The central kinetic processes defining layer-by-layer crystal growth or dissolution are the attachment and detachment rates of growth units at kink sites; the net balance of these activated processes leads to either crystal growth or dissolution. Various sets of rate expressions for attachment and detachment processes have been used in the literature, in each case attempting to most appropriately capture the underlying surface chemistry. We examine these proposals with specific attention to thermodynamics and detailed balance criteria and then recommend which expressions to adopt.