Q: What is the difference between ‘reviewing a study’ and ‘commenting on a study’?
I have received some comments on a review article from the editor of a journal. He asked me to comment on a few studies that I forgot to review. I would like to ask what he meant by "comment on the studies." During the review of a study, we mainly review the work (what the researcher did and what got found) of the primary research. But what is meant by 'commenting'? Should I comment like it was a good study, a bad study, or whatever? Help please.
You are on the right track. Comments such as “it was a good study, a bad study, or whatever” is just what the editor has in mind.
So, if we understand you right, you submitted a review article to a journal, the article has been refereed, and the editor has got back to you with suggestions for revision. In your review article, you must have cited a number of papers and commented on the significance of the findings of each paper or groups of papers. You placed the findings of the cited papers in context, related them to the body of knowledge on the topic of your review, and, more importantly, assessed them in the light of your knowledge, experience, and judgment. This is exactly what writers of review papers are expected to do (in contrast to writers of original contributions reporting on first-hand research).
Apparently, in your review, you missed out some relevant studies—studies that in the eyes of the editor need to be covered in your review. So, the task before you is to deal with those studies the same way as you dealt with other studies that you did cover in your review, commenting on their relevance, significance, methodology, and so on.
For more insights into the points discussed above, you may find the following resources helpful:
- What a journal editor expects to see in a literature review
- How to respond to comments by peer reviewers
Also, as your query is around peer review, you may know that we are presently right in the midst of Peer Review Week 2020 – Trust in Peer Review. In fact, one of the webinars is aimed at both researchers and reviewers. If interested, you may learn more about it and sign up here: Trust and excellence in peer review
For now though, all the best for resubmitting your review!
[With inputs from Yateendra Joshi]
