PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING PUBLISHING
Publishers to the IMechE
GUIDELINES FOR JOURNAL REFEREES
1.
You have been approached because of your expertise in a particular area. You may consult your colleagues about the
paper, but please do not pass on the paper to another referee without notifying us. If you are unable to assess the paper for
us, please return it immediately; your suggestions for alternative referees would be welcome. Your name will not be
disclosed to the author(s).
2.
Papers accepted for our Journals are expected to be of a high standard. The Editors regard originality, engineering
relevance and technical accuracy as being of prime importance. Research papers should add to the knowledge base of
engineering. Please refer to the check list before completing your assessment.
3.
There are four types of paper: review paper, technical paper, case study, technical note (see below for definitions). If you
cannot recommend publication in the form as presented, but feel nevertheless that there is some useful material that might
be published as a technical note, then please indicate this. Information about our Journals is available from our website
(www.pepublishing.com). Sample copies of the Journals are also available on request.
4.
Please feel free to write comments or make editorial corrections on the manuscript if your handwriting is unknown to the
authors. Constructive comments for the benefit of the author(s) should be typed on a separate sheet. Please do not contact
the author as we usually consult at least two referees for advice before making a publication decision.
5.
When writing your comments for transmission to the author please mark these carefully as either E (essential
modifications), P (preferred amendments), T (typographical errors) or R (reasons for rejection). Simple errors of English,
typographical errors, incorrect use of upper and lower case letters, etc., will be checked by the editorial staff. The E
classification should be reserved for errors of analysis, experimental procedure, or flawed science.
6.
Please confine your assessment to matters of fact. If you have an alternative view to that of the author, or the content raises
questions that are outside the scope of the paper, then such matters can be addressed in a discussion following publication.
The Editors wish to stimulate written discussion and you are invited to contribute when the paper is published. Please note
that the material contained within the paper is confidential and should not be referred to whilst it is under consideration.
You will be sent an offprint shortly after publication.
7.
You may wish to inform the Editor of additional information relating to your assessment of the paper or, indeed, relating to
the Journal. The ‘Comments to the Editor’ section should be used for this purpose. Please note that such comments should
refer to the work or the Journal and not the author.
8.
If you believe that the work has been published or submitted elsewhere, or that plagiarism or other similar malpractice has
occurred, please inform us immediately and provide us with sufficient information to investigate the matter further. Papers
describing animal experiments must make it clear that the experiments were conducted in an acceptable and humane
fashion. Papers reporting the results of human experimentation must include a statement to the effect that informed
consent was obtained from the subjects.
9.
In the unlikely circumstance of the paper presenting material that is potentially useful to terrorists, please inform the Editor
immediately.
10.
Your co-operation in returning your assessment by the date specified will be appreciated. The Editors are most grateful for
your contribution to maintaining the standards of our Journals.
11.
Please advise us of any recent change of title, address or circumstances (for example retirement or absence on sabbatical)
or any other information relevant to your role as a referee for our Journals.
Categories of paper
Review paper A critical review of the state-of-theart with examples of applications in design and
profitable manufacture without extensive analysis
Technical paper Describes a piece of complete or substantially
complete research, or some aspect of design development,
manufacture, operation and maintenance, or engineering education.
Case study Describes the application of a technique,
procedure or management concept in a real situation
Technical note A short, interim statement on a research
project or description of some new development