Peer review process

How manuscripts are reviewed

SJSS publishes papers that are judged and peer reviewed by expert reviewers in the subject of the paper. Reviewers are selected by the handling editors on the basis of their knowledge of the field.

Reviewer names are anonymised: authors are not informed of the identity of the reviewers. The material under review is confidential and must not be used by reviewers for their own work.

Reviewers are usually asked to submit their comments within four weeks of agreeing to review a paper, although extensions can be granted.

Guidance for reviewers

Before agreeing to review

• If you do not have time to review the article, please let the editorial office know. Suggestions for alternative reviewers are always welcome.
• Declare any conflict of interest. A conflict could be: your PhD student or PhD advisor; family relations; people at your current institution; people whose research you fund or who fund you; collaborators in the past two years.
• Take care not to identify yourself or your institution in your comments.

Reviewing a paper

Remain objective in your critical appraisal. Your comments should be professional and courteous, and should help the author to improve the paper and present the research as clearly and concisely as possible. If you have reason to believe that the material is not original or has been plagiarised, alert the handling editor or the editorial office.

When reviewing, consider:

• Originality and quality. Is the paper of sufficient interest for publication? Does it contribute significantly to the current state of the research field? Is the topic handled accurately, in appropriate detail and scope?
• Structure. Abstract, introduction, method, results, conclusion.
• Engagement with previous research. Does the author engage with current and relevant research in the field?
• Language. You do not need to correct the English; if a paper is difficult to understand because of grammatical errors, mention this in your report.

For assistance, contact the editorial office at hello@sioss.se.