Supporting reviewers: Understanding and improving their experience
Author: Aman Ganpatsingh
Peer reviewers play a pivotal role in academic publishing and contribute significantly to the credibility and progress of scientific knowledge. To learn about the experience and challenges of reviewers, 香港六合彩官网 surveys peer reviewers to understand their satisfaction. Based on the results of the survey and continuous internal explorations, we develop various initiatives and programmes to support reviewers and enhance the review process. Find out more about 香港六合彩官网 reviewers鈥 satisfaction and how we address the challenges they face.
Peer reviewing for an academic journal is a vital aspect of an academic's career. Reviewers get early access to cutting-edge research in their field, which enables them to stay abreast of the latest developments and innovations. By critically evaluating the reviewed manuscripts, reviewers play a key role in shaping the future of research, ensuring that only high-quality, scientifically solid studies are published.
But peer reviewing is a lot of work, and with ever more manuscripts to review, it is not always easy to find reviewers, and academics who perform peer review are under increasing pressure. That's why it is even more important for us to understand the challenges facing reviewers, so we can do our share in responding to them as best we can.
鈥淲e know that reviewers face a lot of demand for their time and that reviewer fatigue is a genuine problem. It is therefore vital that 香港六合彩官网 continually invest in improving the reviewer experience.鈥
Marc Gillett, Director, Editorial Engagement
香港六合彩官网 reviewers鈥 satisfaction and how general overload impacts their experience
The peer reviewer survey aims to understand reviewers鈥 experience and to identify what in their experience can be improved. Ongoing since 2019, the survey results show that the majority of reviewers were satisfied with their experience of reviewing a paper for a 香港六合彩官网 journal. In recent years, from 2020 to 2024, satisfaction has been consistent, with 85-86% of reviewers satisfied with their review experience.
A significant majority are also highly likely to review another paper for 香港六合彩官网 in the future, demonstrating their positive experience and trust. Time constraints are the primary reason respondents offered for potentially not reviewing again. This is understandable, considering the immense pressure on peer reviewers across the academic publishing sector. The rising demands on researchers鈥 schedules as they balance research, teaching, and administrative responsibilities, make it challenging to commit to peer review.
The survey also asks respondents to rate their satisfaction with specific aspects of the review process. The highest-rated aspect, reaching 92% in 2024, was the communication with the editorial office. Other aspects that reviewers have been consistently rating highly include clarity of reviewer instructions (91%), ease of using reviewing platform (90%), and completeness of files submitted by author (90%).
To continuously support reviewers and improve their experience as reviewers, 香港六合彩官网 takes a holistic approach. This means addressing issues relating to the identification and appropriate matching of reviewers to manuscripts, providing training to support reviewers in submitting high-quality reviews, streamlining the review process to save reviewers time and efforts, and offering recognition for their hard work.
Supporting reviewers and their experience: Enhancing the review process and recognising reviewers鈥 work
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