Reviewer Guideline

Reviewer Guideline

The Responsibility of the Peer Reviewer

The peer reviewer is responsible for critically reading and evaluating an article in their specialty field, and then providing respectful, constructive, and honest feedback to authors about their submission. It is appropriate for the peer reviewer to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the article, ways to improve the strength and quality of the work and evaluate the relevance and originality of the article.

Before Reviewing

Please consider the following:

  • Does the article you are being asked to review match your expertise?
    If you receive an article that covers a topic that does not sufficiently match your area of expertise, please notify the editor as soon as possible. Please feel free to recommend an alternate reviewer.
  • Do you have time to review the paper? Finished reviews of an article should be completed within two weeks. If you do not think you can complete the review within this time frame, please let the editor know and if possible, suggest an alternate reviewer. If you have agreed to review a paper but will no longer be able to finish the work before the deadline, please contact the editor as soon as possible.
  • Are there any potential conflicts of interest? While conflicts of interest will not disqualify you from reviewing the article, it is important to disclose all conflicts of interest to the editor before reviewing. If you have any questions about potential conflicts of interest, please do not hesitate to contact the editor.

The Review

IBR has completed the assignment with a review form that includes an assessment of the title, abstract, content, and references used. The review can be done on the form or directly in the article file. The reviewer could provide additional comments and any reference documents to improve the article if necessary.

When reviewing the article, please keep the following in mind:

  • Content Quality and Originality

Is the article sufficiently novel and interesting to warrant publication? Does it add to the canon of knowledge? Does the article adhere to IBR's standards? Is the research question an important one? In order to determine its originality and appropriateness for the journal, it might be helpful to think of the research in terms of what percentile it is in. Is it in the top 25% of papers in this field? You might wish to do a quick literature search using tools such as Scopus to see if there are any reviews of the area. If the research has been covered previously, pass on references to those works to the editor.

  • Clarity and Organizations

Title: Does it clearly describe the article?

Abstract: Does it reflect the content of the article?

Introduction: Does it accurately describe what the author hoped to achieve and clearly state the problem being investigated? Normally, the introduction should summarize relevant research to provide context and explain what other authors' findings are being challenged or extended. It should describe the experiment, the hypothesis(es), and the general experimental design or method.

Method: Does the author accurately explain how the data was collected? Is the design suitable for answering the question posed? Is there sufficient information present for you to replicate the research? Does the article identify the procedures followed? Are these ordered in a meaningful way? If the methods are new, are they explained in detail? Was the sampling appropriate? Have the equipment and materials been adequately described? Does the article make it clear what type of data was recorded; has the author been precise in describing measurements?

Results: This is where the author/s should explain in words what he/she discovered in the research. It should be clearly laid out and in a logical sequence. You will need to consider if the appropriate analysis has been conducted. Are the statistics correct? If you are uncomfortable with statistics, please advise the editor when you submit your report. Interpretation of results should not be included in this section.

Conclusion/Discussion: Are the claims in this section supported by the results, do they seem reasonable? Have the authors indicated how the results relate to expectations and to earlier research? Does the article support or contradict previous theories? Does the conclusion explain how the research has moved the body of scientific knowledge forward?

Instructions on how to review in OJS can be seen in the link https://openjournalsystems.com/ojs-3-user-guide/reviewing-process/