Book reviews
Book reviews are a very valuable contribution to the academic publishing system. For younger and more experienced academics, it is good training for slow and reflective reading, thinking and writing critically and constructively. Equally, people working in administrations and governments may have much to contribute.
Documentación Administrativa accepts spontaneous reviews in English or Spanish, and can also commission some of them. The author can either send the review directly or contact the editor to ensure that the reviewed book is of interest to the journal. Reviews are evaluated by the Editorial Board.
What should a book review contain?
They are short texts that critically discuss a recently published book in the field of local and regional government.
Like all other academic genres, reviews have a typical structure. Ideally, they should devote one paragraph to each of the following aspects:
- Describe the subject matter of the book. If possible, use a hook to attract the reader.
- Provide a biography of the author, who he/she is and what he/she is known for, what qualifications and experience he/she brings to the subject and where this book fits into his/her background.
- Summarise the general argument of the book concisely.
- Indicate the methodology used and what kind of data, time period or geographical scope it covers.
- Summarise how the book is organised: how many parts or chapters it has.
- Explain very briefly what is the content of some of the parts or chapters, those that are of special interest.
- Mention the strengths of the book, what is new or what gap it fills in the subject matter, perhaps another way of studying something already studied, perhaps something new.
- Discuss weak points that could be improved, what else this book should have covered, what approach it has missed, whether it is understandable or not.
- Say who the book is aimed at or who could benefit from it: undergraduate or postgraduate students? academics? from which disciplines? practitioners? the general public?
It should end with a concluding statement summarising the author's opinion of the book.
