Peer review just got easier to navigate. Here’s what users think

An enhanced peer review experience in Editorial Manager brings reviewer comments and author responses together in one place — and early feedback suggests it’s making a difference.

“A clear, intuitive, and well-integrated interface that makes the review process more efficient and allows reviewers to focus on the scientific quality of the manuscript.” — Dr Paula Filippone, Reviewer, Plant Science

Reviewing a manuscript should be all about the research. But far too often, the process gets in the way — comments scattered across documents, line numbers that morph between rounds, and no simple way to see if and how an author has responded to your feedback. Peer review is voluntary, intellectually demanding, and essential to the integrity of the research record. When any technical friction is removed, you and your fellow reviewers can focus on what you do best: evaluate the content , offer constructive feedback, and help authors strengthen their work.

The new peer review experience in Editorial Manager solves these issues by bringing the review process into one place. Now live for over 500 Elsevier journals, it brings reviewer comments and author responses side by side, making the whole exchange clearer and easier to follow.

A clearer way to work through feedback

The biggest change concerns how feedback is captured. Reviewers leave comments in the interface, and authors respond directly to each point. Those exchanges sit together, so the discussion around a manuscript is easier to assess: no more switching between documents or cross-referencing line numbers!

For reviewers, this means less time navigating and more time evaluating the research. For authors, it becomes easier to view and respond to reviewer feedback, allowing them to improve their manuscript more effectively. For editors, the integrated view brings reviewer comments and author replies alongside the manuscript, supporting faster and more informed decisions.

To complement their comments, reviewers can also upload files for feedback that is difficult to present as plain text, such as images, figures and formulae. For those new to reviewing, clicking the “Structured Review Guidance” button will download additional guidance outlining key considerations for reviewing a manuscript.

What reviewers and editors are finding

The early feedback is encouraging — across the journals now live, over 76,000 unique reviews have been completed through the enhanced interface, and early reviewer feedback is encouraging. The platform has received a usability and usefulness score of 84% from users, indicating a very positive user experience and a high level of perceived usability .

But the numbers tell only part of the story. What stands out is what reviewers and editors are describing in practice.

Dr Giuseppe Quaratiello, a reviewer for Environmental and Experimental Botany, describes the experience as one which “…supports the peer reviewer at each step and provides a valid platform that facilitates the prioritization of different components of the manuscript.”

Editors are finding similar value. “Its clearer flow makes the editor’s work much more efficient,” notes one editor. Another highlights the “ease of use and optimization of time in having all comments and reviews in one page.”

Dr Meng Jiang, Editor of Plant Stressopens in new tab/window, adds: “I am very positive about the new system. It has significantly improved the speed and efficiency of communication between reviewers and authors, which is a major benefit.”

Looking ahead

The enhanced peer review experience will eventually roll out to all journals published by Elsevier. We are gradually rolling out more journals onto the new experience, so if you’ve not already seen it, it might well be ready for your next review. We hope you will enjoy the benefits. If you have already used it, we would love to hear about your experience through this short surveyopens in new tab/window. And should you have any queries, do reach out to your editors or contact [email protected]opens in new tab/window.

Further reading

• Saving time and effort with the new submission experience in Editorial Manager

• Watch this video for an overview of the updates to Editorial Manageropens in new tab/window

• Innovation in Scientific Publishing

• Rethinking peer review in the AI era with responsibility and transparency