Author Guidelines: Book Reviews

Analytics accepts book review manuscripts that strengthen research in writing analytics.

Manuscripts calling attention to new books will situate the book within a particular field of research, establish the background of the author(s) or editor(s), establish the value of the contribution, and propose directions for further research along the trajectory suggested by the book.

Analytics publishes detailed book reviews of up to 1,500 words.

To propose a book review, contact the Editor-in-Chief. Working in developmental collaboration, the editor and the reviewer will ensure that the book is suited to the journal.

The WAC Clearinghouse and the Journal of Writing Analytics endorse the Anti-Racist Scholarly Reviewing Practices. Accepted manuscripts will:

  • Appeal to a broad audience by defining key terms, using accessible language, and providing data visualizations
  • Qualify claims by foregrounding local contexts and avoiding unsupported assumptions about practices and people
  • Enact citational practices that build upon existing knowledge, engage a diverse body of scholarship, validate alternative ways of meaning making, and recognize alternative forms of expertise.

Formatting References

References should be formatted using APA style. For instructions on formatting references, see the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition.

Formatting Text

Please adhere to the following guidelines for formatting the submission.

  • Use brackets to identify the type of submission BEFORE the manuscript title: [Book Review] Manuscript Title. 
  • Upload article submissions in the Microsoft Word document file format.
  • Provide digital object identifier (DOI) URLs for references when available.
  • Double space text and use a 12-point Times New Roman font.
  • Use italics instead of underlining (except for URL addresses).
  • Place figures and tables at the end of the document. Use the phrase "Insert Table (or Figure) X here." to indicate their placement in the document.
  • Follow the instructions in Ensuring Anonymous Review for submissions to a peer-reviewed section of the journal.

The following titles should be used for the main section headings, and the issues below should be addressed for the corresponding sections.

Situating the Book

The section positions the book under examination and explains its significance. This section includes information on

  • The origin and development of the book.
  • The intended audience for the book in terms of research specialization.
  • The research capability of the book to advance writing analytics.

Establishing Background

This section establishes the background of the author(s) or editor(s). If the review is of an edited collection, attention should also be paid to the research backgrounds of the chapter authors. Because writing analytics is an emerging field of study, especially important is the identification of programs of research associated with the book.

Contribution to Writing Analytics

This section includes information that positions the book in terms of its contributions to writing analytics. The proposed value of the book should be very specific in terms of its potential to add to the expanding body of knowledge associated with new areas of research.

Future Directions

The review should conclude with directions for future inquiry identified in the book. Whether absent or present in the book, principles that will guide future research along the lines identified in the book need emphasis.

References

The review should cite research relevant to the book under review. 

Reviewers' Expectations

See the Reviewer Instructions for the review criteria used by reviewers of book review manuscripts.