Setting the Tone of the Review

Please keep your comments respectful and constructive. One of the greatest services that reviewers perform is the development of the research of members who submit their work. Identify areas of weakness in a manuscript, but also provide specific guidance on how the authors might address the limitations you have noted. The more specificity you provide in your review, the more likely it is that the authors will benefit from your efforts. Try to provide the authors with constructive ideas on how to improve their submission as they develop their research. It is also important to identify the strengths of a manuscript as you help the author(s) improve their work.

Please try to be open-minded to different authors using different theoretical frameworks. Try to judge manuscripts based on how well they stimulate thinking and discussion. Keep in mind that many members come from disciplinary backgrounds and research traditions with diverse theoretical and methodological orientations.

Review Format

You need to submit your review within the timelines provided. There is no slack in the program schedule.

A good review is typically 1 to 2 single-spaced page in length. Please provide a structured review by separating and numbering comments. Also, don’t forget to cite specific page numbers, passages, tables, and figures in your review. Remember, the best reviews clearly justify the reviewer’s choice of rating. The least valuable review gives a low score with no written comments. This simply tells the authors that they have been unsuccessful, with no indication of how or why. It is also of no help to the members of the Program Committee, who are charged with making program decisions based on your reviews.

Do not provide information in your review that reveals your identity and do not seek to discover the identity of the authors. This protects the integrity of the "double-blind" review process.

Areas to Consider

In addition to commenting on the theoretical development of a submission and the technical correctness of the methodology, you should also consider the overall value-added contribution the submission offers. Does the submission pass the so what test? Also, consider whether the submission has any practical value, and comment on its implications for the practice community.

The following points are some suggested criteria that might help you with your evaluations.

Scholarly Paper Submissions

Introduction

·       Is there a clear research question, with a solid motivation behind it?

·       Is the research question interesting?

·       After reading the introduction, did you find yourself motivated to read further?

Theory

·       Does the submission contain a well-developed and articulated theoretical framework?

·       Are the core concepts of the submission clearly defined?

·       Is the logic behind the hypotheses persuasive?

·       Is extant literature appropriately reflected in the submission, or are critical references missing?

·       Do the hypotheses or propositions logically flow from the theory?

Key Propositions (for conceptual papers)

·       Do the propositions extend theory or fill a niche?

·       Are the propositions solidly grounded in the theory?

·       Is the rationale sound?

Method (for empirical papers)

·       Are the sample and variables appropriate for the hypotheses?

·       Is the data collection method consistent with the analytical technique(s) applied?

·       Does the study have internal and external validity?

·       Are the analytical techniques appropriate for the theory and research questions and were they applied appropriately?

Results (for empirical papers)

·       Are the results reported in an understandable way?

·       Are there alternative explanations for the results, and if so, are these adequately controlled for in the analyses?

Contribution

·        Does the submission make a value-added contribution to existing research?

·        Does the submission stimulate thought or debate?

·        Do the authors discuss the implications of the work for the scientific and practice community?

Panel/Symposium

·        Does the proposal reflect the overall level of quality an audience would expect when attending a symposium? 

·        Would the proposed session be of interest to a sufficient number of members? 

·        Does the proposal offer sufficient innovation and contribution to warrant program space?

Professional Development Workshops

William L. Dougan of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, has provided a resource in the form of A Guide for Creating and Managing a Good Professional Development Workshop. 

• Does the workshop offer a high quality and high level learning experience that has a significant positive impact on the professional development of the participants?

• Does the workshop provide participants with clear "take away"? (e.g. learn a new skill; develop a new research plan)

• Does the workshop have a theme and a group of participants that will draw a strong audience regardless of competing sessions or scheduling restrictions?

• Does the workshop encourage multi-way conversation and interaction among participants from multiple career stages, or demographic backgrounds?

• Is the workshop creative and innovative in all of its elements?

Developmental Tracks (Posters & Idea Incubators)

Authors submitting to the developmental tracks are looking for feedback and suggestions to improve their work. Please keep this in mind as you perform your review. Below are some general guidelines for writing good reviews for developmental submissions:

·        Your job is to write complete reviews, even for excellent proposals. Tell the authors why you liked their proposal, so that they know what made it successful.

·        If you believe that the proposal is needs work, provide CONSTRUCTIVE criticism to help the authors.

·        Developmental sessions provide an opportunity for an INFORMAL presentation featuring “give and take” with conference attendees. Feedback on whether this seems feasible is helpful.

·        While developmental track presentations should be sound and well-supported, they are not likely to be complete. Poster presentations may be complete, but idea incubator sessions will not be, and both are a WORK IN PROGRESS.