Resources
Essential Readings for Reviewers
Academic Journals Are a Lucrative Scam - and We're Determined to Change That
Guardian article critiquing academic publishing monopolies and advocating for 'diamond' open access as a no-cost alternative for researchers.
Are Peer Reviewers Encouraged to Use Reporting Guidelines? A Survey of 116 Health Research Journals
Survey revealing limited use of reporting guidelines in health journals, suggesting broader EQUATOR Network adoption to aid reviewers.
Engage more early-career scientists as peer reviewers
Highlights the importance of involving early-career scientists in peer review, benefiting both the scientific community and researchers' development.
Ethics in Scientific Publishing: Avoiding Plagiarism and Ensuring Integrity
Focus on avoiding plagiarism and ensuring data integrity and transparency in scientific publishing.
Link: https://publishingresearchconsortium.com/ethics-in-scientific-publishing/
How Digital Publishing is Radically Changing the Landscape of Scientific Research
Overview of how digital publishing transforms scientific research, with trends like open access and AI integration.
Link: https://publishingresearchconsortium.com/digital-publishing-scientific-research/
If you can' be kind in peer review, be neutral
International Congress on Peer Review and Scientific Publication
Congress to advance research on peer review quality, credibility, and standards, providing an evidence base for publishing improvements.
Navigating the Peer Review Landscape
Wiley survey with insights on peer review challenges, engagement suggestions, and process improvement.
Online Training in Manuscript Peer Review: A Systematic Review
Willis et al.'s systematic review on online peer review training, noting membership and paywall barriers.
Link: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.02.22279345v3
Peer Review
Survey by Sense about Science and Elsevier on peer review quality, calling for better training, clearer guidelines, and transparency.
Link: https://senseaboutscience.org/activities/?activityType=peer-review
Peer Review in Scientific Publishing: Current Practice, Guidelines, Relevancy, and Way Forward (Cosmoderma)
Cosmoderma's overview of peer review standards and benefits, recommending AI integration and training for early-career reviewers.
Peer Review in Scientific Publishing: What it is and How it Works
Visionlearning article explaining the peer review process, its history, roles, and potential biases in scientific publishing.
Peer Review Week 2017
Sense about Science participated in Peer Review Week 2017, promoting the theme 'Transparency in Review.' The event highlighted the importance of peer review in ensuring the quality of scientific research. Activities included webinars, resources, and workshops aimed at discussing challenges in peer review and fostering involvement, particularly among early career researchers. The organization also hosted a free peer review workshop at Glasgow Caledonian University. This initiative aimed to enhance understanding and participation in peer review practices.
Link: https://senseaboutscience.org/activities/peer-review-week-2017/
Reducing the Peer-Reviewer's Burden
Nature editorial on balancing peer review demands with scientific output, advocating training, workload distribution, and collaboration.
So Does the Public Finally ‘Get’ Peer Review?
Overview of Sense about Science’s efforts to increase public awareness of peer review's role in evaluating scientific claims.
Link: https://senseaboutscience.org/activities/so-does-the-public-finally-get-peer-review/
The Future of Scientific Publishing: 7 Trends to Watch in 2024
Trends in scientific publishing, highlighting open access, blockchain, AI peer review, open data, and decentralized platforms.
Link: https://publishingresearchconsortium.com/the-future-of-scientific-publishing/
The Journal of Scholarly Publishing (JSP)
JSP resource for scholarly publishing, addressing academic publishing challenges and technological innovations.
The Ups and Downs of Peer Review
Article on the history and evolution of peer review, discussing its benefits, challenges, and proposing a training program for referees.
Link: https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/advan.00104.2006
The Wiley Network Blog
Wide-ranging resources from Wiley, including updates, tips, and support materials for researchers, librarians, and professionals.
Link: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/network?_gl=1*1itdwrm*_gcl_au*OTAzNzAxMTk1LjE3MjI5NDk5MTU
Vision Learning
Visionlearning offers free science education materials with an emphasis on the process of science, supported by NSF and the U.S. Department of Education.
ACS Reviewer Lab
The ACS Reviewer Lab is a free, on-demand course covering peer review fundamentals, manuscript evaluation, and writing quality reviews. Six modules and a final assessment lead to certification, and participants can earn a badge visible to ACS journal editors upon passing.
