Information for Book Reviewers

Colombo Business Journal (CBJ) publishes reviews of recent books that contribute to Business and Management or related fields. The scholars who review for CBJ should follow the guidelines given below.

Format 

The submission should include three sections namely, (1) description of the book, (2) review, and (3) information of the reviewer. All three sections should begin on a new page and appear in a single document. The contents of the three sections should be as follows.

Description of the book

The description of the book reviewed should be given in the following order.

• Author(s) / editor(s)’ last name and initials (indicate whether it is an edited book)
• Year of publication
• Title of the book
• Place of publication
• Publisher
• Number of pages
• ISBN
• Price of the book in Sri Lankan rupees

 Review

 The full review of the book should cover the areas: introduction, content, evaluation, conclusion, and references as described below.

• Introduction

Intended readership and benefits

Please state about the beneficiaries of this book with an account of the broader field of study in which it stands. Also, any special provision for readers in this book (e.g., illustrations, practical examples, anecdotes etc.), the gravity of the write-up (whether an in-depth exploration, meant for easy reading etc.), and the timely importance of the book should be highlighted.

Context

Please state the context in which the book is written. (E.g., in the context of contemporary organizational/inter-organizational/social setting, fast moving globalization, developing Asian economies etc.).

• Content

Please provide an abstract of major themes of the text, and follow this for all the chapters (may be through introduction to conclusion), and make sure not to summarize the contents. Highlight the special arguments, models, or examples appeared in the text. Brief the implications given for research, theoretical developments, policy making, and practices.

• Evaluation

Appraisal of views presented

Please present a summary of the most important views became known in the book. State to which extent these views are valid, novel, innovative, thought provoking, or directive in the given context. Briefly mention where these views are positioned in the current knowledge. State any other special observations made.

Comparison

Please provide a brief account of comparable texts. Elaborate the distinguishable features of the book when compared to them, and state the extent to which the book has been able to fill the gap in the existing knowledge.

Material

please comment on the production of material   (e.g., form, weight, quality of printing, quality of graphics etc.), and the typos and errors in the text. Proceed to comment on the adequacy of the content, explanations, elaborations, index, bibliography etc.

• Conclusion

Present the concluding remarks on the strengths and weaknesses of the book. State the extent to which the objectives / aims of the book has been achieved. Give your overall assessment of the book.

• Author(s)/editors’ biography

Please provide a brief biography of the author(s)/editor(s) of the book at the end of the review, including his/her (their) academic credentials, affiliation, intellectual history, affiliation with the subject, other major work related, and the intention (motivation) of writing /editing this book (if available).

• References

Please follow the American Psychological Association (APA) style guide (http://www.apastyle.org/) in listing references.

Information of the reviewer

There should include the following information of the reviewer.

• Last name with initials
• Institutional affiliation
• A brief biographical note 

Style and Length

 Please use 12-point Times New Roman font and A4 page setting. Place page numbers in the lower center, and leave top and left margins 1½ inches and bottom and right margins 1 inch. Book review should be double-spaced and printed on one side of the paper only.

The number of words of the book review should be about 1200 – 1500, including all the sections mentioned above.

Editorial Policy

The submission is subject to the evaluation by the Editorial Board, and the Editorial Board will make the final decision on acceptance, asking for revisions, or rejection. If the book review is accepted, and published in the CBJ, the reviewer will receive a copy of the volume containing the book review, and a copy of the book review will be sent to the publisher and or author of the book whenever possible. Book reviews are dealt with the understanding that they have not been published and are not under consideration for publication