a presentation can only have one reviewer

A Presentation Can Only Have One Reviewer

A presentation can only have one reviewer.

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How to Give Effective Presentation Feedback

A conversation with sam j. lubner, md, facp.

Giving an effective scientific presentation, like all public speaking, is an acquired skill that takes practice to perfect. When delivered successfully, an oral presentation can be an invaluable opportunity to showcase your latest research results among your colleagues and peers. It can also promote attendee engagement and help audience members retain the information being presented, enhancing the educational benefit of your talk, according to Sam J. ­Lubner, MD, FACP , Associate Professor of Medicine and Program Director, Hematology-Oncology Fellowship, at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, and a member of ASCO’s Education Council.

Sam J. ­Lubner, MD, FACP

In 2019, the Education Council launched a pilot program to provide a group of selected speakers at the ASCO Annual Meeting with feedback on their presentations. Although some of the reviewers, which included members of the Education Council and Education Scholars Program, as well as ASCO’s program directors, conveyed information to the presenters that was goal-referenced, tangible, transparent, actionable, specific, and personalized—the hallmarks of effective feedback—others provided comments that were too vague to improve the speaker’s performance, said Dr. Lubner. For example, they offered comments such as “Great session” or “Your slides were too complicated,” without being specific about what made the session “great” or the slides “too complicated.”

“Giving a presentation at a scientific meeting is different from what we were trained to do. We’re trained to take care of patients, and while we do have some training in presentation, it usually centers around how to deliver clinical information,” said Dr. Lubner. “What we are trying to do with the Education Council’s presentation feedback project is to apply evidence-based methods for giving effective feedback to make presentations at ASCO’s Annual Meeting, international meetings, symposia, and conferences more clinically relevant and educationally beneficial.”

GUEST EDITOR

The ASCO Post talked with Dr. Lubner about how to give effective feedback and how to become a more effective presenter.

Defining Effective Feedback

Feedback is often confused with giving advice, praise, and evaluation, but none of these descriptions are exactly accurate. What constitutes effective feedback?

When I was looking over the literature on feedback to prepare myself on how to give effective feedback to the medical students and residents I oversee, I was amazed to find the information is largely outdated. For example, recommendations in the 1980s and 1990s called for employing the “sandwich” feedback method, which involves saying something positive, then saying what needs to be improved, and then making another positive remark. But that method is time-intensive, and it feels disingenuous to me.

What constitutes helpful feedback to me is information that is goal-referenced, actionable, specific, and has immediate impact. It should be constructive, descriptive, and nonjudgmental. After I give feedback to a student or resident, my next comments often start with a self-reflective question, “How did that go?” and that opens the door to further discussion. The mnemonic I use to provide better feedback and achieve learning goals is SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely, as described here:

• Specific: Avoid using ambiguous language, for example, “Your presentation was great.” Be specific about what made the presentation “great,” such as, “Starting your presentation off with a provocative question grabbed my attention.”
• Measurable: Suggest quantifiable objectives to meet so there is no uncertainty about what the goals are. For example, “Next time, try a summary slide with one or two take-home points for the audience.”
• Achievable: The goal of the presentation should be attainable. For example, “Trim your slides to no more than six lines per slide and no more than six words per line; otherwise, you are just reading your slides.”
• Realistic: The feedback you give should relate to the goal the presenter is trying to achieve. For example, “Relating the research results back to an initial case presentation will solidify the take-home point that for cancer x, treatment y is the best choice.”
• Timely: Feedback given directly after completion of the presentation is more effective than feedback provided at a later date.

The ultimate goal of effective feedback is to help the presenter become more adept at relaying his or her research in an engaging and concise way, to maintain the audience’s attention and ensure that they retain the information presented.

“Giving a presentation at a scientific meeting is different from what we were trained to do.” — Sam J. Lubner, MD, FACP Tweet this quote

Honing Your Communication Skills

What are some specific tips on how to give effective feedback?

There are five tips that immediately come to mind: (1) focus on description rather than judgment; (2) focus on observation rather than inference; (3) focus on observable behaviors; (4) share both positive and constructive specific points of feedback with the presenter; and (5) focus on the most important points to improve future ­presentations.

Becoming a Proficient Presenter

How can ASCO faculty become more proficient at delivering their research at the Annual Meeting and at ASCO’s thematic meetings?

ASCO has published faculty guidelines and best practices to help speakers immediately involve an audience in their presentation and hold their attention throughout the talk. They include the following recommendations:

• Be engaging. Include content that will grab the audience’s attention early. For example, interesting facts, images, or a short video to hold the audience’s focus.
• Be cohesive and concise. When preparing slides, make sure the presentation has a clear and logical flow to it, from the introduction to its conclusion. Establish key points and clearly define their importance and impact in a concise, digestible manner.
• Include take-home points. Speakers should briefly summarize key findings from their research and ensure that their conclusion is fully supported by the data in their presentation. If possible, they should provide recommendations or actions to help solidify their message. Thinking about and answering this question—if the audience remembers one thing from my presentation, what do I want it to be?—will help speakers focus their presentation.
• When it comes to slide design, remember, less is more. It’s imperative to keep slides simple to make an impact on the audience.

Another method to keep the audience engaged and enhance the educational benefit of the talk is to use the Think-Pair ( ± Share) strategy, by which the speaker asks attendees to think through questions using two to three steps. They include:

• Think independently about the question that has been posed, forming ideas.
• Pair to discuss thoughts, allowing learners to articulate their ideas and to consider those of others.
• Share (as a pair) the ideas with the larger group.

The value of this exercise is that it helps participants retain the information presented, encourages individual participation, and refines ideas and knowledge through collaboration.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SLIDE DESIGN

• Have a single point per line.
• Use < 6 words per line.
• Use < 6 lines per slide.
• Use < 30 characters per slide.
• Use simple words.
• When using tables, maintain a maximum of 6 rows and 6 columns.
• Avoid busy graphics or tables. If you find yourself apologizing to the audience because your slide is too busy, it’s a bad slide and should not be included in the presentation.
• Use cues, not full thoughts, to make your point.
• Keep to one slide per minute as a guide to the length of the presentation.
• Include summary/take-home points per concept. We are all physicians who care about our patients and believe in adhering to good science. Highlight the information you want the audience to take away from your presentation and how that information applies to excellent patient care.

Speakers should also avoid using shorthand communication or dehumanizing language when describing research results. For example, do not refer to patients as a disease: “The study included 250 EGFR mutants.” Say instead, “The study included 250 patients with EGFR -mutant tumors.” And do not use language that appears to blame patients when their cancer progresses after treatment, such as, “Six patients failed to respond to [study drug].” Instead say, “Six patients had tumors that did not respond to [study drug].”

We all have respect for our patients, families, and colleagues, but sometimes our language doesn’t reflect that level of respect, and we need to be more careful and precise in the language we use when talking with our patients and our colleagues.

ASCO has developed a document titled “The Language of Respect” to provide guidance on appropriate respectful language to use when talking with patients, family members, or other health-care providers and when giving presentations at the Annual Meeting and other ASCO symposia. Presenters should keep these critical points in mind and put them into practice when delivering research data at these meetings. ■

DISCLOSURE: Dr. Lubner has been employed by Farcast Biosciences and has held a leadership role at Farcast Biosciences.

Pembrolizumab May Improve Breast Cancer Outcomes Regardless of Age or Menopausal Status

American cancer society releases latest global cancer statistics; cancer cases expected to rise to 35 million worldwide by 2050, improving adjuvant treatment in patients with muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma, distinct microbial signature uncovered in kras mutated colorectal cancer, danicopan approved as add-on therapy to ravulizumab or eculizumab for extravascular hemolysis in adults with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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• Start using PowerPoint Video
• Save a PowerPoint presentation Video
• Insert items Video
• Finalize and review Video
• Prepare and run Video

Finalize and review

Note:  SkyDrive is now OneDrive, and SkyDrive Pro is now OneDrive for Business. Read more about this change at From SkyDrive to OneDrive .

Add themes, transparencies, and other design elements to give your presentation a professional polish. Then, review it before you present it to your audience.

On the DESIGN tab, click the Themes gallery to apply professional designs. And preview your slide show before delivering it to your audience. You can even get review comments on it from others.

Basic tasks for creating a PowerPoint 2013 presentation

What's new in PowerPoint 2013

Our slide show is almost done, but before we let the audience see it, we need to do something about the design.

Click the DESIGN tab. Then, click the Themes gallery.

Hold the mouse over a theme to see a preview.

The theme changes the entire look of your slides by applying a professional design.

It standardizes the fonts, the colors, the effects, the positioning of elements, even the background images.

You can even create your own theme and save it. Let’s choose this slide design.

Each theme also comes with a set of variants.

We added our theme last, but you could just as easily apply a theme when you first start, and change it later, if you want.

One more thing you may want to add is a watermark or image that appears on all of your slides.

Click Format Background , and Picture or texture fill . Then, click File... , locate a picture on your computer, and click Insert .

Drag the Transparency slider, if you want the picture to look more like a watermark. Then, click Apply to All .

Click the X to hide the pane.

As you work on your presentation, you may want to stop and preview your slide show.

Click the SLIDE SHOW tab. Here you’ll find the commands and settings related to running your presentation.

Click here to run the entire show, or here to run it starting from the current slide.

