Reviews Section
Psychometrika accepts manuscripts to review extensive literature, books, software, and media. The topics of interests include psychometrics, quantitative psychology, and areas in statistics and data mining, as well as substantive areas in psychology, social sciences, etc. that are inspiring for quantitative work in Psychometrika. Specifications are as follows.
- Book Review
- Literature Review
- Software Review
- Media Review
Book topics include psychometrics, quantitative psychology, and areas in statistics and data related sciences, as well as substantive areas in psychology, social sciences, etc. that are inspiring for quantitative work in Psychometrika.
- Standard Book Review: A standard review typically covers a single book and is similar to those published by Psychometrika in the past (see earlier issues of Psychometrika for examples). These typically provide a substantial impression of the content of the material covered in the book and the quality of presentation. Standard reviews should be about two to four double-spaced pages (12 pt type).
- Featured Book Review: A featured review typically covers two to three books that deal with the same or related topics. The topics should be of interest to a relatively large audience and/or one that is especially important to the field of quantitative psychology or psychometrics. Such reviews are intended to provide an up-to-date perspective on the current state of a field. A single book may be appropriate for a featured review if it is likely to be influential or is an important contribution to literature. Featured reviews should be about five to eight double spaced pages (12 pt type).
- Standard Software Review: A standard review typically covers a single piece of software or a set of computational code or tools that are developed for either substantive or methodological researchers in social sciences. Relatively less well-known but well-maintained R packages or newly developed or updated tools or software packages would be good examples of the topics. The review should be able to provide comprehensive feedback on a software's features, usability, performance, pros, cons, and overall value from a diverse range of users in the field. Standard software reviews should be about five to eight double spaced pages (12 pt type).
- Featured Software Review: A featured review typically covers multiple software or tools under a theme. The topics should be of interest to a relatively large audience and/or one that is especially important to the field of quantitative methodology or psychometrics. This review could involve more intensive simulations or data analysis components to provide an up-to-date perspective on the current state of a field. Featured reviews should be about eight to fifteen double spaced pages (12 pt type).
While Featured Book Review covers a couple of books with a related topic at the max, Literature Review is more comprehensive and has more intellectual merits. Literature Review should concern a critical analysis of published works or current practices with well-defined scope and research questions and will often focus on cutting-edge models or methodologies that promise to influence the field near future. A well-justified motivation and well-documented methodology for the review should be articulated in the manuscript. The length of Literature Reviews is expected to be within 10,000 words, all inclusive; however, authors can negotiate the length with the editor. Please note that this manuscript is subject to an open access fee when accepted like other research manuscripts in Psychometrika.
As the contemporary forms of knowledge transfer are varied, Psychometrika also accepts a systematic review of media that includes blogs, online resources like YouTube, or podcast, etc. We expect the media in review is closely related to the topics of Psychometrika readers’ interest and the review has the clear purpose and balanced perspectives in consideration of a diverse range of audience in the field. Media reviews should be about two to four double spaced pages (12 pt type).
Who can write articles for the Review section?
Although many of reviews are solicited by the Editor, self-nominations are highly encouraged. One does not have to be an expert to review; in many cases, the perspectives of novices and others who are learning a new field will be valuable. Reviews also can be conducted jointly (e.g., by experts and novices) to provide multiple perspectives. If you review any, it is yours to keep with our thanks for your time and contribution to Psychometrika.
Please follow these links for the list of materials available for review and currently under review, as well as a list of accepted reviews. If you would like to submit a proposal to describe any materials (e.g., book, literature review, software, and media) to be reviewed or to review by you, please use the link submit review proposal to start communication with the Editor.
General Guidelines
Reviews are intended to provide a different perspective than that of the author or publisher. A good review is one that is informative, accurate, comparative, evaluative, lively and interesting. The reviews should help readers decide whether they should adopt the material, either book, software or media for specific purposes. Therefore, comparative and evaluative perspectives are especially important. Adding in your opinion the developments in the field and undeveloped areas can make a review considerably more interesting.
Reviews are the opinion of the reviewer. When writing a review, keep in mind that the author has put in a tremendous amount of time and energy of theirs. If you really hate the material, rather than listing all the mistakes you find, make it a short and humane review.
Questions that the review articles often address are as follows:
- Who is the intended audience/users?
- What background knowledge does a reader/user need?
- Is it important? Why is it important (or not)?
- Is it well developed or written?
- What are the coverages or capabilities?
- If it's a new edition or version, what's new and/or different?
- Is the book or software worth the price?
- Are there useful supplemental information sources in addition to the main source (e.g., book, manual, media, etc.)
- What other options exist on the subject?
- Are there any or many errors in the book, software, or media?
Ethical Matters
Reviews in Psychometrika must meet the same standards of quality, fairness and objectivity as other material published in the journal. If you have a real or apparent conflict of interest, please discuss this with the Review Section editor, who will help you decide whether you or someone else may be more appropriate to review the materials.
Procedural and Technical Aspects
Reviews and Review Proposals should be submitted via ScholarOne.