If you’re going to submit your manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal then please show a little consideration for the reviewers and run it by some colleagues first – people who will give you honest and informed feedback – people who can and will let you know if it needs work before you submit it to a journal.

I just reviewed a manuscript from a journal where… well, when I get a request from them I immediately think, based on past experience, “Oh, god, please let it be a short one.”  I could decline the invitation but I believe that, in general, I have a professional responsibility to do so and if I want this particular journal to publish articles which don’t suck – and I do care about the quality of articles they publish – then I need to step up and do it.

Here’s the thing:  Reviewing a manuscript takes time.  I actually find it takes more time to review a bad one than a good one.  When there’s a problem in the manuscript a good review doesn’t just call out the problem but it suggests at least one way of dealing with the issue properly.   With that in mind, if there are problems early on in the manuscript then it can be a lot of work to provide a diligent review from first page to last – errors early on tend to propagate and reviewer burnout ensues.   (Sorry to say I often fall short of my goals as a reviewer but I do try to achieve them.)

Anyhow, it annoys me when people submit half-baked manuscripts.  I have to believe that some informal review by colleagues and friends prior to journal submission would go a long way towards improving initial quality and reducing review aggrevation.  Be considerate!  Do unto others what you would have others do unto you.