Editorial Management System - Reviewer Tutorial

Table of Contents - Download this document as PDF

1.0 Software Requirements

As a Reviewer using the Editorial Management System, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader (a PDF reader) installed on your system. If you need to install this software, you can download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader at the following address:

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

In the event that you experience difficulty installing or utilizing this software, you should contact your information technology department for assistance. Adobe also offers a help database for their free Reader at this address:

http://www.adobe.com/support/products/acrreader.html

2.0 New Review Invitations

If you are selected as a Reviewer for a manuscript, you will receive an email inviting you to review the manuscript. You must indicate whether you choose to accept or decline the invitation. You may indicate your intention by following the link provided in the email or by logging onto the editorial management system. From the “Reviewer Main Menu,” click “New Reviewer Invitations” to display a list of current invitations.

You will already have received the text of the abstract in the initial e-mail inviting you to review the manuscript. You may view the abstract, agree to perform the review, or decline the invitation.

By clicking “Agree to Review,” you will move the submission out of your “New Reviewer Invitations” folder and into your “Pending Assignments,” where you can begin the review process.

Clicking “Decline to Review” will alert the journal office that you will not be reviewing the paper.

3.0 Submitting Your Review

Once you have agreed to review the manuscript, you may view the submission by clicking on “Pending Assignments” on the “Reviewer Main Menu” (see below).

You may download the PDF to your desktop by clicking on “View Submission.” To print out a copy of the manuscript from the PDF file, select the “File” menu in the upper left corner of the Acrobat window and select “Print.”

When you are ready to submit your recommendation and comments to the author(s), click “Submit Recommendation.” The “Reviewer Recommendation and Comments” screen will be displayed (see below).

By using the pull-down menu at the top of the form, you should select your overall recommendation (Accept, Decline or Revise).

Enter your manuscript evaluation. The evaluation is on a scale of 1 – 5 as follows:

1.  Poor
2.  Below average paper/not worthy of an award
3. Average paper; possibly, but not likely, of award caliber
4.  Above average/possible award quality
5.  Exceptional/award quality

Enter your review comments to the author and editor in the fields provided. Comments entered in the upper box will be seen by the author. Comments entered in the lower box are confidential and will only be seen by the editor.

For your convenience, and to take advantage of word processing features (e.g., spell-check, bullets, numbering) we suggest you use your regular word processing program (e.g., Microsoft Word, WordPerfect) when typing your review. You should then copy and paste your comments into the boxes provided. Click the “Save & Submit Later” button to save your comments and continue working. Clicking the “Open in New Window” button at the top right of the data entry fields will open the field in a new browser window, which will make it easier for viewing and printing.

Clicking “Proof and Print” will open a window containing all of the review information you have provided, which you may print for your records.

Click “Submit Now” to proceed. This will display a summary screen that shows the body of your review for you to proofread before sending it to the journal office. If you need to make further edits, click “Edit Review.” Once satisfied, click “Submit Review to Journal Office.”

4.0 Marked Manuscripts

To facilitate the automation of the review process, when completing the review you must provide all author and editor comments in the boxes provided. Marked manuscripts are no longer accepted by this journal.

5.0 Attachments

When viewing the PDF document you will see links to the originally submitted files.Clicking on these links will allow you to download the submission items (source files). Downloading these files does not affect the PDF, nor does it add or edit files on the actual submission.