JCAL Reviewers: How to carry out an online review

All JCAL manuscript management operations are centralised at the following URL
http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jcal
The main thing to say is that it is simple.  Accessing the paper requires no logging on.  Moreover, viewing and refereeing the paper can all be done in a web browser environment if you prefer

An invitation email will provide a link that takes you directly to the above site for the reviewing process.  If you are a JCAL Board member, you will have an account in the system created for you.  If you are an occasional reviewer, you may wish to create an account or the Editor may do so on your behalf at the point of invitation.  However, it is not strictly necessary to sign yourself up in this way and enter the site directly.  When you are invited to review, you will be given a URL in the email that gives one-click access to the paper under consideration.  All other matters are dealt with via conventional email

The review process unpacked

It should be transparent. The website has good instructions and the email you receive is intended to contain all the information you need to know.  However the process is explained in detail below, in case this is useful.

(1) Invitation: The process starts as an email invitation to review.
Although this has the appearance of an automated message and although it is in fact constructed within Manuscript Central, it is prepared by the Editor and may sometimes contain remarks or queries particular to the manuscript in question.  Within the text of the email will be three URL links that allow you to indicate your willingness to review

(2) Acceptance: Click to indicate your willingness
In the email will be three URLs. You may (i) Agree to review (ii) Decline, or (iii) Report “not on this occasion” which is taken to imply that you would consider an invitation on another occasion involving a different manuscript.  Once you have made your choice, you will receive a further email if you accept

(3) The review.
This email will contain a further URL.  This gives you one-click access to the part of manuscript central where the paper is held.  Here you may chose to read the paper online and write (or paste) your review into the boxes provided.  Or you may chose to open and save/print the paper, coming back later to fill in the review.  You are asked to make radio button decisions about accepting or rejecting.  You are also asked to paste (or write) some comments into a box that will be transmitted to authors. You are also free to make comments in another box that are for the Editor only.  Finally, there is an upload facility that allows you to place other files in the reviewing area of this paper.

(4) Coming back later to do the review
In this case you will need to log on as a user, go to the “reviewer centre” and there you should find links to any papers that you are actively involved with.

(5) Feedback
Later, the Editor will share with you the outcome of the process.  If that outcome is a resubmission, then there may be a further request on you later to revisit the manuscript, examine the list of changes made along with the new draft and give advice (not a full review necessarily)  in relation to its readiness for publication following an edit.