Guidelines for Reviewers
First of all, thank you for agreeing to review for WLN. Such work is crucial for our field, and we do appreciate your taking the time to support other writers, administrators, and tutors. And, even though we know you're probably well experienced in writing responses, we offer the following as helpful suggestions for the process. Every reviewer will have a unique style, certainly, but this might address some questions that could arise.
We like to respond to writers as soon as possible. Ideally, we'd like a review written and returned to us within a week or two. If for some reason you feel you cannot meet that deadline, just let us know.
When you return a review to us, we ask that you include a cover note that gives some indication of how close to publication you think an article is: publishable as is, publishable with minor editing, publishable with significant revision. If you think an article does not fit into one of those categories, let us know that, too, and the reasons why.
If we may disclose your name and email to a writer, please let us know.
Please also let us know whether or not you'd be willing to read a revision of the work. If you'd be willing to work on a revision with the author directly, indicate that as well. Oftentimes, writers and reviewers collaborate beyond the initial draft, and we encourage such a process.
The form a review takes is up to you. Some readers like to use "track changes" and place their comments and questions within or beside the text. Others prefer to write a letter back to the author. Find whatever way works best for you for this particular article. (Do note that using "track changes" can compromise anonymity, as the program can list the name of the person making comments.)
As we all know, the best responses are those that make us want to return to a piece of writing and revise. Think about what is possible for an article and what suggestions and questions will best prompt the writer to return to the work.
Again, thank you for agreeing to review for WLN. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write one or both of us.
Janet Auten
American University
jauten@american.edu
Mike Mattison
Boise State University
michaelmattison@boisestate.edu