Sometimes when you are laying out a slide, it helps to see what it looks like full screen.

Before you call your presentation finished, you can go to the REVIEW tab, and click here to run the spell checker.

This is also where you can add and review comments.

For example, you could email the presentation file to others on your team and ask for comments. Then, view the comments here.

Up next, we’ll prepare and run the presentation.

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How to Do a Paper Review Presentation

How to Create a PowerPoint Presentation for College Class

Giving an oral presentation is an excellent way to disseminate the results of a research paper. While oral presentations can be nerve-wracking, proper organization and adequate time will help the process flow more easily and make your presentation a success. Once you have organized your presentation, making slides or other visual aids will add interest and impact.

Break your paper into sections. All presentations (and all papers) should begin with an introduction and end with conclusions. In between are many points capable of being organized. Write the major points on paper in outline form.

Write your main conclusions in outline form. Often, writing the conclusions first helps organize the rest of your presentation. Create slides for your main conclusions, which should fit onto one or two slides or overhead projector sheets.

Write your introduction. Your introduction should tell listeners why your review paper was important and include previous research as background information. Indicate your research question or the point of your paper at the end of the introduction. Give a brief outline on how your presentation will proceed. Create slides using this information. In a 15-minute to 20-minute presentation, your introduction should take two to four slides.

Create slides for the body of your presentation. Using graphics where feasible will help hold your audience’s interest.

Practice your presentation to help you feel more comfortable during the actual presentation. Practicing also helps you ensure the presentation length is within the allotted time. Practice in front of a limited audience (parents, friends) to get feedback regarding your speaking volume and presentation content.

• Generally, aim to have approximately one slide for every minute of your presentation.

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How to Summarize a Presentation

How to structure a presentation.

How to Introduce a Research Paper Sample

What Is the Purpose of an Outline?

How to write a rebuttal speech.

How to Ace Speech Class

How to Evaluate an Oral Presentation

How to Footnote a Newspaper Article

• Ramapo College: Creating an Oral Presentation
• Howtostudy.com: Making an Oral Presentation

Eberly Center

Teaching excellence & educational innovation, what are the responsibilities of anyone assuming the role of a reviewer.

The role of the reviewer should be clearly defined by the faculty member in charge, based on the purpose and objectives of the course, project and specific review. In essence, the reviewer should use her/his expertise to help the faculty member meet the course and project objectives through critical and constructive feedback of student work. To do this effectively, the reviewer should:

• Carefully listen to the presentation.  Withhold comments, questions, feedback and evaluation until they have carefully examined the work and listened to the complete presentation.  This means that it is not appropriate to interrupt a student. Some faculty members suggest to their reviewers that they take a few minutes to reflect on both what the student said and the project before beginning their comment/conversation.
• Evaluate the work, not the student.  Make comments, suggestions, criticism and compliments specific to the work.  In other words, it is more effective if your feedback does not begin with “you didn’t accomplish . . . ” but rather uses language like “this design doesn’t accomplish . . . “ or “this piece lacks . . .”
• Make sure to address students at the appropriate level.  For example, first year students are less knowledgeable than forth or fifth year students, and do not yet have the concepts or language that they will develop throughout the curriculum. It is sometimes difficult for reviewers, both faculty who do not teach first year students and practitioners, to remember what they knew and could do when they were first year students.
• [For external reviewers] Know and abide by the “ground rules” for appropriate discussion and feedback. For example,
• Should the reviewer talk to the student, the class or other reviewers?
• Is it appropriate for reviewers to debate or challenge each other’s comments? Build on each other’s comments?
• Should the reviewer provide both positive feedback as well as feedback on what isn’t working? Students can learn just as much from what they’ve “done right,” with an added value that it builds their confidence in certain aspects of their work. However, reviewers frequently have a tendency to focus on and emphasize the negative aspects of a project and fail to leverage the positive features when making recommendations.
• Should the reviewer balance questions with comments during the review to get students to be reflective about what they did, why they did it, etc.? This is particularly important if your goals include helping students learn to be reflective about their work and to become better at extemporaneously responding to questions about their work.
• Are there time limits for initial responses to students’ work?

Think about how you ask questions because questions are an important pedagogical tool to help students reflect on, interpret, evaluate, extend or articulate what they’ve done.  How a question is asked (e.g., tone, word choice, positive/negative framing) can potentially scare, embarrass, alienate or put students on the defensive. For example:

• A challenge question can help students to broaden their perspective and thus serves a valuable intellectual function. However, if not phrased carefully, and depending on tone, students can interpret this type of question as an indication of disapproval or dislike of their work, and thus become defensive.
• An exploratory question can probe students to articulate their process or the rationale for a decision they’ve made. However, if asked poorly, it can result in students becoming embarrassed if they believe you are questioning the appropriateness of a decision they’ve made or process they’ve used.
• A hypothetical question can get students to think about variations on what they’ve done. However, students new to the review process can easily be confused by such a question because the hypothetical situation was not part of the criteria for the project. These types of questions can help prepare students for the unexpected situations that often arise in professional practice.
• A contextualizing question asks students to situate their solution or design within the appropriate concepts, theories, principles, etc. This forces students to connect theory to practice, an important part of the intellectual process. However, students new to the review process may not see the relevance of this type of question until they are sophisticated enough to reflect on and recognize the role of theory and concepts in their own process.

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How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

By Krystle Wong , Jul 20, 2023

A top-notch presentation possesses the power to drive action. From winning stakeholders over and conveying a powerful message to securing funding — your secret weapon lies within the realm of creating an effective presentation .  

Being an excellent presenter isn’t confined to the boardroom. Whether you’re delivering a presentation at work, pursuing an academic career, involved in a non-profit organization or even a student, nailing the presentation game is a game-changer.

In this article, I’ll cover the top qualities of compelling presentations and walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to give a good presentation. Here’s a little tip to kick things off: for a headstart, check out Venngage’s collection of free presentation templates . They are fully customizable, and the best part is you don’t need professional design skills to make them shine!

These valuable presentation tips cater to individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, encompassing business professionals, sales and marketing teams, educators, trainers, students, researchers, non-profit organizations, public speakers and presenters. 

No matter your field or role, these tips for presenting will equip you with the skills to deliver effective presentations that leave a lasting impression on any audience.

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

Step-by-step guide on how to prepare an effective presentation, 9 effective techniques to deliver a memorable presentation, faqs on making a good presentation, how to create a presentation with venngage in 5 steps.

When it comes to giving an engaging presentation that leaves a lasting impression, it’s not just about the content — it’s also about how you deliver it. Wondering what makes a good presentation? Well, the best presentations I’ve seen consistently exhibit these 10 qualities:

1. Clear structure

No one likes to get lost in a maze of information. Organize your thoughts into a logical flow, complete with an introduction, main points and a solid conclusion. A structured presentation helps your audience follow along effortlessly, leaving them with a sense of satisfaction at the end.

Regardless of your presentation style , a quality presentation starts with a clear roadmap. Browse through Venngage’s template library and select a presentation template that aligns with your content and presentation goals. Here’s a good presentation example template with a logical layout that includes sections for the introduction, main points, supporting information and a conclusion: 

2. Engaging opening

Hook your audience right from the start with an attention-grabbing statement, a fascinating question or maybe even a captivating anecdote. Set the stage for a killer presentation!

The opening moments of your presentation hold immense power – check out these 15 ways to start a presentation to set the stage and captivate your audience.

3. Relevant content

Make sure your content aligns with their interests and needs. Your audience is there for a reason, and that’s to get valuable insights. Avoid fluff and get straight to the point, your audience will be genuinely excited.

4. Effective visual aids

Picture this: a slide with walls of text and tiny charts, yawn! Visual aids should be just that—aiding your presentation. Opt for clear and visually appealing slides, engaging images and informative charts that add value and help reinforce your message.

With Venngage, visualizing data takes no effort at all. You can import data from CSV or Google Sheets seamlessly and create stunning charts, graphs and icon stories effortlessly to showcase your data in a captivating and impactful way.

5. Clear and concise communication

Keep your language simple, and avoid jargon or complicated terms. Communicate your ideas clearly, so your audience can easily grasp and retain the information being conveyed. This can prevent confusion and enhance the overall effectiveness of the message. 

6. Engaging delivery

Spice up your presentation with a sprinkle of enthusiasm! Maintain eye contact, use expressive gestures and vary your tone of voice to keep your audience glued to the edge of their seats. A touch of charisma goes a long way!

7. Interaction and audience engagement

Turn your presentation into an interactive experience — encourage questions, foster discussions and maybe even throw in a fun activity. Engaged audiences are more likely to remember and embrace your message.

Transform your slides into an interactive presentation with Venngage’s dynamic features like pop-ups, clickable icons and animated elements. Engage your audience with interactive content that lets them explore and interact with your presentation for a truly immersive experience.

8. Effective storytelling

Who doesn’t love a good story? Weaving relevant anecdotes, case studies or even a personal story into your presentation can captivate your audience and create a lasting impact. Stories build connections and make your message memorable.

A great presentation background is also essential as it sets the tone, creates visual interest and reinforces your message. Enhance the overall aesthetics of your presentation with these 15 presentation background examples and captivate your audience’s attention.

9. Well-timed pacing

Pace your presentation thoughtfully with well-designed presentation slides, neither rushing through nor dragging it out. Respect your audience’s time and ensure you cover all the essential points without losing their interest.

