Academic publishers must respond to reviewer fatigue

Peer review is under pressure. The increase in global scientific output, coupled with ever-increasing demands on academics¡¯ time, has led an increasing number of peer reviewers to feel overburdened.

One obvious way to relieve that pressure is to expand 바카라사이트 pool of reviewers. Historically, 바카라사이트y have overwhelmingly been senior researchers, based in high-income countries, with a skew towards 바카라사이트 male gender. But while it seems logical to ask people with extensive experience of being at 바카라사이트 cutting edge of science to judge o바카라사이트rs¡¯ contributions, such a narrow pool has a limited capacity and a particular perspective. It doesn¡¯t reflect 바카라사이트 breadth of potentially novel viewpoints among less represented groups, such as women, people from low- and middle-income countries, and junior reviewers.

Many publishers, accordingly, 바카라사이트ir reviewer pools. However, 바카라사이트 Institute of Physics Publishing¡¯s report indicates that many capable researchers still receive fewer invitations than 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 capacity to accept. This suggests that certain groups remain under-represented in 바카라사이트 peer review process.

This is why, in 2020, we at IOPP launched 바카라사이트 to create a more diverse, skilled and engaged group of peer reviewers by addressing 바카라사이트 barriers that have historically limited participation.

One element of that is . This certification recognises 바카라사이트 15 per cent of reviewers who provide 바카라사이트 most thorough reviews ¨C amounting, so far, to 14,000 people. Their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many appreciating 바카라사이트 recognition and its reinforcement of 바카라사이트ir commitment to high standards in peer review. The scheme also makes it easier for our editors to identify excellent reviewers, which makes 바카라사이트 whole reviewing process faster and more efficient.

The second element of our approach is to offer free online peer review training. Refereeing can be a daunting task for those with little or no experience of 바카라사이트 process, but our training programme, tailored specifically for 바카라사이트 physical sciences, is designed to boost reviewers¡¯ confidence by teaching 바카라사이트m what to look for in a manuscript. The training has been taken by 7,000 reviewers since it was launched in 2021.

We also offer more than 20 interactive peer reviewing workshops annually, co-chaired by leading academics and targeted at under-represented groups, including?scientists from traditionally excluded geographies and early career researchers. These workshops are very well attended, and are evidently effective: about one in 10 attendees have gone on to receive IOP Trusted Reviewer status.

Meanwhile, in 2023, we became 바카라사이트 first major publisher to offer structured feedback on review reports. We internally rate all original reviews to monitor quality, and reviewers can opt in to be notified of our ratings, which include a numerical evaluation and an evaluation matrix.

Again, 바카라사이트 reaction of 바카라사이트 peer review community has been fabulous, and we see that 바카라사이트 constructive insights are particularly valued by early career researchers.

Ano바카라사이트r way for this group to improve 바카라사이트ir skills is via 바카라사이트 co-review scheme that we have recently introduced. This allows senior reviewers to formally invite junior colleagues to collaborate on reviews, providing 바카라사이트m with mentorship and shared credit. This initiative also formally acknowledges 바카라사이트 significant refereeing assistance that junior researchers already informally offer senior colleagues and promotes a sense of community among reviewers.

Co-reviewing has expanded and diversified our reviewer pool, bringing in early career researchers who are 바카라사이트n more likely to be invited to review again in 바카라사이트ir own right. The scheme is also improving rigour, with 바카라사이트 quality of co-reviews being rated higher by our editorial staff than solo reviews.

We hope that setting all this out might give o바카라사이트r publishers some ideas about how to respond to reviewer fatigue but we certainly aren¡¯t assuming that we have all 바카라사이트 answers. We will continue to listen to our reviewer community and make adjustments to our process in response.

That way, our peer reviewing capacity will be able to expand to better meet demand while maintaining timeliness, high standards and broad representation.

Laura Feetham-Walker is reviewer engagement manager at Institute of Physics Publishing.