How to Review a Psychiatric Nursing Manuscript

Psychiatric nursing professionals frequently write scientific journal articles, book chapters or textbooks about particular issues or problems. Whether reviewing a psychiatric nursing manuscript informally for a colleague or formally as part of a peer review team for a journal or book publisher, conducting a review adheres to a few critical steps.

Instructions

Review a Psychiatric Nursing Manuscript

• 1

  Determine the appropriateness of the central question raised in the manuscript to the journal or publisher where the author intends to submit the paper. According to Douglas Seals, Ph.D. and Hirofumi Tanaka, Ph.D., authors of "Manuscript Peer Review," a paper that provides tips for reviewing scientific manuscripts, appropriateness is a central issue to consider. For example, does the paper focus on a discussion of a clinical problem in nursing, but the journal publishes mostly articles on nursing theory? Is the problem that the author addresses in the paper central to most psychiatric nurses?

• 2

  Review content critically, but constructively. Content review is the most critical part of the manuscript review process, and it encompasses many areas. For instance, if the content is rooted in scientific proof, are references cited appropriately? Does the author include a discussion of previous studies that also reviews the particular problem or solution? If the paper discusses a scientific study, do the methods make sense, and are they appropriate for this type of study? Consider the charts, graphs and figures included in the psychiatric nursing manuscript, and ensure that they accurately portray the data discussed in the paper.

• 3

  Note the style requirements provided by the journal or publisher where the author intends to submit the manuscript, and critique the paper's style elements. For example, has the author cited references correctly? Does the abstract succinctly summarize the content of the paper within the given word count limits? Although the elements of style are not as important as the content review, they are still critical parts of the peer review process.

• 4

  Make notes and constructively summarize your feedback for the author. If you are reviewing a psychiatric nursing manuscript as part of a peer review process for a journal or a textbook, the editorial team will likely provide you with a checklist or a form for your feedback. According to Seals and Tanaka, reviewers should write feedback clearly and succinctly, in an informative manner. If you mention a problem in the manuscript, be sure to offer a way to solve it. Separate major concerns--such as methodology or problems with the central thesis--from less important ones, such as word choice or spelling errors.