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On Being a Reviewer
The Review Process
At The CEA Critic, we know that asking our colleagues to review an essay is a BIG ask. As such, we try to make the process as painless as possible. At the same time, while your review helps us make smart choices, any feedback you can offer helps authors improve their work.
How it Works
The review process begins with a request. Whenever possible, we will send an abstract with the request to help you decide whether you feel able and/or comfortable doing the review. We ask that you try to respond to invitations promptly.
Our “structure” for review is informal. We do have some broad criteria for consideration on our review sheet. However, mostly we are looking to you for an assessment of the content of the submissionn. We are less concerned with the overall quality of the writing. Prior to sending any essay out for review, the editors vet the work for readability.
The Reading
If you’ve received the article abstract, you should have an idea of the aims, key points, and conclusions of the manuscript. As you read through the essay please keep in mind the following:
- What is the main question addressed in the piece? Is it relevant and interesting?
- How original is the topic? What does it add to the subject area compared with other published material?
- Is the argument clear and easy to follow?
- Is there sufficient and convincing evidence? Is any of the evidence contradictory?
- Are the conclusions consistent with the evidence and arguments presented? Do they address the main question posed?
- If the author is disagreeing significantly with the current academic consensus, do they have a substantial case? If not, what would be required to make their case credible?
- If the paper includes images, tables, or figures, what do they add to the paper? Do they aid understanding or are they superfluous?
Comments Optional But Appreciated
At The CEA Critic, we do not require extensive written comments on papers that we decline to publish. However, any notes you can offer to the author in terms of the areas for consideration listed above are always helpful. Authors appreciate it when reviewers who find a problem offer suggestions for addressing that problem in terms of other texts or arguments (which is why content expertise is key!) And, because we want to encourage our colleagues, offering praise for what is successful or even potentially successful is welcome.
If you do have time to offer comments to the reader (and the editors) you might consider addressing some of the points below. Although you will have the manuscript, we prefer you make any comments on the review sheet or on a separate sheet.
- Is there a clear question at issue? Is that question interesting? Does it contribute something new/different to the conversation?
- Does the introduction establish the originality or value argument and place it in the context of recent scholarship? Does the author suggest gaps in current understanding or conflicts in current knowledge?
- Does the argument in support of the question—that is, the claims—unfold in a logically organized and easy-to-follow fashion? Are there places where the argument is unclear or invalid?
- Are paragraphs developed around topic sentences and evidence that supports both the particular claim and the overall argument?
- Is the evidence well and clearly explained?
- Are there any factual errors?
- Does the essay rely too much on dated sources? (Where older research is seminal then it can be appropriate.)
As noted above, your primary role is judging the essay’s content. Before we send the essay our for review, we will vet the work for readability and coherence in style and presentation. Errors at the sentence level (grammar, syntax, spelling, etc.) will be addressed during the editorial process.
Timing is Everything
When we acknowledge receipt of an essay from an author, we explain that the review process can take from 3-6 months. Although we allow for plenty of time, it is our hope that reviewers can respond with their comments withing 4-6 weeks.
If you would like to add your name to our list of reviewers please reach out to us at and/or complete this form: https://forms.gle/s87cx16s7KktRNPAA
