Scientific importance Research of major international significance; highly novel Important research of broad significance; novel aspects Useful research that lacks originality Research on a topic of limited significance Not original or novel Too regional in interest for (the Journal)
Quality of research Excellent: reliable methodology, data and interpretation Competent: no major deficiencies Mostly competent but suffering serious deficiencies Weak: many deficiencies/inconsistencies Too speculative
Does the title conform to the contents of the manuscript?
Is the Abstract concise and informative?
Are the facts and interpretations satisfactorily separated in the text?
Are the interpretations and conclusions justified by the data?
Are the organization and length of the paper satisfactory?
Can the paper be shortened without detriment?
Are all the tables and figures necessary?
Are the diagrams and photographs of good quality? Are there essential figures that should be prepared? Is sufficient credit given to prior work? Are all the references accurate?
Does the manuscript require improvement of written language?