Be sure your review includes the following in the order shown:
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A title - Name of software, version number, and the reviewer’s name.
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An introduction - Introduce the subject matter. What is your review is
about? Provide an overview.
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A body – Make separate paragraphs for each subject. This is the description
of the program. Tell what the program does, not how to use it. Use a simple,
conversational tone. Use your own words. Describe your experiences when
using the program instead of providing an impersonal list of features.
Do not plagiarize the manufacturer's descriptions. Don't use terms and
expressions readers may not understand. Assess the ease or difficulty of
learning and use. Are there features you liked or disliked? . Be specific
about the program’s strengths and weaknesses. Evaluate the program on its
own merits. DO NOT name other products if making a comparison. Did you
have any problems with installation, operation, or conflicts with other
programs? Did it do what was expected of it? Are there any changes you
would recommend? How good are the manuals and the online instructions?
Did you require tech support? How good was it? Write about the good, bad
and indifferent. Be specific.
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A conclusion, summary or ending of some type - Do not leave the reader
dangling. If necessary, summarize some of the materials in the body of
the writing. Provide an overall impression of the product. How would you
rate the software as far as ease of use, value vs. price, and user level?
Would you recommend the program or not? Why?
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After the end of review include:
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Street or Web price (call a mail order house, look at ads from local stores,
or use an Internet shopping engine like “mysimon.com”). Do NOT use the
retail price. Round off the price to the nearest dollar.
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Special system requirements: Hardware & operating system, other than
the usual.
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Vendor's full name, address, phone number, and Web address. Tech support
address, phone, email or fax number, Web address and support policies (free,
or what does it cost?).
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Your article should contain 500 to 1500 words. It may contain less or more
in special circumstances.
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You must use your spelling checker. Use a grammar checker. Read the review
over carefully a few times.
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Read it aloud. Read it again the next day. You will catch all kinds of
problems on each rereading. No columns, underlines, italics, bolds, or
double spacing after a period. Start paragraphs at the left margin.
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Submit your review via e-mail to Review Coordinator, or on floppy disk.
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