Guidelines for Referees

Thank you for agreeing to help edit the Electronic Journal of Statistics. We seek high quality papers covering theory, methodology or applications. When refereeing for EJS, please keep the following in mind.

(1) Positive Refereeing.

Please resist having a "reject if possible" attitude. We do want to keep the quality high, but don't reject papers for subjective, vague reasons. Whenever possible, try to give concrete suggestions for improving the paper.

(2) Clarity.

Because EJS covers a wide range of topics, we don't expect that every statistician can read every paper. Still, we expect authors to write as clearly as possible. The abstract and introduction should be accessible to a wide audience.

(3) Correctness.

Checking mathematical and algorithmic validity is important, but needs to be balanced with timeliness. Line-by-line checking of all technical results is time-consuming and not necessarily the most effective method for detecting errors. Referees should first look for implausible claims and broad errors of statistical or mathematical reasoning and then focus attention on parts of a paper most likely in error.

(4) Novelty.

Papers should be novel and interesting, but, not every paper can have an earth shattering breakthrough. Even small contributions can be interesting.

(5) Unusual ideas are welcome.

Fresh and unusual points of view are particularly welcome in EJS, even if they may be controversial.

(6) The big picture.

Your opinion about the paper's basic qualities rather than an extended technical review that is most important to us.

(7) Timing.

Please submit your report in 3 weeks if at all possible. If you need more time, let the Associate Editor know.

Thank you again for your help. Good refereeing is the key ingredient of a successful journal.