How to read a manuscript as a peer reviewer
How to read a manuscript as a peer reviewer
Reviewer Resources > Competing interests and ethics for reviewers > How to read a manuscript as a peer reviewer
What should you focus on when reviewing a manuscript? This guide outlines how to critically assess a paper and identify key points to include in a constructive review.
Your role as a reviewer
You have two main jobs as a reviewer:
Determine whether the authors’ claims are supported
Help the journal editors make their decision
Editors base their decisions on the journal’s publication criteria, so review these before you begin.
Editors may not be specialists in the manuscript’s field—they rely on your subject expertise to assess the science. Your role is to evaluate the research, not to copy edit the text.
Getting started
Begin by identifying the authors’ central claim. To guide your assessment, consider asking yourself questions such as:
- What is the study about? What is the main research question?
- What is the approach? What did the authors do to address their research question?
- What is the context? How does the study relate to published literature on this topic?
- What are the conclusions? What are the authors’ main findings and what evidence do they provide for these conclusions?
We recommend reviewing the manuscript in the following order:
Tips for specific sections
Use this section-by-section guide to evaluate the manuscript thoroughly.
As you read, consider taking notes on what each section includes, and identify both its strengths and areas for improvement.
Abstract and introduction
The introduction sets the stage. The authors should explain why the study matters and put the research in context.
- Do the authors summarize the main research question and key findings?
- Do the authors identify other literature on the topic and explain how the study relates to this previously published research?
Figures and tables
Make sure the manuscript text supports the data shown in the figures and tables. Do not rely on them without verifying how they are interpreted in the text.
Are the figures and tables clear and readable? (Keep in mind that depending on the submission system you are working in, you might have to click a link to view the high-resolution versions of the authors’ figures).
- Are the figure and table captions complete and accurate?
- Are the axes labeled correctly?
- Is the presentation appropriate for the type of data being presented?
- Do the figures and tables support the findings?
- Are they referenced clearly and correctly in the main text?
Methods
When you assess the methods used in the study, you are looking to determine whether the research is technically sound. Some questions you might consider, depending on the type of study, include:
- What experiments or interventions were used?
- Are the experiments or interventions appropriate for addressing the research question?
- Are conditions adequate and the right controls in place?
- Is there enough data to draw a conclusion?
- Was data collected and interpreted accurately?
- Do the authors follow best practices for reporting?
- Does the study conform to ethical guidelines?
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Could another researcher reproduce the study with the same methods?
Statistical analysis
Is the statistical analysis adequate? If you do not have the expertise to consider the statistics, make sure you mention this in your report.
Results, discussion, conclusions
- Do the results support the conclusions?
- Do the conclusions overreach?
- Do the authors discuss any limitations of the study?
- If the journal selects based on advance in the field does the study demonstrate this advance?
- Do the authors address any possible limitations of the research?
Data and supporting information
- Does the data provide enough evidence for the authors’ conclusions?
- Are the necessary data points provided?
- Have the authors provided a sufficient amount of data and information for other researchers to recreate the analyses?
- Have the authors provided information about where to access relevant code?
Next resources
How to write a peer review
Final checks and professional considerations
