Reviewers are as important to scientific publishing as authors. Peer review is the touchstone of modern scientific method. Editors will agree it is a crucial component for ensuring the validity, quality and integrity of scientific journals. In fact, it’s thanks to you editors that Elsevier has introduced a new service specifically for reviewers. Christy Collins, Elsevier Academic Relations Manager, explains.

“Editors frequently ask us for ways to help reviewers,” Collins says. “We’ve heard the call for more reviewer support at the editors’ conferences, in the editors’ forum discussions, and through the editors’ feedback program. This is a project we have been working towards for some time and is part of our more general efforts to help editors help reviewers write their reviews in the quickest and most pain-free way possible.”

Elsevier’s increase in service and support for reviewers should have a knock-on effect for editors. “Not only will this new facet of the Elsevier website help reviewers, but it should also please editors, as it saves them time, effort and frustration. The new pages should reduce the number of reviewer queries, and give editors somewhere to direct any queries they do receive,” Collins points out.

After listening to editors’ suggestions, Collins’ team identified the components that the new pages had to have. “Firstly, we needed to help new reviewers in particular, by taking away some of the apprehension about reviewing in general,” she reports. “We needed to explain the expertise that was required, the process that would be undertaken, the expectations that editors have, and the consequences that occur if these expectations aren’t met. Secondly, we wanted to create a tool to which editors would be happy to refer reviewers. And thirdly, and this was probably the most ambitious of our requirements, we wanted to create a comprehensive resource on the web not solely aimed at Elsevier reviewers, but rather for the entire reviewer community. So, in that sense, it’s a unique tool that is not available anywhere else— and one that will continue to grow.”

So how does this new resource measure up? Let’s take a look at what a visiting reviewer will find.

Editors’ advice

One of the most useful features has to be the ‘Advice from editors’ section, where reviewers receive specific advice direct from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. This reflects the direct relationship that editors have with reviewers and has the advantage of allowing reviewers insight into how the people who make the final decisions on the manuscripts, the editors, would like to see a review written. This section of the site is earmarked for future growth as Elsevier seeks out editors from differing fields to contribute.

Top answers

The ‘FAQ’ section contains a large amount of detailed information to satisfy many reviewer queries. If however, the reviewer cannot find the answer to his or her question here, there’s a link to live (online) support. This is the place to send the most demanding reviewers!

Quick reference

Many reviewers have questions about statistics. Now, rather than skipping over statistics or referring these questions to editors, reviewers can use the quick-reference guide presented in these pages.

Portal

Useful links to other web resources, including Sense about Science and the Council of Science Editors can also be found on these pages. It appears that many universities and other institutions have PDF guides to reviewing, but while these may be useful for some, nowhere on the web will reviewers find such comprehensive information as is found on the Elsevier Reviewer pages.

Policy and procedures

In addition to general information about peer review, the new pages outline the Elsevier-specific peer-review policy in detail, and how EES works. There’s even a section explaining the free Scopus access for reviewers.

New newsletter

To signal its commitment to reviewers, Elsevier is also producing Reviewers’ Update, a free quarterly newsletter aimed specifically at reviewers. News, commentary, and debate about peer review will feature. Reviewers can sign up for this e-update (and enter the drawing to win an iPod) on the new Reviewers’ Home page.

Evolution

The content of this part of the Elsevier site is set to evolve to meet the needs of both reviewers and editors. “We’re currently working on a way to provide key information as a web-cast or pod-cast for reviewers,” Collins reveals. “If editors have things they want added, they should get in touch,” she adds. “We see the launch of these pages as the launch of a new service dedicated to reviewers—a way to support the people who make science publishing possible. We hope it will become the ‘go to’ reference for science and medical reviewers for all journals. ”

If you have comments or suggestions regarding the new Reviewers’ Home pages, please contact Christy Collins.

To cite this article, please use: Kirsten Spry, “New service for reviewers launched”, Elsevier Editors’ Update, Issue 24, November 2008

Useful links
  Reviewers’ Home Page