The purpose of peer review

Peer review is a critical element of scholarly publication, and one of the major cornerstones of the scientific process. It ensures that published research is sound and properly verified and improves the quality of the research.

Reviewers for Journals are selected by the handling editors on the basis of their knowledge of the field. Reviewer names are anonymized so authors will not be informed of the identity of the reviewers. You must therefore take care not to identify yourself or your institution in your comments. Note also that the material you will be reviewing is confidential and must not be used for your own work.

Peer review

Peer review is a process employed to evaluate the quality of a manuscript prior to publication. Independent experts in the pertinent research field examine submitted manuscripts for originality, validity, and significance, assisting editors in deciding whether to publish the manuscript in their journal.

When a manuscript is submitted to a journal, it is evaluated to ensure it aligns with the submission requirements. If it qualifies, the editorial team will choose appropriate peer reviewers who are experts in the relevant research domain to assess the manuscript and offer their recommendations. These reviewers are independent experts, separate from the authors and the editorial team.

During the peer review process, editors and reviewers examine several important criteria.

• They first assess the scope to ensure the article aligns with the publication's objectives.
• Next, they evaluate the novelty of the content to confirm it presents original findings that differ from existing literature.
• The validity of the research is also a focus, ensuring that the study is both well-designed and properly executed.
• Reviewers analyze the data to verify its accurate reporting, analysis, and interpretation.
• Clarity is essential, as they seek to ensure that the ideas are articulated in a clear, concise, and logical manner.
• Compliance with ethical standards and journal policies is also checked. Lastly, they determine if the work makes a significant contribution to the field.

The peer review process involves several key steps. Initially, a researcher composes an article and submits it to a scholarly journal for consideration. The journal's editor conducts a preliminary assessment to determine if the article aligns with the journal's focus. If the article meets the criteria, the editor appoints reviewers who are specialists in the relevant field, hence the term "peers." These reviewers, also known as referees, assess the article's quality without knowing the author's identity, and vice versa.

The evaluation by the reviewers encompasses various aspects, including the article's quality, research methodology, potential biases, ethical considerations, and other relevant factors. Based on their assessment, the reviewers provide recommendations regarding the publication of the article, indicating whether it requires major or minor revisions. The editor then makes the final decision, which could result in the article being accepted, rejected, or returned for revisions.

Should revisions be requested, the author has the opportunity to resubmit the article after addressing the feedback from the reviewers. This iterative process may occur multiple times before the article is finally accepted for publication. In cases where the article is published in a subscription-based journal, access is typically limited to subscribers, such as university and college libraries, due to the high cost of subscriptions. Conversely, articles published in open access journals are freely available to the public online.

Furthermore, the peer review process can extend beyond publication, allowing authors and editors to make necessary corrections or even retract the article if significant issues are identified post-publication.

Reviewers Roles:

• Reviewers should treat all manuscripts they receive for reviewing as a confidential document.
• Reviewers should adhere to the provided guidelines prior to commencing the peer review of a manuscript.
• The reviewer must first assess the quality and originality of the article's content, ensuring that it aligns with the journal's standards and scope, and contributes new insights to the existing body of knowledge.
• It is essential for the reviewer to notify the editor and the editorial office of any instances of plagiarism, duplicate publications, the use of copyrighted images, or any ethical issues related to the treatment of animals or humans in the research conducted by the author.
• Recommendations from the reviewer should encompass options such as Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, Suggestion for another journal, or Rejection of the article. These recommendations should be substantiated with constructive arguments and factual evidence derived from the manuscript's content.
• Reviews must be conducted with honesty, transparency, and objectivity, regardless of the authors' religion, nationality, gender, race, or other personal characteristics.
• During the evaluation process, reviewers should concentrate on aspects such as originality, contribution to the field, technical quality, clarity of presentation, and depth of research, while also verifying that the authors adhere to editorial policies, author instructions, and publication ethics.
• Reviewers are required to disclose any conflicts of interest prior to accepting the responsibility of reviewing the assigned manuscript, informing both the assigned editor and the publishing house.

Strategies for Becoming an Effective Peer Reviewer.

This detailed guide on becoming a peer reviewer equips you with all the necessary information to successfully take on this role. It addresses the following important elements:

• The peer review process
• Preparing review reports
• Ethical considerations for peer reviewers

Become a Reviewer

Professionals aiming to boost their careers and keep up with the latest trends in their field can become reviewers by registering through this form today.  Please click and fill the form Join as Reviewer .