Writing a reviewer’s report
| Revision steps | Do’s | Don’ts |
|---|---|---|
| Accept position | Accept if within your area of expertise and no conflicts of interest | Decline because you have no time to waste |
| Timing of revision | Respect the deadline or ask for extra-time | Do not answer even to decline the invitation |
| The first sentence of the report | Summarize the paper’s main findings | Express your final judgment |
| The second sentence of the report | Overall strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript | Opinion without arguments |
| Third sentence | Major comments, specifying mandatory and optional suggestions | Confrontational/Inflammatory/Personal comments |
| Forth sentence | Minor comments (specifying page and line of the manuscript under review) | Flag on typos or spelling mistakes |
| Confidential comment to the editor | Clear and concise. Raise potential contentious or sensitive issues when needed: plagiarism, conflict of interest, and so on | Destructive and personal |
| Key factors for setting priority for publication | Originality; methodology, presentation | Your friend, fellow, companion in the grant proposal, member of your academic family, economic shared interests, a high number of your references |
