Book reviews
Book reviews are pieces in essay format analysing new publications of academic interest in the journal's field of study. Book reviews must have between 6,000 and 10,000 characters (no spaces).
The reviews must be submitted via the journal's website. First the steps in the registration process must be completed, and then the instructions for sending files to Euskera Ikerketa Aldizkaria must be followed. The manuscript must be accompanied by a covering letter requesting consideration and assessment of the piece. In this letter the author must also explain the contribution made by the piece in four or five lines. They must also declare that the work has not been sent to any other journals, and that they will grant the copyright to Euskaltzaindia, publisher of the journal.
At the beginning of the citation of the book, the author's (or authors') home university, research centre, institution, etc. must be specified, together with the email address. This must be accompanied by the basic details of the work referred to (title, author(s), year, place of publication, publisher, ISBN or ISSN number, whether it has a DOI number and so on).
In submitting the work, the author states that they are aware of and agree to the procedures for submission to the journal and also agree to the Euskera Ikerketa Aldizkaria publication procedure.
Like all, academic text types, reviews have a typical structure. Ideally, they will devote a paragraph to each of the following aspects:
- Describe the topic dealt with in the book. If possible, use a "hook" to attract your reader.
- Mention the author's biography. Say who they are and why they are known. What qualifications and experience they bring to the topic. Which part of their career this book fits into.
- Briefly summarise the general argument of the book.
- Specify the methodology and what type of data are used, and what period of time or geographical area it covers.
- Summarise how the book is organised: how many parts or chapters it has.
- Explain very briefly the content of some of the parts or chapters, those that seem to you to be of particular interest.
- Include what you think are the book's strong points, what it has to offer that is new or what gap in its field it covers - this might be a different way of looking at something studied before, or it might be something new.
- Discuss any points for improvement, what else the book should have dealt with, any approaches it has left out, whether it is understandable or not.
- Say who this book is aimed at, or who might benefit from it: undergraduate or graduate students? Academics? In which subjects? The general public?
- End your review with a final statement summing up your opinion of the book.
