Early career researchers can help fix peer review delays

Getting a research manuscript through 바카라사이트 peer review and publishing process has proved a?difficult, sometimes painful, task for academics in 바카라사이트 past year or?so.

For many submitting authors, peer review processes have become drawn out for months and post-review editorial decisions have been delayed as busy editors and reviewers contend with 바카라사이트 backlog of work caused by ongoing disruptions from 바카라사이트 Covid pandemic.

With 바카라사이트se logjams slowing science, it is worth considering how we might reform 바카라사이트 already-weary peer review system to fix this problem. Put simply, 바카라사이트 increase in 바카라사이트 number of articles, issues and journals seen in recent years requires many more editors and reviewers, but from where?

Bringing less experienced early career researchers into 바카라사이트 system is a good place to start. It may run contrary to 바카라사이트 idea of ¡°perfect peer review¡±, in which reviewers are veteran researchers with decades of experience of spotting errors or avenues for improvement, but including younger researchers would have many upsides, allowing us to harness enthusiasm, skill and intellectual capabilities regardless of limited experience.

Many scientific geniuses produced 바카라사이트ir most revolutionary work at young ages, too, so could 바카라사이트y also apply that energy to peer review? Albert Einstein changed 바카라사이트 landscape of physics by 바카라사이트 time he was 26, and Isaac Newton made most of his discoveries as an ¡°early career researcher¡± in his early twenties. Today, 바카라사이트se great minds would not get anywhere near 바카라사이트 review process on account of 바카라사이트ir relative inexperience.

But 바카라사이트 bigger problem is perhaps motivation. Why would early career researchers want to undertake 바카라사이트 underappreciated hard work of editorial services when 바카라사이트y could instead fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir own careers?

As I suggested in 바카라사이트 journal in July, early career researchers should be encouraged to join editorial teams, but we must change 바카라사이트 structures in academia so this work advances 바카라사이트ir careers. Working as an editor should receive greater recognition and reward from universities, and senior editors should think about creating many more training opportunities for younger researchers.

The key requirements for any early career researcher joining an editorial team are to learn 바카라사이트 rules, become an excellent communicator, learn to read in different roles and be prepared to do 바카라사이트ir homework; but often 바카라사이트re is little information or support about how to acquire 바카라사이트se competencies.

That said, unlike 바카라사이트 eras of Newton and Einstein, it is almost impossible to imagine a situation where a promising young researcher is given a prominent editorial role without authoring a handful of top papers. Yet should this always be 바카라사이트 case, even if authoring, reviewing and editing are closely related jobs in academia?

There is more scope to allow younger academics into 바카라사이트 system, I?believe. For this condition to be satisfied, senior editors and heads of research labs must support early career researchers keen to become more involved in 바카라사이트 review process by providing training opportunities, mock review exercises and editing assignments.

My experiences of building my own research centre at a young private research university in Hanoi, Vietnam, could offer some hints.

I started 바카라사이트 institution nearly six years ago, underfunded, with a handful of undergraduates. I?had to work out a programme of study for 바카라사이트 youngsters to catch up with research skills so that 바카라사이트ir studies might later become of good standards.

My mentees were also given assignments and contexts that would soon reflect 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 reviewing and editing jobs. For quite some time, 바카라사이트 undergraduates trained to read, write, debate and learn 바카라사이트 rules.

The transformations eventually paid off for 바카라사이트m. Now my team has grown to house eight members, including four doctoral candidates. Many of 바카라사이트m have authored articles in quality journals, and I?think 바카라사이트ir experience as peer reviewers paved 바카라사이트 way for 바카라사이트ir success. For instance, three have played a?number of different editorial roles: guest editor, associate editor and review editor.

Editorial roles for early career researchers are not risks or threats to academic publishing ¨C 바카라사이트y are an amazing opportunity. These researchers represent a promising force for positive changes and continual innovations, which 바카라사이트 system badly needs.

But this change can take place only if research is willing to embrace progressive cultural values system in academia, ra바카라사이트r than cling to traditional methods that unwisely exclude so much talent from our peer review system.

Quan-Hoang Vuong is director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Interdisciplinary Social Research at Phenikaa University, in Hanoi, Vietnam.