Reviewing requires the investment of time and a certain skillset. Before you decide if you want to become a reviewer, we recommend that you read more about the peer review process and conducting a review. You can also check out some of the training courses and webinars in the tools and resources section or at the free Elsevier Publishing Campus.
What do reviewers do, and why?
Reviewers evaluate article submissions to journals, based on the requirements of that journal, predefined criteria, and quality, completeness and accuracy of the research presented. They provide feedback on the article and the research, suggest improvements and make a recommendation to the editor about whether to accept, reject or request changes to the article.
Reviewing is a time-intensive process – writing a review report can be almost as much work as writing a manuscript! – but it is very worthwhile for the reviewer as well as for the community. Reviewers:
- Ensure the rigorous standards of the scientific process by taking part in the peer-review system.
- Uphold the integrity of the journal by identifying invalid research, and helping to maintain the quality of the journal.
- Fulfill a sense of obligation to the community and their own area of research.
- Establish relationships with reputable colleagues and their affiliated journals, and increase their opportunities to join an Editorial Board.
- Reciprocate professional courtesy, as authors and reviewers are often interchangeable roles – as reviewer, researchers ‘repay’ the same courtesy they receive as authors.
Why review?
There are great benefits to becoming a reviewer. You can:
- Establish your expertise in the field and expand your knowledge.
- Improve your reputation and increase your exposure to key figures in the field.
- Stay up to date with the latest literature, and have advanced access to research results.
- Develop critical thinking skills essential to research.
- Advance in your career – peer review is an essential role for researchers.
Reviewer Feedback Programme
We regularly survey reviewers to get a better understanding of their needs and how we’re doing when it comes to meeting them. Findings from the Reviewer Feedback Programme help us to improve the reviewing experience. For example 90% of reviewers said they would like to be able to see the final decision and other reviewers’ comments on a paper, so we added this functionality to EES.
The Reviewer Feedback Programme monitors Elsevier’s performance from the perspective of reviewers on Elsevier journals. We’ll ask you about various aspects of EES and other aspects of reviewing via an online survey. Areas of interaction and support are measured and reported regularly. Elsevier’s performance is benchmarked against that of other publishers.
If you have been asked to complete our Reviewer Feedback Programme online survey, we strongly recommend you complete it to make sure your voice is heard.
