The purpose of the scientific review is to summarize and make suggestions for improving the text of the scientific article submitted for publication. Preparing a review requires careful reading of the relevant text, its analysis and providing sound and clear suggestions for improving the text.
The review is a statement of the results of the analysis of the scientific text, which considers its content and form, notes and argues its advantages and disadvantages, draws conclusions and generalizations. Peer reviewing is a process by which scientists evaluate the work of their colleagues in the profession, which have been published in the scientific literature.
In scientific practice, the critical consideration of any scientific work does not mean criticism of the author in a negative manner. Critical analysis of the text is likely to require the reviewer to question the information and judgments set out in the text and to present their views and suggestions for improving the text. In order to do this, the reviewer must independently understand the topic from different points of view (ie read the relevant materials in the form of articles, reports, monographs, etc.), know different theoretical approaches in a particular scientific field. The reviewer must make decisions from his point of view, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the text, its structure, belonging to a scientific school, the erudition of the author. This is usually done using specific criteria.
The analysis of scientific works requires an understanding not only of the content of the text, but also an understanding of the purpose of the text, the audience for which the text is offered, and why it is structured in the proposed manner. But there should be no conclusions. The analysis of scientific works requires the division of the content of the article into its basic components with further definition, their relationships of mutual influences on each other. The analysis should reflect a balanced discussion and assessment of strengths and weaknesses and characteristics of the text.
The structure of the review contains the following parts:
• introduction (includes indication of the authors and a summary of the topic of the text indicating the purpose, highlighting the main finding or main arguments. The introduction is accompanied by a short announcement of evaluation: positive or negative evaluation or mixed conclusion)
• generalization of existing problems and goals of the author (the main disadvantages of the article with a limited number of examples from previous studies. Brief explanation of the purpose / intentions of the author and a description of the organization of the text of the article)
• critical review of the work (comprehensive review / analysis of strengths and weaknesses and features of the text. Must be based on relevant criteria, including references to sources to support the reviewer's judgments)
• conclusion (short paragraph of repetition of the opinion on work, presentation of recommendations)
• references to sources (if the reviewer uses any sources to prepare a review, then at the end he must provide a list of them)
Basic criteria for evaluating the text of a scientific article that can be useful when reviewing a scientific text:
• criterion of possible main issues (significance / contribution to the field of research; the author's goal; achievement of the goal; the author's contribution to the knowledge base in the scientific field or application in practice; completeness of substantiation and others)
• criterion of methodology and assumptions (assumptions used in the work; quantitative / qualitative characteristics, analysis / review of theory or current practice, comparison, situation analysis, personal perception, etc .; objectivity / subjectivity of the assumptions of the article; reliability of results)
• criterion of argumentation and use of objective factors (establishment of a clear problem, statement or hypothesis; identification of problems and shortcomings; presence of argumentation; what conclusions and their fairness / validity)
• criterion of presentation style and structure of the text (corresponds to the style of presentation of the material to the intended audience; the principle of text organization)
• literature and citation criteria (APA Citation Style requirements https://apastyle.apa.org)
