Genre-based framework to reach a more succinct and objective decision in peer review of a research article

In research publications, peer review is an essential step in process of research article (RA) evaluation for publication by independent scientists. Reviewers are obligated to conduct the review objectively and provide with appropriate criticisms supported by proper evidence and adequate comments in confidence. The comments serve the purpose of informing journal editors about article content and the significance of the results. However, in the absence of a succinct and objective frameworks of reviewing and adequate training, peer reviewers are inclined to give general and, at times, non-systematic comments on the RAs under evaluation. To address this issue, a holistic framework and a specific checklist based on the RA genre and the authentic guideline of a scientific journal is proposed in this paper. The framework is expected to give a holistic structure for writing peer reviews and to especially benefit novel reviewers. The checklist mainly consists of the following genre-based moves: research purpose and/or rational in the appropriate contexts of the research fields, experimental and theoretical explanations, significance of outcome/results, and other relevant discussions and perspectives.