Lists of available books, books under review, and accepted books
appear below.
Books
Lists are available of books that are available for
review and currently under review, as well as a list
of accepted reviews. Book topics include psychometrics,
quantitative psychology, and areas in statistics and data mining,
as well as substantive areas in psychology, social sciences, etc.
that are inspiring for quantitative work
in Psychometrika.
Who can Review Books?
Although the book review editor will solicit reviewers, self
nominations are highly encouraged. One does not have to be an
expert to review; in many cases, the perspectives of novices and
others who are learning a new field will be valuable. Books can
also be reviewed jointly (e.g., by experts and novices) to
provide multiple perspectives. If you review a book, it is yours
to keep with our thanks for your time and contribution
to Psychometrika.
Types of Reviews
Three types of reviews are published
by Psychometrika.
-
Featured Review. A featured review
typically covers two to three books that deal with the same or
related topics. The topics should be of interest to a
relatively large audience and/or one that is especially
important to the field of quantitative psychology or
psychometrics. Such reviews are intended to provide an
up-to-date perspective on the current state of a field. A
single book may be the appropriate for a featured review if is
likely to be influential or it is an important contribution to
the literature. Featured reviews should be about five to eight
doublespaced pages (12 pt type).
-
Standard review. A standard review is
shorter than featured reviews, cover a single book and is
similar to those published
by Psychometrika in the past (see earlier
issues of Psychometrika for examples). These
typically provide a substantial impression of the content of
the material covered in the book and the quality of
presentation. Standard reviews should be about two to four
doublespaced pages (12 pt type).
-
Telegraphic Review. The main purpose of
telegraphic reviews is to provide information in a timely
manner about books that have not yet been selected for a
Feature or Standard review. These reviews will describe the
intended audience and give a general overview of the content of
the text. Telegraphic reviews will be based on a less in-depth
reading of the book. Telegraphic reviews should be about a
paragraph.
General Guidelines
Reviews are intended to provide a different perspective than that
of the author or publisher. A good review is one that is
informative, accurate, comparative, evaluative, lively and
interesting. Since the table of contents and back cover material
for many books is available online, reviews should go beyond
this. The review should help readers decide whether they should
borrow or buy a copy of the book. The comparative and evaluative
aspects of the review are especially important. Adding in your
opinion on the developments in the field and undeveloped areas
can make a review considerably more interesting.
Reviews are the opinion of the reviewer. When writing a review,
keep in mind that the author has put in a tremendous amount of
time, energy, and themselves into the book. If you really hate
the book, rather than listing all the faults you find, make it a
short and humane review.
The content and detail of the review depends in part on whether
it is a Featured, Standard or Telegraphic review. Questions that
reviews often address include:
- Who is the intended audience? What background knowledge does
a reader need?
- Who should buy this book? Why?
- What is the purpose of the book? (e.g., a textbook,
reference, introduction, etc).
- Is it important? Why is important (or not)?
- Is it well written?
- If it’s a new edition, what’s new and/or different?
- Are there online resources or media available with the book?
How useful are these?
- Is the book worth the price?
- What other books exist on the subject? How does this book
compare?
- Are there any or many errors in the book?
Ethical Matters
Book reviews in Psychometrika must meet the
same standards of quality, fairness and objectivity as other
material published in the journal. If you have a real or apparent
conflict of interest, please discuss this with the Book Review
editor, who will help you decide whether you or someone else may
be more appropriate to review the book.
Procedural and Technical Aspects
Reviews should be submitted via ScholarOne
Manuscripts.
Books for review by Psychometrika or questions
regarding reviews should be sent to the Book Review editor:
Ji Seung Yang, Psychometrika Book Review Editor
Department of Human Development and Quantitative methodology
College of Education
University of Maryland
1225 Benjamin Building
College Park, MD 20742
U.S.A.
jsyang@umd.edu
