Guidelines for Writing and Submitting Reviews for Voices from the Middle

Voices from the Middle is NCTE’s middle school journal. Published in September, December, March, and May, Voices contains research to best practice articles related to middle level reading, writing, speaking, and listening in the visual and language arts. The purpose of the journal is to provide professional development for educators that will support their teaching with rigor and subsequent learning for all of their students.

Interested in being a reviewer? Look at the call for reviewers or contact us at voices@ncte.org

Thank you taking time from your busy schedule to read the article and to share your recommendations. We ask that you write a careful rationale for your decision that provides constructive comments for the author(s), with specific suggestions for revisions that are needed to improve the manuscript. The following guidelines should be helpful as you write your review of this manuscript, and you might also want to check out this brief video for more tips:

1. We will share your comments with the author(s) and will assume that you wish to remain anonymous unless you sign your review.  Address other pertinent information to the Editors in the section titled Comments to Editor.
2. Reviews should be submitted by the specified due date via the Editorial Manager manuscript submission and review site.  Please notify the editorial team immediately (voices@ncte.org) if you cannot review this manuscript in a timely fashion.
3. Please address your written comments directly to the author(s) in the Comments to Author section, providing helpful feedback on both strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript.
4. If you wish, you may print out the manuscript and read it with pencil in hand, freely marking your comments, concerns, and suggestions.  You may return this copy to the Editors and the manuscript will be forwarded to the author(s).
5. If you believe this manuscript is not appropriate for Voices from the Middle, please suggest an alternate journal.
6. You will be able to access your review through the Editorial Manager system, and you will be notified of the Editors’ decision about the manuscript, along with electronic attachments of the other reviews.
7. As you evaluate this manuscript and its potential for publication in Voices, you may wish to consider the purpose of Voices.
8. As you write your review and make a decision regarding this manuscript, please consider the appropriateness of the manuscript for our journal, along with the following questions:
   • What is the significance of this article?
   • Why do you believe this article will (or will not) be of interest to the readers of Voices (e.g., middle school teachers, English language arts teacher educators in colleges and universities, teacher leaders in schools, department chairs, curriculum and language arts coordinators, supervisors, literacy coaches, and/or preservice teachers)?
   • How does this article provide a creative perspective on the subject?
   • Why do you believe (or doubt) that readers who are not specialists in this area would be able to comprehend this article?
   • Why do you think future writers on this subject are (or are not) likely to quote this article?
   • In what ways does this article (or in what ways doesn’t this article) advance our field?

We thank you for your diligent work toward excellence in middle school education, and we appreciate your efforts reviewing this manuscript.