Fisheries Reviewer’s Guide

What you need to know about completing your reviews

The accompanying manuscript has been submitted for publication in Fisheries (magazine of the American Fisheries Society). We ask your assistance in judging its technical competence. Although any comments would be appreciated, you might consider the following questions:

  • Does the title clearly reflect the contents of the paper, is the abstract informative, and are the objectives clearly stated?
  • Does the format provide a logical organization to address these objectives?
  • Is the style of the paper clear and concise?
  • Are the experimental design, interpretation, and conclusions sound? Are the conclusions adequately supported by the data?
  • Is the paper relevant to its field?
  • If a review paper, does it cover the subject adequately and without undue bias?
  • Has the information been previously published in the primary literature?

You are, of course, free to write your commentary as you wish, but you need not concern yourself with publication style and format.

Whenever possible, please make your criticisms constructive. It will be helpful to both the author and the editors if you point out the strong points of the paper as well as the weak ones.

Please begin your review on the reverse side of this sheet and continue on additional sheets if necessary. You may place additional comments directly on the manuscript if you wish. Do not sign the review if you wish to remain anonymous.

Unpublished manuscripts are the intellectual properties of the authors or their employers. We trust that their confidentiality will be respected during the review process.

Please return your review directly to the science editor, not to AFS headquarters. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.