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Mathematical Reviews
Reviewer FAQ

  1. Am I allowed to keep an item that is sent to me for review?
  2. How long do I have to write a review?
  3. What information should I include for references?
  4. Where do I send address and email changes?
  5. Would it help you if I sent my review in more than one form - say by Web and then by fax - to make sure you get it?
  6. Couldn't you ask me via email before sending me something to review?
  7. What are the guidelines for the content of a review? Can I be critical? Should I list typos?
  8. I sent in a review a few months ago; when will it appear in MathSciNet?
  9. What if I realize there is a problem with my review and I want to make a correction?
  10. What do reviewers receive for their services?
  11. Can I request a particular item to review?
  12. I do not have access to MathSciNet at my institution. Having access would improve the quality of my reviews - what can I do?
  13. How can I save a copy of the review that I submit?
  14. I am having trouble submitting my review via the Interactive Web Form - where do I go for help

Am I allowed to keep an item that is sent to me for review?
Yes, once you have reviewed the item it is yours to keep. If you decide, for any reason, not to write the review, please return the item to us.
How long do I have to write a review?
We ask that you return the review within six weeks, but we understand that this may not always be enough time, depending on the length and complexity of the item, the number of items you have for review, and your other commitments.
What information should I include for references?
If you choose to include references in your review, provide as much information as possible, including full author name, year of publication, journal name (or book or video title), title of the cited item, volume and paging. Include the MR number if possible. References in the right format, including the MR number, can often be found by using MR Lookup.
Where do I send address and email changes?
By email send them to mathrev@ams.org.
By paper mail, send them to:
Mathematical Reviews
P.O. Box 8604
Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8604
By fax, send them to: (734)996-2916.
Would it help you if I sent my review in more than one form—say by Web and then by FAX—to make sure that you get it?
In most cases it is better if you just use one form of delivery. Our preference is that you use the Web form.
Couldn't you ask me via email before sending me something to review?
Unfortunately, with the volume of material that is processed at MR each day, it is not practical to check with reviewers before sending out items for review.
What are the guidelines for the content of a review? Can I be critical? Should I list typos?
The Guide for Reviewers, available both on the Web and in paper form, will help you with many of these questions.
I sent in a review a few months ago; when will it appear on MathSciNet?
It usually takes approximately 4 months from the time a review is received until the review appears on MathSciNet. The review appears in paper MR approximately 6-10 weeks later.
What if I realize there is a problem with my review and I want to make a correction?
Send email to mathrev@ams.org describing the place in the text where you need to make a correction. If you wish, you may also submit a revised review, but descriptive corrections are the easiest for MR to process, especially if the changes are minimal. If you feel that submitting a revised review is the best way to communicate your corrections, be sure to indicate in the Remarks portion of the form that what you are submitting is a correction to a previous submission.
What do reviewers receive for their services?
We must rely on the volunteer efforts of our reviewers, as we do not have the resources to pay them. However, as a token of our appreciation for those efforts, for each signed review that you return, 8 AMS Points will be assigned to your AMS Points account. AMS Points may be exchanged for AMS products and services. The AMS Points that you earn will be assigned on a quarterly basis
Can I request a particular item to review?
The MR editors consider requests to review particular items but do not always assign an item to the reviewer who has requested it.
I do not have access to MathSciNet at my institution. Having access would improve the quality of my reviews—what can I do?

The American Mathematical Society's goal is to increase MathSciNet access for the mathematical research community, while at the same time generating the necessary revenues to maintain and develop the MR Database and associated products. Consortia pricing was introduced in part to enable institutions that previously could not subscribe to afford access to MathSciNet. If your institution does not currently have access to MathSciNet, you should discuss with your librarian the possibility of a consortia subscription. MRef is a free service of the AMS that will help you to verify references and incorporate MR Numbers.

How can I save a copy of the review that I submit?

There are a number of ways that this can be done. If you are preparing your review text in a separate TeX application on your computer, save it to a file when it is complete. Then copy and paste the review text from the TeX application to the Web review form. This is the best method. If you are typing the review text directly into the Review Text box on the Web form, you can print the PDF preview of your review and save it in your paper files. If you would prefer an electronic copy, open some text application, such as Word, Notepad, or emacs. Select-all and copy the text that you typed into the Review Text window and paste it into a new file in the text application. Save the resulting file.

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