An interesting editorial article from Shrihari Sridhar, Editor in Chief of Journal of Marketing 2022-2025, that draws from his experiences in this role to provide some guidance for peer review.
In his paper titled, Constructive Peer Review Made Practical: A Guide to the EMPATHY Framework, Sridhar introduces seven stages of constructive feedback, captured by the overarching mnemonic EMPATHY, described in the accompanying framework chart
First, the seven stages are presented as a comprehensive checklist along the ‘reviewer journey’.
Second, each stage is accompanied by practical examples that contrast typical practices with more constructive approaches.
Third, the framework breaks down the task of reviewing into a series of manageable steps, each designed to provide value to authors, editors, and the field.
Fourth, and finally, Sridhar frames this article as a conversation starter on an approach to reviewing, and as a starting point for further refinement and discussion.
Many of the concepts and approaches presented in this paper echo those in our own Peer Reviewer Toolkit that consider the aims and scope of the journal, the audience and purpose of the review, and a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of a constructive review.
Reference
Sridhar, S. (2025). Constructive Peer Review Made Practical: A Guide to the EMPATHY Framework. Journal of Marketing, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429241312127