The task of the referee
Alan Jay Smith
Abstract
The task of the referee is to evaluate in a timely manner a paper
for publication in a specific journal or conference
proceedings. This involves determining if the work presented is
correct, if the problem studied and the results obtained are new
and significant, if the quality of the presentation is satisfactory
or can be made so, and what revisions and changes to the paper are
necessary and/or desirable. The evaluation must be with regard to
the coverage and degree of selectivity of the specific
publication.
In this article, we discuss the problem of how to
evaluate a (research) paper for publication, and by inference, how
to write one. The primary question which is addressed is that of
determining whether the paper should be published, and if so, what
changes and improvements are needed. The role of the editor,
and rules and procedures used by most computer science
journals are discussed. Brief discussions of refereeing proposals
and survey and tutorial papers are also given.