Reviewing the Review Process: An Author and Editor Perspective

Reviewers play a fundamental role in the process of scholarship, but challenges are inherent along the road to possible publication. It is difficult to recruit qualified reviewers and collect the reviews in a timely manner for editors. Authors may struggle with reviews that approach the article or case from a completely different perspective. Another issue is the quality of reviews. Unless a review clearly indicates what the issue is, why it’s important, and how to resolve it, authors can struggle to understand the reviewer’s perspective. This article contributes to the literature by providing unique insights from the perspectives of both editors and authors. The authors interviewed editors and case writers with questions designed to elicit insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the review process for the three journals sponsored by the Society for Case Research: the Journal of Critical Incidents, the Journal of Case Studies, and the Business Case Journal. The objective of the study was to determine possible actions the journals could take to better engage reviewers and provide editors with the support they need to assess the quality and possible publication merits of submissions. The article concludes with ideas to help support the review process.