Guidelines for referees

1. The review process is a double-blind process. Referees remain anonymous.
   
2. Referees are asked to determine the appropriateness of a submission for publication. In this regard, the aim of the journal is to publish papers that make a concrete contribution to applied economics, in any of its fields. Papers based on a well motivated research problem are especially encouraged. Quality and originality are important criteria.
   
3. The cover letter to the editor in charge of the paper should include an overall evaluation, with a recommendation to publish, revise and resubmit, or reject the paper. If a submission is clearly inappropriate for the journal, or the paper is a preliminary draft that still needs a lot of work, no detailed report is necessary. A simple letter to the editor is enough.
   
4. The report should distinguish between revisions that are regarded as fundamental, and revisions that are regarded as less important. The structure of the report may be as follows (this structure is indicative, and need not be adhered to):

   a. General comments, which may include:

   • an initial summary of the article
   • an assessment of the paper in terms of its contribution to the literature
   • an assessment of the appropriateness of the paper for the journal in light of its stated aims and scope

   b. Specific comments, which may cover, among other things:

   • the motivation and relevance of the questions raised by the paper
   • the methodology followed to answer these questions
   • the significance of the results and conclusions
   • the clearness of the presentation and organization of the paper