10. Strong conclusion

Last impressions linger! Summarize your main points and leave your audience with a clear takeaway. End your presentation with a bang , a call to action or an inspiring thought that resonates long after the conclusion.

In-person presentations aside, acing a virtual presentation is of paramount importance in today’s digital world. Check out this guide to learn how you can adapt your in-person presentations into virtual presentations . 

Preparing an effective presentation starts with laying a strong foundation that goes beyond just creating slides and notes. One of the quickest and best ways to make a presentation would be with the help of a good presentation software . 

Otherwise, let me walk you to how to prepare for a presentation step by step and unlock the secrets of crafting a professional presentation that sets you apart.

1. Understand the audience and their needs

Before you dive into preparing your masterpiece, take a moment to get to know your target audience. Tailor your presentation to meet their needs and expectations , and you’ll have them hooked from the start!

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

Time to hit the books (or the internet)! Don’t skimp on the research with your presentation materials — dive deep into the subject matter and gather valuable insights . The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel in delivering your presentation.

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

No one wants to stumble through a chaotic mess of information. Outline your presentation with a clear and logical flow. Start with a captivating introduction, follow up with main points that build on each other and wrap it up with a powerful conclusion that leaves a lasting impression.

Delivering an effective business presentation hinges on captivating your audience, and Venngage’s professionally designed business presentation templates are tailor-made for this purpose. With thoughtfully structured layouts, these templates enhance your message’s clarity and coherence, ensuring a memorable and engaging experience for your audience members.

Don’t want to build your presentation layout from scratch? pick from these 5 foolproof presentation layout ideas that won’t go wrong. 

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

Spice up your presentation with eye-catching visuals! Create slides that complement your message, not overshadow it. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, but that doesn’t mean you need to overload your slides with text.

Well-chosen designs create a cohesive and professional look, capturing your audience’s attention and enhancing the overall effectiveness of your message. Here’s a list of carefully curated PowerPoint presentation templates and great background graphics that will significantly influence the visual appeal and engagement of your presentation.

5. Practice, practice and practice

Practice makes perfect — rehearse your presentation and arrive early to your presentation to help overcome stage fright. Familiarity with your material will boost your presentation skills and help you handle curveballs with ease.

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and seek feedback from friends and colleagues. Constructive criticism can help you identify blind spots and fine-tune your presentation to perfection.

With Venngage’s real-time collaboration feature , receiving feedback and editing your presentation is a seamless process. Group members can access and work on the presentation simultaneously and edit content side by side in real-time. Changes will be reflected immediately to the entire team, promoting seamless teamwork.

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

Prepare for the unexpected by checking your equipment, internet connection and any other potential hiccups. If you’re worried that you’ll miss out on any important points, you could always have note cards prepared. Remember to remain focused and rehearse potential answers to anticipated questions.

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

As the big day approaches, give your presentation one last shine. Review your talking points, practice how to present a presentation and make any final tweaks. Deep breaths — you’re on the brink of delivering a successful presentation!

In competitive environments, persuasive presentations set individuals and organizations apart. To brush up on your presentation skills, read these guides on how to make a persuasive presentation and tips to presenting effectively . 

Whether you’re an experienced presenter or a novice, the right techniques will let your presentation skills soar to new heights!

From public speaking hacks to interactive elements and storytelling prowess, these 9 effective presentation techniques will empower you to leave a lasting impression on your audience and make your presentations unforgettable.

1. Confidence and positive body language

Positive body language instantly captivates your audience, making them believe in your message as much as you do. Strengthen your stage presence and own that stage like it’s your second home! Stand tall, shoulders back and exude confidence. 

2. Eye contact with the audience

Break down that invisible barrier and connect with your audience through their eyes. Maintaining eye contact when giving a presentation builds trust and shows that you’re present and engaged with them.

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

A little movement goes a long way! Emphasize key points with purposeful gestures and don’t be afraid to walk around the stage. Your energy will be contagious!

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

Weave the magic of storytelling into your presentation. Share relatable anecdotes, inspiring success stories or even personal experiences that tug at the heartstrings of your audience. Adjust your pitch, pace and volume to match the emotions and intensity of the story. Varying your speaking voice adds depth and enhances your stage presence.

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

Spice up your presentation with a dash of visual pizzazz! Use slides, images and video clips to add depth and clarity to your message. Just remember, less is more—don’t overwhelm them with information overload. 

Turn your presentations into an interactive party! Involve your audience with questions, polls or group activities. When they actively participate, they become invested in your presentation’s success. Bring your design to life with animated elements. Venngage allows you to apply animations to icons, images and text to create dynamic and engaging visual content.

6. Utilize humor strategically

Laughter is the best medicine—and a fantastic presentation enhancer! A well-placed joke or lighthearted moment can break the ice and create a warm atmosphere , making your audience more receptive to your message.

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

Be attentive to your audience’s reactions and feedback. If they have questions or concerns, address them with genuine interest and respect. Your responsiveness builds rapport and shows that you genuinely care about their experience.

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

Apply the 10-20-30 presentation rule and keep it short, sweet and impactful! Stick to ten slides, deliver your presentation within 20 minutes and use a 30-point font to ensure clarity and focus. Less is more, and your audience will thank you for it!

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

Simplicity is key. Limit each slide to five bullet points, with only five words per bullet point and allow each slide to remain visible for about five seconds. This rule keeps your presentation concise and prevents information overload.

Simple presentations are more engaging because they are easier to follow. Summarize your presentations and keep them simple with Venngage’s gallery of simple presentation templates and ensure that your message is delivered effectively across your audience.

1. How to start a presentation?

To kick off your presentation effectively, begin with an attention-grabbing statement or a powerful quote. Introduce yourself, establish credibility and clearly state the purpose and relevance of your presentation.

2. How to end a presentation?

For a strong conclusion, summarize your talking points and key takeaways. End with a compelling call to action or a thought-provoking question and remember to thank your audience and invite any final questions or interactions.

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

To make your presentation interactive, encourage questions and discussion throughout your talk. Utilize multimedia elements like videos or images and consider including polls, quizzes or group activities to actively involve your audience.

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PowerPoint Tips  - Simple Rules for Better PowerPoint Presentations

Powerpoint tips  -, simple rules for better powerpoint presentations, powerpoint tips simple rules for better powerpoint presentations.

PowerPoint Tips: Simple Rules for Better PowerPoint Presentations

Lesson 17: simple rules for better powerpoint presentations.

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Simple rules for better PowerPoint presentations

Have you ever given a PowerPoint presentation and noticed that something about it just seemed a little … off? If you’re unfamiliar with basic PowerPoint design principles, it can be difficult to create a slide show that presents your information in the best light.

Poorly designed presentations can leave an audience feeling confused, bored, and even irritated. Review these tips to make your next presentation more engaging.

Don't read your presentation straight from the slides

If your audience can both read and hear, it’s a waste of time for you to simply read your slides aloud. Your audience will zone out and stop listening to what you’re saying, which means they won’t hear any extra information you include.

Instead of typing out your entire presentation, include only main ideas, keywords, and talking points in your slide show text. Engage your audience by sharing the details out loud.

Follow the 5/5/5 rule

To keep your audience from feeling overwhelmed, you should keep the text on each slide short and to the point. Some experts suggest using the 5/5/5 rule : no more than five words per line of text, five lines of text per slide, or five text-heavy slides in a row.

Don't forget your audience

Who will be watching your presentation? The same goofy effects and funny clip art that would entertain a classroom full of middle-school students might make you look unprofessional in front of business colleagues and clients.

Humor can lighten up a presentation, but if you use it inappropriately your audience might think you don’t know what you’re doing. Know your audience, and tailor your presentation to their tastes and expectations.

Choose readable colors and fonts

Your text should be easy to read and pleasant to look at. Large, simple fonts and theme colors are always your best bet. The best fonts and colors can vary depending on your presentation setting. Presenting in a large room? Make your text larger than usual so people in the back can read it. Presenting with the lights on? Dark text on a light background is your best bet for visibility.

Don't overload your presentation with animations

As anyone who’s sat through a presentation while every letter of every paragraph zoomed across the screen can tell you, being inundated with complicated animations and exciting slide transitions can become irritating.

Before including effects like this in your presentation, ask yourself: Would this moment in the presentation be equally strong without an added effect? Does it unnecessarily delay information? If the answer to either question is yes—or even maybe—leave out the effect.

Use animations sparingly to enhance your presentation

Don’t take the last tip to mean you should avoid animations and other effects entirely. When used sparingly, subtle effects and animations can add to your presentation. For example, having bullet points appear as you address them rather than before can help keep your audience’s attention.

Keep these tips in mind the next time you create a presentation—your audience will thank you. For more detailed information on creating a PowerPoint presentation, visit our Office tutorials .

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How to respond to reviewers’ comments: A practical guide for authors

Whether you publish your referee reports with your paper or not, how you respond to reviewers’ comments on submitted articles is essential to publication.

It is true that the journal editor will decide whether to accept or reject your manuscript based on the scientific integrity of the work you are reporting. However, your response to reviewers and the journal editor will steer the journal editor’s decision-making process. So, a well-crafted letter to reviewers can only work in your favor.

But how should you reply to reviewers to convince them your paper should be published in your target journal? The following advice should guide you in the right direction, no matter the type of criticism you received from peer reviewers.

