Statistical review for SEM and CFA manuscripts
Structural equation models give reviewers many places to look. We check the model, the fit reporting, and the decisions behind both, before the journal does.
What we check
- Model specification and identification, and whether the figure matches the reported model
- Estimator choice for the data (for example robust ML for non-normal continuous data, or WLSMV for ordinal items)
- Fit reporting: chi-square with df, CFI, TLI, RMSEA with its confidence interval, SRMR, and how cutoffs are used and justified
- Missing data handling (FIML, multiple imputation, or listwise) and whether it fits the pattern of missingness
- Sample size relative to model complexity
- Post hoc changes: modification indices, correlated residuals, and whether they are disclosed and justified
- Measurement invariance steps (configural, metric, scalar, partial) and how changes in fit are judged
- Reliability reporting (omega versus alpha) and complete parameter tables, with software and version
What you get
- A structured report with each issue tied to its page and table, why it matters, and a suggested fix.
- Confirmation of what passed, which is useful documentation for a committee or methods reviewer.
- Typically a Tier 3 (Complex) review. Your quote is a flat price set before any work starts.
What a finding looks like
Illustrative example, not from a client report.
RMSEA reported without a confidence interval
Results, Table 2
Model fit is summarized as RMSEA = .06, with no interval, and the text cites a single cutoff as proof of adequate fit.
Suggested fix
Report RMSEA with its 90% confidence interval, name the estimator, and describe fit as evidence to weigh, not a pass or fail.
Good to know
We review the analysis and reporting you send. We do not re-run your models unless that is agreed in the quote, and a re-analysis is a separate, larger scope. Pricing is tiered by the complexity of the analysis and quoted flat within 72 hours; nothing starts until you approve it. Your files are used only for the agreed engagement; see our confidentiality approach.
Ready when you are
Tell us about your project and you will get a scoped, flat-price quote within 72 hours.