Azara's Personal Guide To Peer Review

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Submitting Entries


Before submitting an entry for Peer Review, ask yourself these questions:
  • Is the title exact enough?
    The most likely problem with the title is that it's too wide, and readers will expect it to cover more than it actually does. Be specific! 'The Ash Tree of Northwestern Europe' is better than 'The Ash Tree'.
  • Is the entry neatly divided, with clear headers and subheaders?


    If it's not possible to divide the entry clearly, your train of thought may be confused.
  • Is there anything I can add, and should I?

    Peer Review will probably deal with this anyway.
  • Is there anything I can leave out, and should I?
    It is far harder to get exact criticism of over-long entries in Peer Review and it's all the more important to deal with this yourself.
  • Would I be happy if the entry appeared tomorrow on the Front Page exactly as it appears today?

    If the answer is no, either do some more work or be very careful to point out where you want help when you submit it to Peer Review.
  • Have I the time to nurse this entry through Peer Review?

    Remember you may have to respond to new suggestions every day for quite a while. If you haven't the time to do this, leave the entry till later.


Nursing an Entry Through Peer Review


Some likely comments and suggestions, with recommended responses:
  • Praise and reassurance

    Thank everybody nicely.
  • Suggested changes to the title

    These are almost always right. Go ahead and do it straight away.
  • Major problems of organisation, coverage, balance or length

    Oh dear! These may require a serious rethink.
  • Interesting extra information

    Doublecheck any corrections or new facts offered, make all necessary corrections and decide whether to include the new information.
  • General nitpicks about spelling or grammar

    Some mistakes are bound to have crept in. Correct them at once.
  • xxxx

You should then post one of these responses in the thread:
  • Yes, I agree.
    Make the changes and say that you have done so.
  • I'm afraid I don't agree.
    Give your reasons for sticking with your original version.
  • The points you raise are interesting and I will have to think about them.
    Set a definite deadline for dealing with these points. When the specified day arrives, post again to the thread outlining how you have dealt with the suggestions.


Commenting on Entries


Before commenting on an entry for Peer Review, ask yourself these questions:
  • Has someone else just written an entry which you had been planning to write yourself?

    Go away and sulk in the corner. Your chance is gone! Do not comment on this one except to point out actual errors of fact. You can't take over someone else's entry and you will be in danger of sounding very mean-spirited.
  • Are there any areas where major improvements could be made?

    If there are, deal with these first. This covers fundamentals like organisation, balance or lack of it, general accuracy.
  • Is there anything that should be added?

    Only mention things which would definitely improve the entry, whether this involves wide new sections or just little snippets. Chitchat and general discussion don't belong here.
  • Is the entry too long?
    If any entry is simply too long the problem can be rather hard to deal with. It's worth saying, anyway, if you think some cuts would improve it.
  • How does the poster respond to comments?

    If the poster is not prepared to make changes or defend their original version, it is probably better to leave the thread. If the poster takes suggestions seriously, then consider making further comments.
  • Is it worth pointing out mistakes in usage, grammar or spelling? Probably not in the beginning, unless it's something that seriously puts your teeth on edge. Remember that these simple mistakes will be corrected by the sub-editor if the entry is accepted. If the entry is otherwise fine, then go ahead. When other problems have been sorted out, go ahead. Remember that most people will probably get edgy after more than 3 or 4 nit-picks, so dole them out gently.


And Finally......


If you've given any substantial comment on an entry stay subscribed to the thread! It's only polite to still be there when the entry gets recommended. Everyone deserves a round of congratulation at that stage and it's particularly important in the case of first-time authors, or those whose entries have lingered a long time.


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Infinite Improbability Drive

Infinite Improbability Drive

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