Reviewers can use a free form for their responses; however, a review should address the following questions:

 

  • whether the problems raised in the manuscript are up-to-date and of current scholarly interest;
  • whether the solutions offered by the author correspond to the raised problems;
  • whether the account of the problem is accurate and the sources are reliable;
  • whether the author’s findings are original, important, and significant; how much they advance the field;
  • whether the proposed solutions are justified and workable;
  • whether the article’s headings and organization are appropriate; whether the scholarly approach and methodology employed by the author make sense;
  • whether the terminology, as well as the tone and style of the paper are suitable.

It is recommended that the referees indicate notable strengths and weaknesses of the paper and group the latter together into patterns. The evaluation should result in a recommendation:

  • recommend that the paper be published – with no changes;
  • recommend that the paper be revised (minor or substantial revisions);
  • recommend that the paper be rejected.