Ultimate List for Reviewing A Paper

First impressions

• Is the research original, novel and important to the field?
• Has the appropriate structure and language been used?

Abstract

• Is it really a summary?
• Does it include key findings?
• Is it an appropriate length?

Introduction

• Is it effective, clear and well organized?
• Does it really introduce and put into perspective what follows?
• Suggest changes in organization and point authors to appropriate citations.
• Be specific – don’t write “the authors have done a poor job”

Methodology

• Can a colleague reproduce the experiments and get the same outcomes?
• Did the authors include proper references to previously published methodology?
• Is the description of new methodology accurate?
• Could or should the authors have included supplementary material?

Results and discussion

• Suggest improvements in the way data is shown
• Comment on general logic and on justification of interpretations and conclusions
• Comment on the number of figures, tables and schemes
• Write concisely and precisely which changes you recommend
• List separately suggested changes in style, grammar and other small changes
• Suggest additional experiments or analyses
• Make clear the need for changes/updates
• Ask yourself whether the manuscript is worth to be published at all

Conclusion

• Comment on importance, validity and generality of conclusions
• Request toning down of unjustified claims and generalizations
• Request removal of redundancies and summaries
• The abstract, not the conclusion, summarizes the study

References, tables and figures

• Check accuracy, number and citation appropriateness
• Comment on any footnotes
• Comment on figures, their quality and readability
• Assess completeness of legends, headers and axis labels
• Check presentation consistency 
• Comment on need for colour in figures