Q&A host Tony Jones should be careful not to "overreach" his moderator role by making opinionated interjections in debates among the program's panellists, a far-reaching review of the program has found.

In their editorial review, commissioned by the ABC board, television veteran Ray Martin and former SBS managing director Shaun Brown find Jones' interjections are usually "appropriate and effective". But they outline examples of questionable judgment they say feed into criticism of the program and Jones.

The reviewers also call for Q&A to feature more women on its panels and film more often outside of the ABC's Ultimo headquarters, saying the high number of episodes filmed in Sydney makes it "impossible" for the program to comply with the ABC's editorial policies.

In a finding at odds with former prime minister Tony Abbott's depiction of the program as a "lefty lynch mob", the reviewers cleared the program of systemic bias after assessing 23 episodes broadcast this year. Mr Abbott instituted a frontbench boycott of the program earlier this year after the program featured former terror suspect Zaky Mallah.