The right mindset drives the right response to reviewers

Before you respond to reviewers’ comments, celebrate three good things that happened to you:

• Your research paper was deemed good enough to be sent to peer review.
• The peer reviewers carved time out of their schedules to evaluate your work for free.
• Your paper was not rejected, and you were either invited to revise and resubmit or your paper was accepted with minor or major changes.

Now you can move on. Prepare to accept the criticism from your peers—it is an essential part of getting published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Getting detailed reviewer reports is a good thing. It means the reviewers have done a thorough job of finding the weak spots of your paper and are giving you the chance to improve your paper.

Getting a harsh reviewer is possible, but it doesn’t happen often if you submit papers to top scholarly journals. Most reviewers are helpful and offer constructive criticism, but they don’t waste much ink praising the manuscript. Remember they are doing the work for no remuneration, and the best use of their time is to make comments that will improve your manuscript, not boost your ego.

So, prepare to receive more criticism than praise before you respond to reviewers’ comments.

While a helpful review summarizes the major positives and details the negatives of a manuscript, in general, most reviewer comments are negative. Or, you’ll perceive them as negative. This doesn’t mean your paper has more weaknesses than strengths. It means that the reviewer has to detail your paper’s limitations, as these—not its strong points—need to be addressed by your revision.

Revise the manuscript before you respond to reviewers’ comments

It usually takes so long to receive feedback from the journal editor after submitting a paper that once you finally have their response in your inbox, you get defensive and inpatient. You are tempted to jump right into replying to the journal editor to defend every bit of your original submission and list your reasons for disagreeing with the reviewers.

If this situation looks familiar, you may not be ready to respond to reviewers’ comments just yet. To cool off, read the article “The Five Stages of Rejection” . It will prepare you to face the processes of revision and responding to reviewers.

When you’re finally ready to deal with the reviewers’ comments in a professional, objective manner, discuss the peer review reports with your co-authors. Decide which changes to accept and which to rebut, revise the paper, and only then start writing your responses to reviewers.

Practical advice for responding to reviewers’ comments

This section is based mainly on my experience as an author and freelance editor, and is supported by information I gathered from the hyperlinked resources.

1. Say thanks

Begin by thanking the reviewer for their comments and advice.

2. Summarize the revisions you made

Specify that you’ve addressed all of the reviewer’s concerns and summarize the changes you made.

Addressing a reviewer’s comment doesn’t mean you made the change the reviewer suggested. It means that you’ve considered it and either made the change or explained why you chose not to.

3. Make your answers easy to see

List all the reviewer’s comments and your answer to each one. Use a different font or color to highlight your responses. This makes the text easier to scan.

4. Avoid giving yes or no answers

Even if you’ve been asked to make minor changes, such as correcting a misspelled word, respond to reviewers’ comments with “We’ve corrected the typo” or “This was an oversight. We’ve corrected the error.” If it’s a more serious mistake, you may also want to add “We apologize for our error”.

5. Whenever possible, make your responses self-contained

The reviewer or editor shouldn’t have to peruse the manuscript to find a change you made. So, instead of “We’ve made the change. See page 5, line 24 of the revised paper”, write “We’ve changed [original text] to [edited text] (page 5, line 24)”.

But if you rewrote an entire paragraph or section, respond, “We have revised the text to address your concerns and hope that it is now clearer. Please see page 5 of the revised manuscript, lines 9–20, and page 6, lines 1–20.”

Remember that the reviewer may only skim through the revised manuscrip t , but they will likely read all your answers to their comments.

6. Do not omit any concern raised by a reviewer

When you respond to reviewers’ comments, you should address each and every comment—either make the change or reject it and justify your choice.

7. Pick your battles

Even if you don’t agree with a minor change suggested by a reviewer, making the change shows you’re open to suggestions.

8. Be tactful and use supporting evidence

You should always be tactful when answering to peer review comments, but especially so when you disagree with the reviewer . To support your argument, you may use supplementary material , such as figures and tables, that you won’t include in the manuscript. Or, you could share additional evidence with the reviewer and mention it is confidential.

9. Respect your reviewer’s intelligence

When a reviewer fails to understand a point you made, don’t assume they’re ignorant. If they failed to understand something you wrote, it means you’ve failed to express your idea clearly and you confused at least one reader. So, it’s likely the text needs editing for clarity and logic. (More details in the post What to do if the journal editor recommends English language editing services )

10. Respect your reviewer even if it means repeating yourself

Treat each reviewer as if they were the only one. Respond to each referee as if they were the only reviewer of your paper. Do not respond to one reviewer with “Please see our answer to comment 34 of Reviewer #2”.

11. Say thanks again

End the letter to the reviewer with a sentence such as, “We would like to thank the referee again for taking the time to review our manuscript.

How to reply to peer review comments when submitting papers for publication

The length of a response to reviewers’ comments depends on the complexity of the comments—and on how motivated you are to have your paper published in your target journal.

I’ve edited two-page letters to reviewers, and I’ve edited letters that were 30- or 40-page long. A letter to a reviewer should be as long as it needs to be to allow you to prove you’ve considered the criticism you received.

When you agree with a reviewer

This is the simplest case. Acknowledge your mistake and confirm you’ve corrected it.

Here are some examples of answers if you agree with the reviewer:

• We thank the reviewer for pointing this out. We have revised…
• We have removed…
• We agree and have updated…
• We have fixed the error…
• This observation is correct. We have changed…
• We have made the change. The new sentence reads as follows…
• This was an oversight. We have added…

When you disagree with a reviewer’s comment

Choose your words carefully when drafting your response to revision requests. First, emphasize any part of the reviewer’s comment you agree with. Then explain why you chose not to make the change.

Here are some examples of answers if you disagree with the reviewer:

• We agree with the reviewer that further elaborating on this point using new data would be helpful. However, we believe that expanding our dataset is neither feasible, given the costs involved, nor would significantly support our argument. For this reason, we chose not to make this change, but we added the following sentence to paragraph 3 in the discussion: “Though having a larger dataset would offer further insight…”.
• We apologize if our original Figure 2 did not show…. We did not intend to…. We have modified the figure and hope that it is now clear that…. We believe that adding a new figure, as the reviewer suggested, would be unnecessary given that our new Figure 2 shows….
• We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful suggestion and agree that it would be useful to demonstrate that…; however, such an analysis is beyond the scope of our paper, which aims only to show that…. Nevertheless, we recognize this limitation should be mentioned in the paper, so we added the following sentence….

In sum, whether you agree or disagree with the reviewer, aim to prove that you understood their comments and took them seriously.

What to do when reviewers disagree

When reviewers give you conflicting suggestions, don’t respond to reviewers’ comments, “As another reviewer suggested the opposite, we didn’t change the text”. Make a decision. Pick the suggestion you agree with and justify your choice to the other reviewer.

For example, you could answer , “As we received conflicting advice from another reviewer, we decided to make the change they suggested, because…. We hope this was the right decision.”

How to respond to reviewer comments—journal examples

Here are 10 examples of letters to reviewers (PDF files). Note that the authors who rejected a reviewer’s suggestion provided a valid justification:

To find other reviewer letter examples, check the journals that publish the correspondence between authors, reviewers, and journal editors.

Responding to reviewers: Advice on tone and language from the perspective of a freelance editor

When you respond to reviewers’ comments, maintain a positive attitude and be open to criticism. Your responses will tend to reflect your attitude at the time of writing. Word choice, tone, syntax—they may all reveal to the reader your true colors.

As a freelance editor, I’ve edited letters to reviewers that conveyed the message that their authors did not welcome criticism to their manuscripts. Their tone was overly formal, the sentences too short, and the examples few. These letters needed editing for style to make them sound more like a discussion between professionals than a court defense. And I’ve edited other letters that showed the author genuinely appreciated the reviewers’ comments. The authors of these letters used a positive tone, and their language was less formal and more conversational. The letters in the first category tend to be much shorter than those in the second, and maybe it’s not just a coincidence.

Having to respond to reviewers’ comments is tedious and can be unpleasant, because nobody likes their work to be criticized. But if you see the reviewers’ comments as an opportunity to improve your research paper and get credit for it, responding to reviewers will feel less burdensome.

Do you need a freelance editor for your letters to reviewers or for your manuscript? Send me a message at [email protected].

Related posts:

• Why does it take so long to write a journal paper?
• What to do if the journal editor recommends English language editing services
• The basics of editing research papers with math

Last revised on  November 2023

About Cristina N.

A freelance editor and writer with a keen interest in science, nature, and communication, I love to craft articles that help and inspire people.

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5 Tips for Responding to Reviewer Comments

4-minute read

• 6th August 2021

After months of research and writing , you’ve finally submitted a piece to your target journal. While you may rightly feel a sense of relief, the journey to publication is far from over! If your article is of interest to the journal’s editor, they will carefully review it, and you will receive feedback. In this post, we will consider five tips for responding to reviewer comments:

• Be positive and polite.
• Respond to every point raised.
• Make your responses easy to follow.
• Respond tactfully to conflicting advice.
• Edit your work before resubmitting.

Let’s look at these points in more detail.

1. Stay Positive, Polite, and Appreciative

At first, the sheer number of review comments on your article may be overwhelming. But keep in mind that revisions are a normal part of the process. There’s no need to be disheartened or offended by a long list of suggested changes.

