Instructions for Reviewers

The enclosed manuscript has been submitted to the Journal for publication. We would appreciate your authoritative opinion regarding its suitability for the Journal. Scientific style and format should be according to JON guidelines.

In particular, the manuscript should satisfy the following questions:

1. Is the information new and significant? Is the work original?
2. Were the experiments well planned? Were adequate experimental techniques used?
3. Were the experiments repeated in time or space and is there demonstration of reproducibility?
4. Is the discussion relevant, and are the conclusions justified by the data?
5. Is the writing clear, concise and appropriately organized? Are there sections that should be expanded, condensed, or deleted?
6. Are all the tables and figures of high quality and properly labeled? Do they materially aid the text? They should not be too complex, repetitive of the text or contain extraneous material.
7. Is the form and style of the manuscript proper for the Journal? In particular, are the literature citations presented correctly and all cited in the text?

As a reviewer, your main emphasis should be on assessing the scientific merit of the work. It is not necessary to spend time correcting general grammatical or spelling errors; the handling Editor will perform such an edit. However, if you find errors such as misspellings, of scientific terms, inaccurate computations, missing references, or incorrectly numbered figures, please do draw these to the attention of the Editor and author(s). In the case of a paper submission, corrections could be made directly on the manuscript. For manuscripts received as editable electronic files, it is permissible to use the “Track Changes” feature of MS Word. However, do ensure that you configure this feature so as not to reveal your identity; any revisions that do show identity will not be returned to the author(s).

General comments and your evaluation of the manuscript and suggestions or comments you wish to amplify should be made on the review form (.doc). You should document and substantiate substantive criticisms. Please return the review forms to the Editor handling the manuscript, ideally by e-mail. You should keep a copy for a few months in case questions arise or a revision needs to be reviewed.

Keep in mind that a manuscript is a privileged document. Protect it from exploitation, and endeavor to retain your anonymity. In particular, do not discuss the manuscript with colleagues or the author(s), as your opinions may differ from those of the other reviewer(s) and the Editor, and the author(s) may be misled by your discussions.

Please return the manuscript with your review within 2-3 weeks; if you cannot meet this deadline, inform the handling Editor immediately. Under no circumstances are you to keep the manuscript longer than 3 weeks. Authors deserve a rapid review and decision on their manuscripts and, if accepted, publication in the shortest time possible.