Your contribution to science
One of the most meaningful things a researcher can do is help evaluate the work of others.
What it means to be a reviewer
As a reviewer, you help maintain the integrity of academic literature, support fellow authors and strengthen the research that moves your field forward. Before accepting a review invitation, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the peer review processopens in new tab/window and how to conduct a review effectivelyopens in new tab/window. Free e-learning modules are also available on Elsevier Researcher Academyopens in new tab/window.
At Elsevier, we’re committed to a more impactful peer review process — one that draws on the diverse perspectives of researchers worldwide.
More than evaluation: A chance to shape research
Reviewers assess article submissions and advise editors on their suitability for publication. That means evaluating technical quality, accuracy and completeness, while also considering the broader relevance of the work to the journal’s readership.
The best reviewers not only judge; they collaborate. Through constructive feedback, you help authors strengthen their work and contribute to the quality of academic communication. The final decision rests with the editor, and your input is central to it. Reviewing takes real time and effort, and that investment pays back: for your field, for your reputation and for your own development as a researcher:
Help uphold the rigorous standards of the academic publishing process
Play an active role in identifying invalid research and protecting the academic record
Build meaningful relationships with colleagues across your field
Strengthen your reputation with editors and open doors to editorial roles
Give back to the community that supports your own work as an author
Recognition for your work that goes on the record
Elsevier’s reviewer recognition program is designed to acknowledge the work you put in and make it visible in ways that matter to peers, institutions and editors.
ORCID recognition
Your peer review activity can be listed directly on your ORCID profile, giving peers and institutions a reliable, publisher-verified record of your contributions.
Public acknowledgment
Many Elsevier journals publish the names of their reviewers each year and note outstanding contributions.
View an example acknowledgmentopens in new tab/window
Review certificates via Reviewer Hub
Your personalized Reviewer Hub profile documents your reviewing history and generates certificates you can share, a straightforward way to show the breadth of your expertise.
Complimentary product access
Reviewing takes time away from your own research, so for every review invitation you accept, we offer 30 days of complimentary access to Scopus, ScienceDirect and Reaxys, tools that support your work as both a reviewer and an author.
Inclusion in peer review
Inclusion is built into how Elsevier approaches publishing, from the tools editors use to finding reviewers to the policies that protect authors. It supports rigor, quality and more impactful research. See how we’re working with editors, society partners and the research community, and where you can get involved:
Focus on the research, not the results: Registered Reports and Results Masked Review judge work on its question and methodology
Diverse reviewer pools: Editors have tools and best practice to find reviewers from varied backgrounds, and you can volunteer to review via Reviewer Hub
Accessible peer review: Structured peer review helps early career researchers and non-native English speakers take part
Transparency: Editors, reviewers and authors can optionally self-report data in Editorial Manager
Inclusive policies: Our author name change policy lets authors update published papers privately, with no erratum
We listen, and act on what we hear
Our reviewer feedback program surveys reviewers regularly to understand what is working and what is not. When 90% of reviewers told us they wanted to see final decisions and other reviewers’ comments, we added that functionality. The reviewing experience at Elsevier is shaped by the people who do the reviewing.
