How to do a Post Review

History | References

General Considerations

The process of reviewing a post entails that the reviewer prepare themselves to the appropriate level depending on the type of review to be performed as described below. The steps are as follows:

• The first step in the process entails volunteering to perform the review and suggesting what level of review you intend to perform (i.e. L1, L2, L3, or C) . This will normally involve an email communication to the author of the post. In the case of a C (i.e. Commentary) one may choose to either submit this on the front end of the website at the bottom of the post or as an email to the author.
• Preparing oneself prior to performing the review.  If you intend to limit your scope to level 1 (i.e. L1) than little preparation, if any, is needed other than the assumption that one has a reasonable command of the English language. Considerably more preparation is required for an L2 review especially if you are less familiar with the topic. A Commentary also requires little preparation and in this case one need not necessarily have a higher level English proficiency.
• The outcome of your review will be an email to the author stating that you’ve completed your review along with the review comments, which would ideally be in the form of an itemized list.
• Take care to consider the tone of your communication to the author. Avoid an officious or preachy tone. Consider that the author(s) may have spent a fair amount of their time both researching and analyzing the content prior to completing the post and making it available for review. Stay focused on the content and avoid making any personal comments about the author.
• Note that courtesy is a two way street so authors should be respectful and show appreciation for the fact that someone has taken the time to read and provide comments on their post.

Review levels

These are the post review levels:

Proof Reading (L1, or Level 1)

This is to correct obvious typos, spelling and grammar or phrasing issues. To undertake an L1 review one must have a reasonably good command of the English language.  It is best to do this as you’re reading the post for the first time as one tends to notice problems more easily. An efficient way of doing this is have two panes open in the browser with one being the ‘frontend’ view of the page and the second being the ‘backend’ editing window where you can make the corrections as you read along. If you do not have backend access to the website you may simply provide context phrasing of the post to help the author make the suggested corrections themselves.

Editorial (L2, or Level 2)

An editorial review takes into consideration the content and style of delivery. Doing this type of review requires a familiarity or an active interest in the content. It does not require you to be at the same level of knowledge as the author. It does require a fair amount more time than just doing a “Proof Read”. Be prepared for this to take anywhere from 2 to 4 or more hours of time. It is recommended that the reviewer take some time to familiarize themselves with the topic independently prior to their first reading.

To do this it is suggested that one take a pad of paper and brainstorm and write down obvious and less obvious questions you have about the topic. Once you’ve reached a point where you can imagine what you might desire learning from the post, then perform the first “Proof Read” of the post and then read it a second time to see if all your questions have been answered. Reading through the post may inform you to a point where new questions may pop up. Write these down.

Then you can begin to draft your email response. It is recommended that one wait a least a day prior to sending it out to give yourself some time to let all your observations about the post percolate in your mind. After a day or two, consider rereading the post to confirm your observations and provide yourself an opportunity to make further observations. Also, consider that the author may have had reasons to select the various quotes and examples they might have referenced. You may also ask the author questions in your comments.

Expert (L3, or Level 3)

This is a review by a person who might be considered an expert in the field of study being covered by the post. In this case, you are free to encompass the other levels of review above, but can also choose to ignore these aspects and focus on the accuracy of the content/facts being presented and if you feel there have been any significant omissions.

Commentary (C)

This is meant to provide an opportunity to offer a more casual review of the post requiring less to no preparation prior to its undertaking. Similar guidelines apply in terms of one’s communication tone. Be courteous and avoid making personal comments about the author(s). Please note that the author(s) need to behave in a similarly courteous and respectful manner.

History

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