In most cases, reviewers volunteer their time to read submissions. Their purpose is to verify the work and help researchers to present their findings in the most effective way. As experts who share your enthusiasm for your subject, they represent the journal’s readers, so their observations are valuable.

If some of the comments make you feel defensive, it is advisable to wait a while before responding. Giving yourself time to think should ensure that any annoyance doesn’t come across in the tone of your reply.

When you are ready to reply, make a point of thanking the reviewers for the time they have spent reading and assessing your work. Mentioning any comments that you found particularly helpful will show that you appreciate their expertise.

2. Reply to Every Point (Even if You Don’t Agree!)

Each point that the reviewers have raised requires a response. To ensure you don’t miss any, it is useful to make a list of the comments and go through them one by one. 

This list will be sent to the reviewers with your revised manuscript, so your responses should be concise but not too informal. For example, if a spelling mistake has been pointed out, then “We have corrected the typo” would be a better response than simply “Done.”

In the case of a comment that you don’t agree with, first ask yourself how important it is. If the change is minor, it’s probably best to accept it. However, if the suggested change is something you strongly object to, you aren’t obliged to consent to it. You do need to explain why you disagree, though, and if necessary, provide further data to back up your argument .

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3. Provide Self-Contained Responses

When you have made all the necessary changes, you will send a revised copy of the manuscript to the journal. The reviewers’ jobs will be made easier if they don’t have to keep switching between your list of responses and the revised manuscript.

So, if a change relates to only a few words, you should include a full description of what you have done in your response, e.g., “We’ve changed [original wording] to [revised wording] on page 5, line 8.”

For more substantial changes, it would not be practical to include the revised text in the list of responses. Instead, a comment like “We’ve reworded paragraph 3, page 17 in line with your suggestion” would be appropriate.

4. Respond Tactfully to Conflicting Advice

Sometimes, reviewers will disagree on whether a section should be altered or how. In this case, if the matter is a minor one, you are free to follow the advice that you prefer. Be sure to be respectful when responding to the reviewer whose suggestion you decided to ignore, though, and provide reasons for your choice.

But when the point of disagreement is more significant, you may need to seek further advice. If there is no clear solution, it would be reasonable to ask the journal editor for guidance before responding to the reviewer comments.

5. Edit Your Work

When you send your list of responses to the journal, you should also attach the revised version of your article. The “Track Changes” function in Word is useful for this, as it will help the reviewers and the editor to easily see what changes you have made.

Proofreading and editing your revised article and your responses to reviewer comments is the best way to ensure your writing is clear, concise, and error-free. Our expert editors are available to help you 24/7, and you can even try a free sample .

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How to be a Good Reviewer for a Scientific Journal

∗ Department of Gastroenterology, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, Truro, UK

† Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

Anand V. Kulkarni

‡ Department of Hepatology, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, India

Emad El-Omar

§ UNSW Microbiome Research Centre, St George & Sutherland Clinical Campuses, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Australia

In academia, peer-review refers to a fundamental quality control process whereby external experts (reviewers) are invited to provide unbiased critique of a paper (or other submitted material) and advise on suitability for publication. The process must be robust and conducted with honor and integrity and to the highest professional standards. It is not only the responsibility of the authors but also the reviewers to assess the manuscript appropriately and help in improving the quality of the finished article. A good reviewer not only assists the editors and the journal but can also benefit the authors, the wider scientific community and the general readership. In this article, we discuss the salient features of the peer-review process and tips for undertaking peer-review on scientific papers in an effective and professional manner, including opportunities to develop reviewer skills.

Peer-review is a quality control process whereby external experts (reviewers) are invited to objectively critique a paper (or other submitted material) and advise on suitability for publication. Peer-review is fundamental to the integrity of academia and is central to the selection of high-quality papers in academic journals. The success of peer-review hinges on reviewers, many of whom serve in a voluntary capacity to provide expertise and unbiased critique to safeguard the validity and integrity of research. Reviewers are entrusted to provide an overview of submitted work which may have been many years in the making, to comment on the quality and significance of the work and recommend the outcome of the paper. Being a reviewer therefore is a privileged role that should be conducted with honour. In this article, we share our tips for undertaking peer-review on scientific papers in an effective and professional manner, including ways to develop reviewer skills.

The peer review process

To merit publication, a paper must fit the scope of the journal and bring novelty, educational value, or impact on future practice. Most journal submissions will have undergone internal screening by the editorial team to determine suitability for peer-review. As the initiating step, papers are handled by editors who send out invitations for reviews. Responses should be confirmed at the earliest convenience to avoid delays. Reviewers can access the manuscript and are usually asked to (a) provide comments to authors, (b) provide comments to editors, (c) provide an overall recommendation or rating. Once completed, reports are amalgamated by the editorial board to reach a ‘first decision’. If revisions are required, the original reviewers (and occasionally new ones) may be invited back to review the revised manuscript and a ‘response to reviewers’ letter to determine suitability for acceptance.

The key journal metrics influenced by reviewers include:

• (a) Direct: Time to first decision
• (i) Impact factor (or equivalent), i.e., citation potential.
• (ii) Number of downloads.
• (iii) Social media metrics (e.g., Altmetrics/PlumX scores).

Deciding the outcome of a paper

The primary objective of a review is to provide a summative outcome on the manuscript to assist the editorial board with making a decision. Peer-review outcomes may include: (a) accept (rare), (b) minor revisions, (c) major revisions, or (d) reject. This should include a full appraisal of the submitted materials (text, figures and tables, supplementary files, references). The reasons for supporting the decision should be clearly outlined. Comments may be: (a) shared with the authors or (b) confidentially shared with the Editor in Chief. These should be prioritized in order of importance succinctly, e.g., in bullet point form, and courteously.

Deciding factors:

• 1. Novelty—does this paper address knowledge gap or add to the existing body of evidence?
• 2. Is this the right fit for the journal? Although peer-review should be consistent, the summative outcome of peer-review should be personalized according to the journal's standing and impact. Journals with higher impact factors are typically more competitive and incur higher rejection rates.
• 3. Will this inspire or lead to better clinical practice or understanding?
• 4. Fatal limitations—are there critical flaws, e.g. with validity, integrity or impact, that cannot be overcome?

Attributes of a good peer reviewer

The positive qualities of a good peer-reviewer include the following:

• 1. Expertise
• 2. Timeliness
• 3. Good written communication—with authors and editors
• 4. Professionalism
• 5. Empathy and kindness
• 6. Thoroughness
• 7. Intuition and judgement
• 8. Ability to maximize potential of a paper
• 9. Be open to novel and unique ideas

Approach to reviewing a paper

• 1. Responding to the invitation —Consider whether you should take it on. Is the paper within your expertise, and do you have time and the enthusiasm to do this? If you are unfamiliar with the journal, look up the journal and its standing in the field, and scout the quality of similar papers. Avoid reviewing for predatory journals which are often open access and not PubMed indexed. Even if you are unable to review, you should respond promptly to minimize delays and consider recommending alternative reviewers which will assist the editor.
• 2. Preparation – This depends on the type of submission. A full review for original research papers requires approximately 3–4 h on average, whereas case reports or letters will be more straightforward. Reviewing a ‘review article’ requires more attention to the flow of the article, citation of recent articles, and is generally dependent on the presentation of the article and figures/tables. This can be mentally intensive. Allocate time for when you are at your sharpest, ideally with coffee in hand. Reviews can either be printed out (and annotated) or done online. This can be completed all at once or in a staggered manner (go away and think about it). Comments should be typed on to a Word document (with Autosave function), ideally with your review paper side-by-side to make comments as you read. Perform a literature search to ensure you are up-to-date with the latest on the topic of the paper. Look for the duplication of data/papers through a Google/PubMed search.

High Impact Areas During Peer-Review.

• a. Overall —Consider readability: flow (does the story make sense), language (spelling, grammar, and syntax), word count, and overall feel and quality of the manuscript.
• b. Title —Does this capture the essence of the study? Could this be improved to capture keywords, including the study type? This is important for search engine optimization to maximize the paper's visibility on Internet search engines.
• c. Abstract —Has this been optimized to contain accurate facts, headline results? Does it answer the question ‘so what?’. Does the conclusion of the abstract and title match?
• d. Introduction —Does this give a true, up to date and balanced background and set out the need for the study? Are the aims and objectives appropriate?
• e. Methods —Is the study ethical? Are methods (+/− materials) adequately described to enable reproducibility? Is the study design, outcomes, timelines, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and statistical analyses clear to infer validity and generalizability? What are the sources of bias and what steps have been taken to minimize these? Is the study powered to detect a true difference? If there is a registered study protocol, check if this aligns. Have the authors followed standardized reporting guidelines for their type of study? Is an ethics statement included?
• f. Results —Do these flow logically? Are they structured in a readable form? Are they represented in major Figures (and Tables) and do they stand out? Are the statistical tests appropriate? Look in the supplementary files (if available).
• g. Discussion —Do they contain a summary of their key findings? Have they performed an up-to-date literature review and discussed how it adds to the existing literature? Is there any scope for future areas which is appropriately addressed in Discussion? Are the limitations sufficiently presented?
• h. References —Are they recent and relevant? Are there any notable omissions? Are the references presented uniformly?
• 5. Providing feedback —Reflect on the paper, with focus on the high-impact areas. Read and re-read these areas, especially the Title, to ensure this is the best version it can be. Look in the Cover Letter and Supplementary Files in case there are high impact points that have been missed, e.g., important results or figures, what the study adds or how the study changes practice. These are important for dissemination, especially on social media, which can enhance the impact of the work and increase citations. 1 Also consider the flow and ease of comprehension of the article, particularly to non-native English speakers. Consider the merits of the paper and the limitations, in order to deliberate on the paper's outcome. Feedback should be structured below.

