Peer review is an essential component of formal scholarly communication and lies at the heart of the scientific method. Reviewing papers is part of belonging to the scientific community. Being sent a paper to review allows you a “sneak preview” into some research in your specific interest area or a closely allied field. It allows you to have some impact on what is being published in your discipline. For more experienced scientists, it is a way of mentoring other scientists. For younger researchers, it is a way to learn more about your discipline, and when you are asked to review a paper, it is an acknowledgment of your importance in the community of scientists. Elsevier shares the commonly held view that all scholars who wish to contribute to publications have an obligation to do a fair share of reviewing.
Are there consequences for refusing to review a paper?
No. However, please inform your editor by return e-mail if you are not able to complete the review.
What if I feel there is a conflict of interest in my commenting on the research?
Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers. In such a case a reviewer should contact the editor and excuse him/herself from the review process for that particular paper.
What if the language, grammar or structure of the paper is very bad?
Elsevier encourages authors to polish their manuscript as much as possible before submission. We also work with our editors to try to ensure that papers with very poor English are not sent to reviewers. If, however, a paper with poor English has made it through the screening process, and if the errors make the article extremely difficult (or impossible) to understand, the paper should be returned to the editor with the request that the author have the material edited for content before re-submitting it for peer review.
What if the paper does not follow the journal’s layout, format and general style?
Authors are required to adhere to the journal’s Guide for Authors, which includes manuscript presentation. If the difference is extreme and the editor has not mentioned this issue in the request to review, you may wish to contact your editor to discuss it. Otherwise, you should note this in your review. If the paper is otherwise good, the editor may choose to overlook the formatting issues (for example, if the author comes from outside the discipline but has something valuable to convey to the readers of this journal). Other times, editors may ask the author to restructure the paper before publication.
What if I don’t feel qualified to review the research?
Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript should notify the editor and excuse him/herself from the review process. This should be done as soon as possible by return email.
Is the review process anonymous?
Different journals have different approaches: some journals use a single blind reviewing process, some use a double blindsystem, and still others have an open approach. Different approaches are appropriate for different subject areas, and also depend upon the culture of the discipline. You should contact your editor if you have any further questions about the process employed by the journal for which you are reviewing.
Completing the review
How long do I have to complete the review? Is there a deadline? What if I’m running late?
Deadlines for reviews vary per journal. The editors will provide information on deadline expectations with the review request.
Editors appreciate being informed that you have received their request within a day or two and are able to complete the review. If you feel the review will take you longer to complete than normal, please contact the editor to discuss the matter. The editor may ask you to recommend an alternate reviewer, or may be willing to wait a little longer (e.g., if the paper is highly specialized and reviewers are difficult to find). As a general guideline, if you know you will not be able to complete a review within the timeframe requested, you should decline to review the paper. It is important that you keep the editor informed if the review is taking longer than expected.
Who can I ask for help if I need it?
If you have queries relating to the content of the paper, please contact the journal editor or the editorial office. For technical issues relating to our submission and review system, EES, Elsevier has a reviewers' helpdesk that can be contacted by e-mail: support@elsevier.com or by telephone: The Americas: +1 888 834 7287 (toll free for US & Canadian customers), Asia + Pacific: + 81 3 5561 5032, Europe & all other areas: + 353 61 709 190.
