intensive.
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech University
What Happens during a Panel Review?
• You may be asked to indicate how many papers you can review.
• Reviews are usually conducted electronically.
• You may also review abstracts or re-review papers if you suggest significant revisions.
• You may only have a few weeks to conduct the review, with a firm deadline.
• Criteria may/may not be specified, the rigor/expected level of quality can vary widely.
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech University
What about Reviewing a Conference Paper?
• Grammatical, typographical correctness
• Adherence to specified format
• Level of interest to audience
• Novelty & originality of idea/approach/project
• Significance of results
• Organization of paper/research
• Rationale for approach
• Basis in current literature/literature review
• Sound assessment
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech
University
What are some General Review Criteria?
While these may vary, most paper reviews follow the following format:
– Accept
– Accept with Minor Revisions
– Accept with Major Revisions *
– Resubmit Revised Paper *
– Reject
* Usually requires re-review by reviewer
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech University
What are the Rating Choices?
While it depends on the agency, the NSF uses a 5-point scale:
– Excellent
– Very Good
– Good
– Fair
– Poor
Only proposals with mostly excellent and some very good ratings are likely to be funded.
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech University
What are the Rating Choices for Grants?
• Remember there is a person(s) behind this paper or proposal.
• Start by stating what you like about the paper or proposal, what was done well.
• Address what not done well with positive, constructive feedback (This paper/proposal could be strengthened by…..).
• Provide possible suggestions, new approaches, helpful references, a list of errata.
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech University
Do’s …
…
• Wait until the last minute or do a sloppy job.
• Be vague or non-objective in your review.
• Pay lots of attention to small, technical faults & little to overall quality or substance.
• Discuss or circulate a paper/proposal confidentially sent to you for review.
• Made rude/unkind comments in the review about the author(s), their abilities or institution.
• Demean the work of others.
OWISE Office - COES - Louisiana Tech University
… and Don’ts of Reviews