All you need to know to become an effective peer reviewer
Course by Wiley on the role and responsibilities of a reviewer, with tips to build peer reviewing skills.
Link: https://www.wileyresearcheracademy.com/p/all-you-need-to-know-to-become-an-effective-peer-reviewer
Certified Peer Reviewer Course (Elsevier)
A foundational training course for new peer reviewers, providing modules, webinars, and quizzes with certification upon completion.
Link: https://researcheracademy.elsevier.com/navigating-peer-review/certified-peer-reviewer-course
ICMJE Recommendations
The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) developed the “Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals” (ICMJE Recommendations). These recommendations include a range of topics, including ethical guidelines for authorship, conflicts of interest, and patient protection. They also provide instructions for authors on manuscript preparation and submission. For editors, the ICMJE Recommendations outline established best practices for conducting peer review and handling submissions with confidentiality, timeliness, and sound editorial decision-making.
Link: https://www.icmje.org/journals-following-the-icmje-recommendations/
Focus on Peer Review (Nature)
A free course on peer review fundamentals, including responsibilities, report writing, and ethical considerations.
Link: https://masterclasses.nature.com/focus-on-peer-review-online-course/16605550
Fundamentals of Peer Review (Elsevier)
Elsevier's guide on peer review, covering the ethics, benefits, and career advantages of engaging in the process.
Link: https://researcheracademy.elsevier.com/navigating-peer-review/fundamentals-peer-review
Introduction to the Certified Peer Reviewer Course
Elsevier course overview for aspiring reviewers, providing certification and training on peer review essentials.
Master Peer Review (Peeref)
Peeref certification for reviewers to advance careers, verified reviews, and training courses to build credibility.
Online Free Courses and Guidelines to Learn the Art of Peer Review
Letter from Neurology India listing online peer review courses, emphasizing timely and constructive reviews and EQUATOR resources.
Peer Review Training (Wiley)
Wiley's peer review training for early-career researchers, featuring basics, tips, and editor advice in video format.
Peer Reviewer Training Course (Wolters Kluwer)
Training course that emphasizes the value of peer reviewing for career development and networking.
Link: https://wkauthorservices.editage.com/peer-reviewer-training-course/
Peer Reviewing in Practice for Learners
Offers practical experience in peer reviewing through co-reviewing manuscripts with a mentor.
Link: https://webofscienceacademy.clarivate.com/learn/catalog
Peer Reviewing in Practice for Mentors
Mentor-focused course on guiding junior colleagues in peer review through co-reviewing and constructive feedback.
Link: https://webofscienceacademy.clarivate.com/learn/catalog/view/20
Research Integrity
Focuses on research integrity in publishing, covering ethical standards and responsibilities for authors, reviewers, and editors.
Link: https://webofscienceacademy.clarivate.com/learn/catalog
EQUATOR Network
Established in 2008, the EQUATOR Network (Enhancing the Quality and Transparency Of health Research) serves as a valuable resource for editors seeking specific reporting guidelines for various research types. The Equator offers a comprehensive suite of tools, including an online library, educational programs, and established reporting guidelines, to assist editors in ensuring the quality and reliability of health research publications.
Reviewer Training at IOP Publishing
IOP's Peer Review Excellence program provides online courses, workshops, and Trusted Reviewer status for early-career researchers.
Reviewer Training for Improving Grant and Journal Peer Review
Study on the impact of reviewer training on quality, finding limited improvement but recognizing slight error detection enhancement.
Link: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.MR000056.pub2/full
Reviewer Training Materials (The British Medical Journal)
BMJ's training materials for reviewers, with presentations and exercises to improve review quality and meet editor expectations.
Link: https://www.bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-reviewers/training-materials
Scholarly Peer Review
Comprehensive training on peer reviewing for scholarly journals, including ethics and evaluating research manuscripts.
Link: https://webofscienceacademy.clarivate.com/learn/catalog
The Peer Review Excellence Program
APA's Peer Review Excellence Program provides ethical review resources and editor support for communication science journals.
Link: https://academy.pubs.asha.org/prep-the-asha-journals-peer-review-excellence-program/
Wiley Research Academy
Wiley's platform with interactive courses on research ethics, manuscript preparation, peer review, and open access.
A Guide to Peer Review in Ecology and Evolution, British Ecological Society
British Ecological Society guide encouraging early-career researchers to engage in peer review.