Structure of a good peer review

A good peer-reviewer can give added value to the authors, the editors, the journal, and the general readership ( Figure 1 ). There are 3 components to the review process ( Table 2 ):

• (a) Writing comments to the authors
• (b) Writing confidential comments to the editors
• (c) Overall recommendation

How to be a good reviewer.

Suggested Template for a Reviewer Report.

For the comments to authors, consider the following tips:

• • First and foremost, you should write something! There is nothing more useless to editors and to the external peer review process, than a reviewer simply stating that this is an outstanding piece of work and that you have no comments. Nothing is perfect, and we should all strive to make things better by our critique.
• • Always be fair, balanced, polite, and civil. Even if you are going to trash the work, use language that is professional, non-accusatory, does not belittle the authors, and is not sarcastic or cynical. Essentially, be tough but nice. Equally, do not gush too much in your praise of the work even if you think it is the best thing since sliced bread!
• • Treat the paper with respect and review it in a manner that you wish for your paper to be reviewed.
• • Start with the summary of the study and its major findings (without judgement at this stage).
• • Give a comment on the novelty (or lack of) and what it brings to the field. Point out if similar findings have previously been published. You do this to back up your conclusion that the work is perhaps not as novel as the authors claim but express this politely by stating that ‘similar work has recently been reported by X et al, so the novelty of this work is perhaps modest.’
• • Outline your comments as MAJOR and MINOR. These should also be structured and prioritized, so that authors can provide point-by-point responses.
• • MAJOR means either fatal or requiring substantive effort to upgrade to an acceptable scientific level. This includes flawed design, wrong or inadequate controls, wrong statistics leading to wrong interpretation of results, etc.
• • MINOR means things that must be fixed but are not fatal, e.g., confusing charts/tables/figures, language, wrong/old references, data that is missing and could/should be included, organization of sections.
• • If the paper is clearly flawed, you should outline the major flaws and deliver a clear outline of the issues.
• • Do not give away your overall recommendation.
• • Do not spend hours picking out minutiae, such as spelling and grammar mistakes. If these are widespread, simply state that the manuscript would benefit from thorough proofreading or editing.
• • If the paper is clearly suitable for publication, give advice that will improve the impact of the paper. Figures are especially helpful for social media dissemination. Graphical abstracts can also be high-yield and increase the paper's citation potential. 2

There is usually a separate section for comments to the editors—this is confidential and should include a brief rationale for your decision or significant concerns. At all costs, please avoid simply copying and pasting your comments to the authors. This is a very important part of the review process, and you must communicate to the editors your confidential views about the work. This may include major concerns, so go for the fatal issues and justify your recommendation. Equally, if you think this work is outstanding, you should explain why. Include any professional concerns with the paper, e.g., ethics, conflicts of interest, plagiarism, etc. Any editorial considerations should be included here, e.g. need for formal statistical review, special issue, value of an accompanying editorial, graphical abstract, 2 social media promotion, 3 controversies that may damage the reputation of the journal, or any unintended consequences in publishing the paper.

According to the editors of one journal, the three factors that determine a high-quality peer-review include 4 :

• • Completeness of the review and the accuracy of assessment of the strengths and limitations
• • Constructiveness of comments
• • Timeliness

Reviewing the revised manuscript

The majority of original articles will either be rejected outright or require revisions. If you are invited to review a revised manuscript, you should accept this opportunity as you will be familiar with the manuscript. Start by studying the point-by-point responses and ensure that these have been addressed satisfactorily. Review the tracked changes to the manuscript to ensure that the reviewers’ comments have been addressed. At this point, avoid subjecting the authors to excessive rounds of revisions as this can not only be frustrating but can also lead to delays with publication, and potential loss of novelty.

Common mistakes in peer-review

Avoid the following mistakes in peer-review:

• • Excessive delays with responses or completion
• • Not being thorough
• • Demanding recommendations that are impossible to remedy
• • Not maintaining confidentiality
• • Duplicating what has been included under limitations
• • Use of discourteous or overly negative language
• • Not providing added value
• • Focus on language versus content
• • Low threshold to accept submissions
• • Failing to justify their decision
• • Lacking professionalism, e.g., self-citations, not declaring conflicts of interest, not respecting intellectual property.
• • Not considering the unintended consequences of a paper
• • Biased by the author's name or institution

Improving your reviewer skills

Good peer-review can be gained through the following:

• (a) Self-reflection : Consider creating a free-to-use Publons ( http://www.publons.com ) account to maintain an electronic portfolio of reviews over time. These are stored confidentially and can be browsed to aid reflection and development. Users can access their peer-review metrics (e.g. reviews per month; average word count, Altmetrics activity, contributions to different journals) and can also inform you if rejected papers are published in another journal. Reviewer metrics help to quantify your reviewer contributions and can give indicators on your work-life balance. Formal feedback on the quality of your reviews can also be requested from editors enrolled on Publons.
• (b) Other reviewers' feedback : On average, each review is undertaken by 2.2 reviewers. 5 After submitting your review, you will usually receive the outcome letter containing all reviewers' comments. Compare and contrast your comments to learn from other reviewers. This can be hugely rewarding and eye-opening. Inspiration can also be gained by observing the format, writing style, and tone of others.
• (c) Formal mentorship : For those within their formative phase of being a reviewer, there is ample opportunity to engage in peer review under expert supervision or mentorship. Many reviews are turned down due to lack of time but offer an ideal opportunity for fellows to take part. This can be done locally or through distant mentorship.

Being a reviewer for a scientific journal is an honor and a privilege. The role not only serves the editors and the journal but also benefits the authors, the wider scientific community, and the general readership. In order to be a good reviewer, one must focus on timeliness, completeness, and constructiveness of reviews, whilst maintaining integrity and empathy with their approach. This can be gained with experience, reflective practice by maintaining an electronic portfolio, and with mentorship.

Credit authorship contribution statement

KS, AVK, and EEO made the study concept and design. Compilation and initial drafting by KS. Final editing and critical revision by KS, AVK and EEO. All members approved the final draft.

Conflicts of interest

Dr. Siau, Dr Kulkarni and Prof El-Omar have nothing to disclose.

None applicable.

South Carolina-Iowa highlights: Gamecocks top Caitlin Clark for national title

CLEVELAND – It was a revenge tour, indeed.  

South Carolina avenged its only loss of last season, beating Iowa 87-75  Sunday afternoon for the Gamecocks’ third national championship under Dawn Staley and topping a perfect 2023-24 season.

This one is extra sweet for Staley & Co. because a year ago, the Hawkeyes stunned top-seeded South Carolina in the semifinals, dealing the previously undefeated Gamecocks their only loss of the season.  

USC players had been asked all weekend if they wanted another shot at Iowa, and they didn’t shy away from saying yes. 

South Carolina’s win also ends the brilliant college career of Caitlin Clark on a low note. The all-time leading scorer in the history of Division I basketball took her team to two Final Fours, a tremendous feat, but came up short in the national championship game each time.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

That’s a heartache Staley knows well: As a player at Virginia from 1988-92, Staley led her team to three Final Fours, never winning a championship. 

Dawn Staley earns six-figure bonus after winning title

With South Carolina’s NCAA championship and undefeated season, coach Dawn Staley earned another six-figure bonus. The national title gives Staley a $250,000 bonus. Staley will end this season with $680,000 in bonuses in addition to her $3.1 million in basic pay from the school. – Steve Berkowitz

How Dawn Staley forged championship legacy after heartbreak

CLEVELAND —  Dawn Staley  still goes over critical mistakes from 1991. 

It was March 31, 33 years ago. Staley was the point guard for the Virginia Cavaliers and the best player in America. 

The Cavaliers were up five with 1:25 to play in regulation in the national championship game against the Tennessee Lady Vols and legendary coach Pat Summitt. 

Then, suddenly, they were only up two with 48 seconds to play. Then-UVA coach Debbie Ryan called a timeout and drew up a play for Staley to get to the rim. (You could not advance the ball in the final minute back then.) Read the rest of the story here.

South Carolina and other undefeated women's teams who won title

The Gamecocks spun a season of perfection, capped Sunday with a third national championship after  defeating the Hawkeyes .

South Carolina , which entered the women's NCAA Tournament as the overall No. 1 seed, marched through March Madness with what looked like relative ease. Dawn Staley's players had not lost since the Hawkeyes beat them in last year’s Final Four, and the Gamecocks were winning by nearly 30 points a game.

Kamilla Cardoso  anchored the offense and defense and will be among the top five picks in the WNBA Draft on April 15. Read the rest of the story here.

Opinion: Caitlin Clark forever changed college game

CLEVELAND — There are athletes so transcendent, their impact so transformative, their sports are forever defined by the before and after.

There is baseball before and after Babe Ruth. Golf before and after Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, and then again before and after Tiger Woods. Basketball before and after Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

And there will be basketball before and after Caitlin Clark,  whose college career ended   Sunday with an 87-75 loss to South Carolina  in the national championship game. She has changed both her game and how women’s sports overall are viewed,  very much for the better , and neither will ever be the same. Read the rest of the column here.

