Information for reviewers 
The content of the review 

1.Information for reviewers 

Peer review is a critical factor in promoting the rigor and high quality of scientific research. The entire scientific community benefits when the peer-review process is timely, thorough, and balanced. The editors of Quantitative Biology greatly appreciate the tremendous collective contribution that reviewers make to our journal and the articles they publish. We hope that the guidelines described below will help facilitate peer review as a conversation between authors and reviewers, and as an essential element of the publication process. 
Reviewer invitations for Quantitative Biology are sent out by email from the Editorial Board. The invitation includes information about the title and abstract of the manuscript and an indication of the time frame in which we would like to receive the review. After agreeing to review the paper, the reviewer has access to the entire manuscript. We encourage reviewers to contact the Editorial Office at any time if they require additional information or assistance.

2.The content of the review 
The core of any review is an objective assessment of both the technical rigor and the novelty of the presented work. Key features of a review include:
　　a) An outline of the conceptual advance over previously published work 
　　b) A specific recommendation
　　c) The reasons for that recommendation 
　　d) A summary of the specific strengths and weaknesses of the paper