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Reviewer's Checklist
Brief Reports
Journal for Workplace Behavioral Health
This Reviewer's Checklist is a tool for reviewers of brief reports to use to identify revision needs and specific recommendations. You may use the Checklist to guide your review or draft your own comments without using the Checklist. Positive comments and recommendations for changes will support your overall assessment and decision-making process.
NOTE: Brief reports can include exploratory work, case studies and program evaluations if conducted and reported with adequate rigor. Pilot or demonstration projects may also be well-suited to the brief report format.
The General Writing Quality and Effectiveness of the Brief Report
Review and comment on any concerns related to the following:
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The quality of the writing is consistently strong throughout, including use of language, terminology, phrasing and clarity of meaning, sentence structure, punctuation and paragraph format.​
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The quality of and the use of APA 7 format, including headings, citations, and references, are correct throughout.​
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Please note that the publisher will do a final edit for quality.
The Overall Effectiveness of the Brief Report's Composition and Organization
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There is a logical ordering of content and arguments or points made across the article.
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There is an integration of content across the article.
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There is a sufficient and balanced degree of depth and detail throughout the article that fully informs the reader, while not overstating or repeating points.
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Tables and figures clearly communicate the findings, interpretations of results or models. Please reference in the text but do not go into extended detail.
The Content Value of the Brief Report
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The topic is relevant to the journal and to the workplace behavioral health field of practice.
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The goal is to provide a brief, summary article about new ideas, emerging evidence and/or descriptive data of interest to the field.
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The brief report identifies unique and useful knowledge, or previously identified knowledge which is now being applied to new study efforts.
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The literature review and methods sections will generally be briefer than a full manuscript.
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The conceptual underpinnings of the study, data, and methodology should be described and represent scholarly rigor.
Core Material for Brief Reports
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The brief report should limit investigation to just one topic or a small set of topics.
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If the brief report is part of a larger study, there should only be a limited reference to that larger study, e.g., This is part of a larger study “blinded study name”.
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The brief report should be a maximum of 12 pages in length, double-spaced and will have one main research question (not including abstract, references, tables and figures).
Abstract
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The abstract succinctly identifies the Brief Report’s objectives, type of study (quantitative, qualitative, theoretical review), research question or hypothesis if relevant, population/sample, methodology, primary findings and relevance.
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The abstract should contain no more than 200 words.
Introduction and Literature Review
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Clearly identifies the study’s main objective.
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The scope is succinct with one primary research question.
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Provides a brief, logical theoretical basis for the study with sufficient literature support or conceptual underpinnings.
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Introduces the research concepts and relevant definitions.
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Provides enough information to understand the basic context of the study.
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Introduces the research question with specificity, and states hypotheses where appropriate.
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The content included in the introduction and literature review are current and effectively build upon existing knowledge.
Methods
(below are major components of the Methods section – heading titles might vary within manuscripts, but should include similar information).
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A brief report should have sufficient detail and clarity on the specific research question addressed, recruitment strategy used, demographics of participants, how and when data were collected and other core aspects required to demonstrate adequate methodological rigor.
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Study Design: Clearly identifies the type of methodology, determining if it is:
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Quantitative or qualitative, or a combination of the two.
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Or a theoretical review.
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Sample: Clearly describes:
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​Recruitment and sampling process including ethical considerations such as data collection, protection of confidentiality and anonymity, records, ownership of data, and freedom to decline participation. An IRB statement is required.
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Resulting sample(s), including sample size (N), relevant demographics, and differences on descriptive variables for the sampled group(s).
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Methods used in creating a control or comparison group(s) and discussion of any limitations of this process.
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Procedures: Clearly describes:
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​Setting or context in which data is collected and relevance to the research questions or hypotheses.
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Instruments or measurements with sufficient depth and the rationale for using them, including construct validity and reliability of instruments used.
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Examples of measurements or sample questions used, especially when creating new instruments for data collection.
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Measurements that match conceptual definitions in research questions and/or hypotheses.
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Specific methods or process of collecting data from the identified participants (e.g., online survey, workplace survey during work hours).
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Timing and frequency of data collection from the sample.
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Type of statistical analyses including relevant software programs (i.e., SPSS, SAS, NVIVO
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Results
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Statistical tests may be less complex than full studies.
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Maximum number of tables and figures combined will be three (3).
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Types of Analyses:
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For quantitative analyses, describe:
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​Size (N) of the group(s) specific to actual data utilized.
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Relevant measures of central tendency (mean, mode, median) and/or variability (standard deviation or others).
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Frequencies of responses.
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Statistical test results and statistical significance. Quantity of missing data and how missing data was handled. Effect sizes where possible.
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​Check for obvious violations of assumptions when possible.
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For qualitative analyses, describe:
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Number of cases and justification for sufficient saturation of final sample size.
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Type of software or the coding process used.
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Schematic approach to the coding process, including any pre-set schemas. Limitations related to the fluctuations in the data collection process.
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The resulting conceptual categories organized by research question.​
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Discussion
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Includes a clear statement of support or non-support for the researchers’ original hypothesis.
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Summarizes the meaning of the results succinctly and the importance of the results for the research question.
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Presents strengths and limitations of the research in terms of sample, design, data or measurements as relevant.
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Summarizes the implications and relevance for fields of practice or application addressed by the scope of the Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health.
Conclusion
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Succinctly summarizes the rationale and importance of the key findings of the study.
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Briefly highlights contributions of the study and how these address gaps in extant literature.
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Identifies limitations of current study.
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Recommends directions for future research.
Reference Text for Reviewers
See (APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition) - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University)
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If you have additional questions, please contact the Editors at jwbheditors@gmail.com