Link: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/Publ_Peer-Review-Booklet.pdf
Best Practice Guidelines on Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics
Wiley's updated best practices for research integrity, addressing ethics, diversity, AI tools, and NISO terminology.
Link: https://authorservices.wiley.com/ethics-guidelines/index.html
Brief Instructions for Reviewers
APA's guidelines for reviewers on ethical, constructive manuscript reviews, emphasizing confidentiality.
Link: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/reviewer-instructions.pdf
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
COPE supports ethical practices in publishing, providing resources, education, and fostering debate on publication ethics.
WAME
The World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), established in 1995, is a resource of peer-reviewed medical journals from its membership of over 1,000 journals across 92 countries. This international, non-profit organization fosters collaboration and communication among editors through various initiatives. WAME's core mission is to elevate editorial standards and promote professionalism within medical editing. This is achieved by providing educational resources, encouraging self-criticism and self-regulation, and supporting research on editorial practices.
Link: https://wame.org/
Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT)
CONSORT provides guidelines for reporting randomized controlled trials, enhancing transparency and reproducibility in medical research.
COPE’s Ethical Guidelines for Reviewers
COPE's ethical guidelines for reviewers, stressing integrity and transparency in peer review across disciplines.
Link: https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines/cope-ethical-guidelines-peer-reviewers
Guidelines and Resources for Manuscript Peer Review
MUSC Libraries guide for peer reviewers on report structuring, ethical guidelines, and first/detailed manuscript readings.
Link: https://musc.libguides.com/c.php?g=982744&p=7106304#loaded
Guidelines for Peer Reviewers (Taylor & Francis)
Taylor & Francis provides guidelines and ethical standards for reviewers, covering confidentiality, conflicts of interest, and constructive feedback.
Link: https://editorresources.taylorandfrancis.com/reviewer-guidelines/
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
ICMJE aims to ensure accurate and unbiased medical publications through recommendations on best practices and ethical standards.
Link: http://www.icmje.org
Peer Review
APA's peer review resources, promoting high standards in manuscript feedback and reviewer training.
Peer Review Guidelines (Dove Press)
This guide for peer reviewers at Dove Medical Press journals emphasizes the importance of timely, unbiased, and constructive feedback. It highlights the single-anonymous peer review process, requiring reviewers to maintain confidentiality, avoid conflicts of interest, and ensure that all feedback is ethical and objective. Reviewers are discouraged from using public tools or AI-based systems like ChatGPT for manuscript reviews. The guide also stresses that peer reviewers' critiques help improve manuscript quality and guide editorial decisions while maintaining scientific integrity.
Peer Review Guidelines for Non-Academic Reviewers
Canadian Science Publishing offers guidelines for non-academic reviewers to participate in the peer review process. Reviewers are tasked with assessing the quality and clarity of a manuscript while maintaining confidentiality. Key steps include understanding the review format, familiarizing oneself with the journal, providing constructive feedback, and declaring any conflicts of interest. The review process involves summarizing the research, offering impressions, and identifying areas for improvement.
Link: https://cdnsciencepub.com/authors-and-reviewers/non-academic-reviewer-guidelines
Peer Review: The Nuts and Bolts
A guide for early career researchers on the peer review process, covering collaborative, post-publication, transparent peer review, and pre-prints.
Link: http://senseaboutscience.org/activities/peer-review-the-nuts-and-bolts/
PLOS Review Guidelines
PLOS ONE guidelines for constructive feedback and confidentiality in single-anonymized peer review.
Link: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/reviewer-guidelines
Recommendation 4: Train and Mentor Reviewers
The toolkit emphasizes the importance of training and mentoring peer reviewers to promote diversity and equity in scholarly publishing. It suggests providing accessible learning tools, developing mentorship programs, and creating co-reviewing opportunities to engage early-career and marginalized researchers. Additionally, the toolkit recommends inviting non-scientists as reviewers and ensuring universal accessibility in the reviewing process. These practices aim to broaden the reviewer pool and foster an inclusive and equitable peer review environment.
Link: https://c4disc.pubpub.org/pub/deia-recommendation4/release/1?readingCollection=91056a07
Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals
ICMJE's recommendations on best practices for conducting and reporting research in medical journals, emphasizing clarity and integrity.
