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Review guidelines

The Biochar Journal Editorial Review Guidelines

These guidelines are for the use of the Biochar Journal Editorial Board and any outside reviewers who are recruited to help review articles. Please read through the guidelines and use the attached form to record your comments. These guidelines cover the following topics:

  1. Goals of the Biochar Journal
  2. Audience
  3. Reviewer Tasks
  4. Anonymity
  5. Review Process Outline
  6. Using MS Word Track Changes
  7. Sample Reviewer Comment Form

1. Goals of the Biochar Journal

Our aim is to communicate technical information that is scientifically accurate in an easy to understand manner, which builds understanding for biochar and inspires new use scenarios and applications.

2. Audience

Our audience is science-literate, intellectually curious people who are interested in a broad range of topics in farming, forestry, energy, waste management, sustainable design and climate change solutions.

3. Reviewer Tasks

In most cases, the Biochar Journal editors will work with authors to prepare the article so that it is already close to final. The main task for the reviewer is to check for scientific accuracy and to give your opinion on publishing. If you like and feel so inclined you are also invited to write a brief comment about the article that will be published along side it. 

4. Anonymity

We prefer to publish the names of the reviewers in a sidebar with information on the article. However, if you wish to remain anonymous, please indicate so on the Reviewer Comment Form.

5. Outline of the Review Process

  1. Biochar Journal Editors accept an article submission and make initial edits.
  2. Biochar Journal Editors identify at least two reviewers to review the article, and send a request for review.
  3. The reviewers agree to review the article or decline. Reviewers may also suggest a third party reviewer with specific expertise, if warranted.
  4. Biochar Journal Editors send the reviewers a single MS Word document that contains the article and the Reviewer Comment Form appended at the end of the article.
  5. Reviewers have two weeks to return the document with comments and suggestions.
  6. Editors work with the author to make revisions.
  7. If needed, another round of reviews and revisions is initiated.
  8. Reviewers are encouraged to identify themselves as reviewers for the final published article, but may also remain anonymous if preferred.

6. Using MS Word Track Changes and Reviewer Comment Form

The Biochar Journal will use MS Word Track Changes to record all comments and suggestions in the editing and review process. Reviewers are requested to use comments in Track Changes to provide reasons and references backing up suggested changes to the text. Overall comments should be added on the Reviewer Comment Form appended to the end of the article.

7. Sample Reviewer Comment Form

THE BIOCHAR JOURNAL REVIEWER COMMENT FORM

Instructions: Please answer the questions and fill in the blanks. Take as much space as you need.

 

Name of reviewer__________________________

 

May we publish your name as a reviewer of this article?    ☐yes     ☐no

 

Is this article acceptable for publication?

☐Yes, as is      ☐Yes, with minor changes      ☐Yes, with major changes      ☐No

 

Your comments to the Biochar Journal Editors about the importance of this article and its suitability for publication:

 

 

Your overall comments for the author to help guide the author’s revisions to make the article better:

 

 

If you wish, please write a short (around 100 words or less) comment on the importance of this article to be included in the Biochar Journal along with the article:

 

 

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