What's next for Caitlin Clark?

CLEVELAND — What’s next for CC? 

Caitlin Clark’s brilliant, record-breaking collegiate career has come to an end. The Iowa star, a  two-time national player of the year , and the Hawkeyes  fell in the national championship game  for the second consecutive year as South Carolina capped a perfect season. 

Clark, a logo-shooting supernova who captured the hearts and  eyes of millions  over the past couple of seasons while  re-writing the scoring record books , will go down as one of the  most transcendent stars in all of sports , at all of 22 years old. In a state with a  deep history of hoops known for producing stellar women's basketball players , Clark stands above the rest. Read the rest of the story here.

Final: South Carolina 87, Iowa 75

For the third time in eight seasons, and twice in the last three, the South Carolina Gamecocks are NCAA champions.

South Carolina withstood late charges from Iowa and pulled away in the NCAA Women’s Tournament final, 87-75, to claim its third championship in program history.

South Carolina relied on its height, presence inside the paint and depth.

The Gamecocks secured an edge in rebounds (51-29), offensive rebounds (18-7), second-chance points (30-16), points in the paint (48-32) and bench points (37-0).

Iowa closed the margin with an 8-0 run midway through the fourth quarter while Gamecocks center Kamilla Cardoso was getting a spell on the bench, but the Gamecocks steadied and converted their clutch shots.

Cardoso posted a double-double with 15 points and 17 rebounds, and Gamecocks freshman Tessa Johnson led all South Carolina players with 19 points.

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, playing her last game for the Hawkeyes, finished with 30 points on 10-of-28 shooting.

Gamecocks in control

South Carolina is a quarter away from winning it all for the second time in three seasons.

The Gamecocks extended their lead in the third quarter, outscoring Iowa by six, and go into the final frame up 68-59.

South Carolina, going back to late in the second quarter, opened the second half on an 11-0 run. Iowa’s defense delivered some stops midway through the period and the Hawkeyes were able to cut the deficit to two, but South Carolina closed the quarter on an 11-4 run.

Gamecocks freshman Tessa Johnson hit a pair of 3-pointers late in the quarter and now leads all South Carolina players, despite coming off the bench.

After sprinting out of the gates in a torrid start, Iowa’s shots have stopped dropping — in large part because of South Carolina’s pressure defense. The Hawkeyes are now just 20-of-50 (40%) from the floor.

Star Iowa guard Caitlin Clark dropped 18 points in the first quarter, but has gone just 3-of-13 (23.1%) from the floor since then. She leads all scorers with 25.

Iowa needs to step up on defense

CLEVELAND — If there’s been a knock against Iowa all season, it’s been the Hawkeyes’ defense.

Iowa is incredible offensively, especially when the Hawks are out in transition; no one loves to floor and distribute like Caitlin Clark.

But trailing 65-55, Iowa could really use a defensive stop. That’s hard against a team that has great size and athleticism. But Iowa needs to figure out a way to slow down South Carolina, which fired off an 8-0 run faster than you could blink. Meanwhile, Iowa went scoreless for more than three minutes.

In a game like this, momentum matters, big-time.

And that’s why Iowa coach Lisa Bluder just burned her second timeout, to try to stop the bleeding, as South Carolina has taken a 68-57 lead after a three from Tessa Johnson. There's only 1:06 left in the third, but Bluder knows it matters. 

Tamika Catchings, Jalen Hurts among celebs at game

The stars have descended on Cleveland for the national championship game between Iowa and South Carolina. Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings and WNBA MVP Candace Parker are at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to watch the new generation of talent.

Parker was sitting with USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is there, as is “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis and singer and Gamecocks alum Darius Rucker.

Caitlin Clark getting help from teammates

CLEVELAND – Bree Hall looks frustrated.

The 6-foot junior guard has done a terrific job guarding Caitlin Clark this afternoon. She’s had a hand in her face — literally — every time Clark has crossed half-court, and Clark has worked hard for each of her 23 points.

But Hall can’t do everything.

After a missed three from South Carolina, Clark corralled the ball and raced up the court — with Hall right with her. Hall managed to get in front of Clark, who retreated to the corner … but then Hannah Stuelke flew toward the basket for a layup. After she scored, bringing the Hawkeyes within four, Hall turned away from the basket and let out a heavy sigh, visibly annoyed.

That’s a testament, again, to how well Clark’s teammates have played this tournament and how dependable they’ve become. You might be able to slow Clark, but she’s far from your only problem.

South Carolina in control to start third quarter

The Gamecocks stayed hot to start the third quarter, going on an 11-0 run that went back to the end of the second quarter. Iowa finally scored on a Clark jumper at around the 7-minute mark.

South Carolina fights back, leads Iowa at halftime

CLEVELAND — Well, that was exhilarating.

Caitlin Clark is sucking wind, Raven Johnson is breathing hard and we’ve got one hell of a game on our hands. Are you ready for two more quarters?

It’s clear that everyone on the floor is exhausted — that’s partially how Johnson just managed to sneak a steal from Clark. This game might come down to who’s more in shape, including if it turns into a free-throw shooting contest. At the end of the game when you’ve lost your legs, you have to be even more conscious of bending your knees and getting the ball to the rim.

Pay close attention the second half if shots are short. Both teams shot reasonably well in the first half — 47% for South Carolina and 45% for Iowa — but the Gamecocks have 12 more attempts, a direct result of their 12 offensive rebounds, which they’ve turned into 19 second-chance points.

Gamecocks course-correct in second quarter, lead 49-46

If the first quarter was all Caitlin Clark and Iowa, the second was a course-correction for South Carolina.

The Gamecocks opened the period on a 7-0 run to erase Iowa’s early lead and take a three-point lead — its largest of the game — into halftime.

This has been a game of contrasting styles. Iowa is looking to grab defensive rebounds and sprint out in transition. South Carolina, meanwhile, is crowding the paint and using its height to secure offensive rebounds and extend possessions; the Gamecocks have a 12-4 advantage on offensive boards and have scored 19 second-chance points, compared to Iowa’s 11.

South Carolina also holds a 27-18 overall edge on the glass and has scored 30 points in the paint.

Clark scored just three points in the second quarter after dropping 18 in the first and leads all scorers with 21.

Gamecocks center Kamilla Cardoso leads her team with 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting, but South Carolina’s bench has been a big factor, chipping in nearly half of the team’s points, with 22. Iowa’s bench, by comparison, hasn’t scored a single point.

South Carolina is up, 49-46.

Dawn Staley is fired up

After Kamilla Cardoso grabbed an offensive board and flipped it right back into the basket, Dawn Staley turned to her bench and held out her arms as if to say, “Why aren’t we doing that EVERY time?” The Hawkeyes have no answer for Cardoso, and Staley knows it.

Staley is visibly upset — extremely upset. She’s been on the officials since the jump, furious that Iowa star Caitlin Clark has already been able to draw numerous fouls against South Carolina. (Clark is 5-of-6 from the line.)

Staley’s assistants have rushed on the floor a few times to pull her back, encouraging her to back off the officials so she doesn’t get hit with a technical. She’s sat down a couple of times then popped right back up, and spent the first chunk of the most recent media timeout giving official Brenda Pantoja an earful.

She hasn’t been warned officially yet, but it’s something to keep an eye on. Midway through the second quarter, Iowa has shot nine free throws and South Carolina just three.

Caitlin Clark takes down another record

The records continue to fall for Caitlin Clark.

Already the NCAA's all-time leading scorer, Clark needed 18 points in today's game to pass Tennessee great Chamique Holdsclaw for the most total points in a single women's NCAA Tournament.

It took her one quarter to break the record.

Clark went 5-for-8 from the field and her 3-pointer with 20 seconds left in the quarter put her over the top.

"When she feels it, she feels it, " Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said between periods.

Holdsclaw won three straight NCAA championships with the Vols in 1996, '97 and '98 and, like Clark, was a two-time national player of the year.

Caitlin Clark already has 18 points

Caitlin Clark poured in a blistering 18 points on five-of-eight shooting in the first quarter, including three-of-four from beyond the arc.

Iowa off to blazing start but Gamecocks fight back

South Carolina may have entered as the undefeated favorite, but it was Iowa who started the game on a torrid pace.

The Gamecocks would settle, but star Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark poured in a blistering 18 points on five-of-eight shooting, including three-of-four from beyond the arc.

The Hawkeyes scored the game’s first 10 points and ripped off a 20-9 run within the first five minutes of the game to build an early lead. Iowa looked to push the pace in transition to prevent the Gamecocks from settling into their base defense.

Iowa hit six of its first eight shots and — behind Clark drawing a couple of fouls on attempted 3 pointers — the Hawkeyes also drew an early edge on free throws.

Iowa enters the second quarter up 27-20.

Mike Trout shows up at ballpark wearing Caitlin Clark jersey

Count Angels superstar Mike Trout among Caitlin Clark's legion of fans.

In a photo posted on Instagram Sunday, Trout was shown wearing a black No. 22 Clark jersey over what appeared to be a black hoodie as he walked through the tunnel at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.

Trout may catch the start of the women's championship game before taking the field to face the Red Sox.