Resources for Journal Authors, Editors, and Reviewers (SAGE Publications)
SAGE Publications' resources for authors, editors, and reviewers, covering ethics, responsibilities, and free courses.
Link: https://au.sagepub.com/en-gb/oce/resources-journal-authors-and-editors
Reviewing Journal Manuscripts, by Charon Pierson
Wiley-Blackwell guide for healthcare professionals on scholarly manuscript reviewing.
Understanding the Peer Review Process (Taylor & Francis)
Taylor & Francis guide on peer review types, response to comments, and reviewer participation to enhance scientific contributions.
Link: https://authorservices.taylorandfrancis.com/publishing-your-research/peer-review/
Wiley Peer Review Policy
Wiley's guidelines emphasizing confidentiality, COPE standards, and AI tools in the peer review process.
A Focused Toolkit for Journal Editors and Publishers: Building Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in Editorial Roles and Peer Review
Toolkit for DEIA practices in editorial and peer review, offering recruitment, training, and inclusivity guidelines.
Link: https://c4disc.pubpub.org/toolkit-editors-and-publishers
A Guide to Peer Reviewing Journal Articles (Cambridge University Press)
Cambridge guide on peer review fundamentals for selecting and refining high-quality research for publication.
A Peer Review Card Exchange Game (European Association of Science Editors)
European Science Editors' peer review game teaches ethical reviewing through card exchanges covering key responsibilities.
Link: https://europeanscienceediting.org.uk/articles/a-peer-review-card-exchange-game/
Alan Meier's Guidelines for Reviewing Technical Papers
Technical paper review guidelines by Alan Meier, covering review structure, common issues, and feedback.
Link: https://homes.cs.washington.edu/~mernst/advice/meier-paper.review.html
Checklist for Statistical Assessment of Medical Papers: The CHAMP Statement
The CHAMP statement offers a checklist to improve statistical assessment in medical papers, aiding reviewers lacking statistical expertise.
Equitable Peer Review (Indiana University Bloomington)
Indiana University toolkit for equitable peer review, including resources on reducing bias and improving transparency.
Link: https://guides.libraries.indiana.edu/peerreview/training
How to Become Good at Peer Review: A Guide for Young Scientists
Guide for young scientists on effective peer review, covering expertise, impartiality, confidentiality, and continuous learning.
How to Peer Review
Practical guide for graduate students on conducting peer reviews, emphasizing empathy, constructive feedback, and quality evaluations.
How to Review a Manuscript
APA's ten-step guide for effective manuscript review, with a focus on balanced, confidential feedback.
How to Survive Peer Review (The British Medical Journal)
BMJ's guide on navigating peer review, providing actionable advice for authors and reviewers in formal and informal settings.
Link: https://www.bmj.com/sites/default/files/attachments/resources/2011/07/wager.pdf
How to Write a Thorough Peer Review
Structured guide for writing a thorough peer review, recommending multiple readings and constructive, neutral feedback.
How-to Guides (Emerald Publishing)
Emerald Publishing's guidance on peer review principles, providing feedback, and ethical reviewing for authors and reviewers.
Learn How to Review a Manuscript
APA's resources on manuscript reviewing for quantitative and qualitative research with tutorials and videos.
Link: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/resources/how-to-review-manuscripts
Peer Review: How to Get It Right – 10 Tips
Brian Lucey's article offers 10 practical tips for writing effective peer reviews. He emphasizes professionalism, constructiveness, and scientific rigor.
Research Review Guide (University of Massachusetts Amherst)
UMass guide on best practices for peer reviewers, focusing on clear communication and constructive criticism.
Resources for Peer Reviewers (Springer Nature)
Springer Nature resources for reviewers, including training materials, feedback guidance, and support for reviewer recognition.
Tips from a Journal Editor: Being a Good Reviewer
Tips from a journal editor on effective peer review, highlighting quality evaluation, conflict of interest disclosure, and ethical feedback.
Link: https://blog.oup.com/2015/08/good-peer-reviewer-tips-journal-editor/
2022 National Ethical Guidelines for Research Involving Human Participants
The 2022 National Ethical Guidelines for Research Involving Human Participants update previous guidelines to address science, technology, and social science advancements. They prioritize the well-being of research participants while ensuring the ethical conduct of research remains current. These guidelines offer more specific guidance for research areas such as social research, internet-based research, public health emergencies, and herbal medicine, among others.