How to Be the Reviewer You Want to Have-How to Be the Reviewer You Want to Have

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar celebrated Peer Review Week and focused on why peer review matters and how to do it well. Lori Harrington opened by explaining that peer review supports quality assurance, credibility, validation of findings, flaw detection, and protection of the scientific record. She also reviewed major peer review models: single-blind, double-blind, open, and post-publication review, along with common challenges such as bias, slow timelines, reviewer shortages, and inconsistent quality.<br /><br />Dr. Gabrielle Bishop then shared practical guidance for reviewers, emphasizing her theme: “Be the reviewer you want to have.” She stressed that reviewers should be honest, respectful, fair, and constructive, and should only accept reviews they can complete thoughtfully and on time. She explained what to evaluate in a manuscript: the rationale, methods, controls, novelty, statistics, and whether the conclusions are supported by the data. She also discussed how to prioritize requested revisions, avoid unnecessary demands, handle confidentiality, disclose conflicts, and involve trainees appropriately.<br /><br />In the Q&A, Dr. Bishop advised reviewers to alert editors about plagiarism, data manipulation, lack of expertise, or manuscripts clearly outside journal scope. She also discussed how to handle prior reviews, combative rebuttals, and reviewer credit. The session closed with an invitation to volunteer as a reviewer and reminders about upcoming AAI events.

Keywords

peer review

Peer Review Week

reviewer guidance

scientific publishing

manuscript evaluation

single-blind review

double-blind review

open review

post-publication review