FAMILY COURT REVIEW POLICY ON BOOK REVIEWS

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-1617.2005.00017.x
• Date: 01 January 2005
• Published date: 01 January 2005

FAMILY COURT REVIEW, Vol. 43 No. 1, January 2005 6–7

© 2005 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

Blackwell Publishing, Ltd.Oxford, UKFCRExxx0000-0000© Blackwell Publishing 2004XXXOriginal Article

FAMILY COURT REVIEW

POLICY ON BOOK REVIEWS

At its annual meeting at the AFCC Conference in May 2004 the

FCR

Editorial Board

discussed the role of book reviews in

FCR

and adapted a statement of policy on the subject.

The Board believes that a statement of policy was important so that readers understood

what they are getting when they read a book review in this Journal. Reader comments and

questions are welcome, as the Policy will be reviewed and refined in future years.

I. SELECTION OF BOOKS FOR REVIEW

•

Book reviews can be of significant value to

FCR

readers and the family court community by

alerting them to important trends and practices.

•

Authors and publishers are encouraged to submit books to

FCR

for review consideration.

•

The amount of space that

FCR

can devote to book reviews is limited. Typically, no more than

one or two books will be reviewed in a single issue.

•

Selection of books for review is in the sole discretion of

FCR

’s Editor.

II. SELECTION OF REVIEWERS

•

Selection of reviewers is the responsibility and at the discretion of

FCR

’s Editor or his or her

designee.

•

The author or publisher of a book can suggest a reviewer, but must disclose any connection

or relationship that the author has with the suggested reviewer.

III. NATURE AND SCOPE OF BOOK REVIEWS PUBLISHED IN

FCR

•

FCR

encourages reviewers to write analytical rather than simply descriptive book reviews.

•

Reviews should be as objective as possible, describing the book’s content, strengths, and

deficits, and can ultimately be critical of a book.

•

Book reviews have no predetermined length.

•

An author will generally not be given the opportunity to respond to a critical review. Opportu-

nities to respond will be provided only if a reviewer makes a serious factual error or distortion

of a central premise of a book’s meaning and purpose. The decision to allow a response by

an author is left to the Editor.

IV. CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICIES AND PRACTICES

•

Reviews must contain a description of any connection that the author of the book has with

AFCC or

FCR

that an

FCR

reader might reasonably think relevant to the reviewer’s appraisal

of the book. All doubts should be resolved in favor of disclosure. A review of an Editorial

Board member’s book must disclose that the author of the book is an Editorial Board