Kamilla Cardoso looks OK warming up, despite injured knee

Kamilla Cardoso is wearing a sleeve on her right leg – it's white today, unlike Friday's black one – to cover the brace she's got on her injured knee. Cardoso hurt it in the second quarter against NC State, but was able to return for the second half and said after the game that she was fine, just needed more treatment. She looks OK, playfully kicking the ball as if it's a soccer ball during warm-ups. (Like pretty much everyone from Brazil, Cardoso is a big soccer fan.)

What time is Iowa vs. South Carolina?  

Iowa vs. South Carolina tips off at 3 p.m. ET today. 

Iowa vs. South Carolina predictions  

USA TODAY’s Nancy Armour has Caitlin Clark and Iowa getting the victory over undefeated South Carolina while Lindsay Schnell has the Gamecocks remaining undefeated to grab their third national championship. 

How to watch Iowa vs. South Carolina  

ESPN is airing and streaming Iowa vs. South Carolina . 

How to stream Iowa vs. South Carolina  

All games will be broadcast on ESPN. Here are additional streaming options to watch all the action on your devices. 

• Stream through  HULU with Live TV  
• NCAA March Madness Live app  
• Stream through  DirecTV Stream  
• Watch all tournament games with a subscription to fuboTV  

When does Caitlin Clark play again?  

Caitlin Clark and top-seeded Iowa takes to the court today in Cleveland against No. 1 South Carolina. They tip off about 3 p.m. ET. 

How many points has Caitlin Clark scored?  

As Iowa’s Caitlin Clark continues to rewrite the record books, USA TODAY Sports is tracking all her stats during the NCAA Tournament. Here’s everything you need to know about the superstar guard. Here is an in-depth, illustrated look at the Iowa star and her race to the all-time NCAA Division I scoring record. 

Kamilla Cardoso injury update  

South Carolina star Kamilla Cardoso left the Final Four game against NC State on Friday night after a fall that tweaked her right knee . She and coach Dawn Staley said after the game she was fine and would play against Iowa in the national championship. 

Dawn Staley thinks Caitlin Clark needs a ring to be the GOAT  

As she’s rewritten the record books over the course of her brilliant four-year career,  Caitlin Clark  has sparked numerous debates about if she is, in fact, the greatest of all time (GOAT) when it comes to college women’s basketball.  

No offense to Clark, who earlier this season became the all-time leading scorer in Division I history regardless of gender, but South Carolina coach Dawn Staley thinks that title belongs to former UConn standout Brenna Stewart.  

“I was really good in college, never won a championship,” said Staley , who led Virginia to three Final Fours, losing the only national championship she played for, in 1991. “You've got to win a championship. That's (my opinion) personally. Like I had a great career. But it's always, did you win a championship?” Read Lindsay Schnell’s full story . 

Caitlin Clark, Iowa shouldn't be able to beat South Carolina. But they will.  

Look at Iowa and South Carolina on paper, and it’s obvious the Gamecocks should win the national championship Sunday. 

Kamilla Cardoso is a force of nature , and Iowa has no one who can counter her. Shot-blocker Ashlyn Watkins has quietly been having a spectacular tournament . No one will sag off Raven Johnson this year . Dominant as South Carolina’s starting five are, the “second string” is equally lethal. 

And yet … there are teams that seem destined to win, and Iowa feels like one of them. 

It would be the fitting end to Caitlin Clark’s stupendous career , of course. She is already major college basketball’s all-time leading scorer and has altered the trajectory not only of women’s basketball but women’s sports. Sunday is the last game for her and Iowa’s super seniors, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall. 

Read Nancy Armour’s full column . 

Why South Carolina will beat Iowa and win third women's national championship  

By now you know all about when Caitlin Clark waved off Raven Johnson last year during the national semifinal, implying to Johnson – as well as everyone watching – that she didn’t view Johnson as enough of a shooting threat to guard her.  

Johnson was so haunted by that moment , she considered quitting basketball. But she’s lived in the gym since then, becoming a sharpshooter and go-to option in the clutch. She dubbed this season “the revenge tour,” and the last stop is Sunday. You really think she’s letting the Gamecocks lose again? Absolutely not. I’ll take South Carolina as my 2024 national championship pick. And don’t be surprised if South Carolina wins by 15+ — the Gamecocks are that good, that deep and that motivated. Read Lindsay Schnell’s full column . 

Caitlin Clark mastered her mental game and that has Iowa in the title game  

Iowa probably doesn’t make this national championship game earlier in Caitlin Clark’s career. 

 When the Hawkeyes’ offense was struggling against UConn on Friday night, when none of Clark’s shots were falling, when the Huskies were bodying the Iowa players from the moment they inbounded the ball, Clark could easily have gotten frustrated. Would easily have gotten frustrated in seasons past. Instead, she stayed almost preternaturally calm. 

Impressive as those logo 3s and her scoring average are, it’s Clark’s maturity that has brought the Hawkeyes within one game of winning it all. And she and everyone else at Iowa agree it’s that part of her game that’s come the furthest these last four seasons. 

“That doesn’t come without work. She’s put in a lot of work to the mental side of her game,” Kate Martin, who has played with Clark all four years, said Saturday. “That just shows how good of a teammate she is. She wanted to be better. She has all the basketball skills that she needs. She’s the best player in the country. But to work on the mental side, you can always get better on that.” Read Nancy Armour’s full story . 

How South Carolina's Raven Johnson used Final Four snub from Caitlin Clark to get even better 

Caitlin Clark almost made Raven Johnson quit basketball. 

The South Carolina guard spent weeks alone in her room, crying as she re-watched last year’s Final Four loss to Iowa. Over and over and over again. 

“More than 100 times probably,” Johnson said Saturday. 

It wasn’t only that Clark had waved off the unguarded Johnson, deeming her to be a non-threat offensively. It was that the clip of Clark doing it had gone viral, Johnson’s humiliation taking on epic proportions. 

“Caitlin's competitive, so I don't blame her for what she did. But it did hurt me,” Johnson said. “I'm just glad I had the resources that I had, the coaches that I had, the teammates that I had to help me get over that hump. And I just feel like it helped me. It made me mentally strong. 

“I feel like if I can handle that, I can handle anything in life." 

Johnson eventually did come out of her room. So she could head to the gym to work on her shot. Read Nancy Armour’s full story . 

South Carolina has chance to be greatest undefeated women's team 

Dawn Staley knows what the stat sheet says.  

According to the numbers, the top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks are undefeated in the 2023-24 season, having been perfect in 37 games heading into their final contest, a rematch with Iowa which will be played Sunday with a national championship on the line.  

But Staley, in her 16th year with the program, isn’t totally sure it’s true. 

“It doesn’t feel like it,” Staley said. “We’ve played some bad basketball this season that made it feel like we lost.”  

In the history of the women’s NCAA Tournament, there have been nine undefeated champions. If South Carolina beats Iowa, the Gamecocks will become the 10th. Read Lindsay Schnell’s full story . 

College coaches demand more accountability from refs. Iowa-UConn call is the latest example 

As women’s basketball explodes in popularity and administrators realize its power as a revenue-generator , pressure to win has ratcheted up. And that makes every call, especially in a close game, matter. 

For all the discourse around the varying issues in college sports — out-of-control, booster-led NIL collectives, a transfer portal that never stops churning and the looming reality of revenue sharing with athletes — coaches, administrators and even officials agree on one thing: The officiating in women’s basketball needs major work. 

The NCAA declined to make Penny Davis, the head of women’s officiating, available to USA TODAY Sports. But others spoke about one of the game’s most problematic issues.  

“I think to the overall point as the game has gotten more spotlight and just more people purchasing tickets, watching on television, the fundamental question as administrators is, have we done enough to look at the officiating?” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan told USA TODAY Sports. “And I think the answer is no.” 

Read Lindsay Schnell’s full story here . 

Kamilla Cardoso is formidable and immovable force for South Carolina 

The most impressive part of Kamilla Cardoso ’s game isn’t the fact that she played through pain Friday night , injuring her knee late in the second half before returning to play the third quarter. It’s that she’s improved throughout the season. Even if she’s not at full strength, she’s a load on the block . 

Most people take noticeable jumps in skill, strength or athleticism in the offseason, when they can devote hours to their craft. It’s hard to work on your individual game during the season, when you’re juggling class, scouting reports and daily practice that’s usually focused on the team. But just a couple months ago, Cardoso had a bad habit of getting buried on the block. She was often rushed when she caught the ball and took terrible angles on shots, frequently shooting underneath the rim.  

Against NC State, she looked like a first-team All-American. She was patient and polished, taking her time to feel the defense before going the other way and scoring — often through a few sets of outstretched arms. For her size, she has impressive body control. And given her mobility, she could be making a case to move up to No. 2 in this month's WNBA Draft . Read Lindsay Schnell's full story from the Final Four . 

Caitlin Clark average points per game

Iowa superstar guard Caitlin Clark is averaging 32 points per game this season on 46% shooting. She also averages nine assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. We are tracking all of Caitlin Clark's stats here . 

Caitlin Clark 3-point percentage 

Caitlin Clark is shooting 38 percent from 3-point range this season. For her career at Iowa, she is shooting 38.8 percent from 3-point range.

Tessa Johnson stats  

South Carolina guard Tessa Johnson averages 6.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 17.3 minutes per game. The 6-foot freshman has appeared in 33 games this season, shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from 3. 

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