But we must provide education, mentoring, and opportunities to start afresh. Our database of reviewer evaluations is not intended to lock willing, enthusiastic and revitalized reviewers permanently out of the review process. A reviewer who has not received a review request from us for a year or two and who suspects he or she may have been disqualified, should give Mark Saarinen a call or send him a note. That, and a personal commitment to quality, is all that is required to requalify. In either case we will be delighted to watch quality reviews emerge.
Continuous improvement is central to quality management.
So too is team work. Our team of editors, reviewers, and prospective authors is large and scattered throughout the world. Neither size nor dispersion however, precludes cooperation, shared values, or a mutual commitment to excellence. I am hopeful that this essay may be of some value to a new member of our team or a weaker player. The real intended audience, however, includes the many talented and valued team members who are already writing quality reviews.