[kamiyu]

Hi everyone

I have been writing a review article for my view.

How do you guys view a Review article, in terms of publication importance?

Does it add value to my CV??

Thanks

[Dan]

I'd say it adds value, but generally not as much as a research paper.

[Corribus]

For many reasons (personal and professional development), writing a review article is a good thing. It takes a lot of work but much of the work you would be doing anyway in preparation for writing a dissertation/research article/funding application. The only place where it has diminishing impact is in professional review for tenure consideration - research articles are counted far more heavily. Junior professors - already with time in short supply - therefore often view writing research articles (and book chapters) as not worth the investment of effort, because it won't help them much toward getting tenure. That makes sense I suppose - although it highlights more the problems with the tenure system than it does any valuelessness of review articles. Because reviews are highly cited - it is actually a good way of building your professional network (getting your name out there), so while it may not have the direct impact of a research article, it can help your career indirectly in other ways. I've written several and consider them a valuable part of my professional portfolio. Review articles can also help to fill gaps in your publication record that may occur during "slow research times". This way your CV looks like you're always active.

Be aware that most good quality journals do publish reviews of some kind. However you are usually better off writing the journal editor first to gauge his or her interest. Your letter should be professional and include an outline of topics your review will cover, and a justification for why the review should appear in the journal. Unless it's a journal dedicated to reviews, most journals don't accept cold submissions of review articles.

(Book chapters, on the other hand, I view as less of a good investment.)