Demystifying the peer review process

Greetings students!

Myself and Dr. Amy Bauernfeind are working to draw up a list of valuable resources for guiding our graduate students through the publication process. Students are often anxious during their first experiences on both sides of the aisle--submission as corresponding author and acting as peer reviewer. These skills are rarely explicitly taught in graduate school. We hope that sharing information on the process and tips for best practices will help relieve some of these anxieties and encourage a smoother transition from consumer to producer of scientific literature. Of course, each journal will have it's own set of rules and expectations, but the links below provide an overview of the typical processes involved: writing, submission, responding to reviews, and acting as an adhoc reviewer.

This list is growing and evolving. Any tips or resources you'd like to share? Mention them in the comments!

Overview: 

A fantastic overview of the peer-review process, from writing to submission, to responding to reviewers:  Higher Education Network Blog (The Guardian) “How to get published in an academic journal: top tips from editors

A more elaborate overview of the process with tips from editors and experienced researchers: "Peer Review, the Nuts and Bolts: a guide for early career researchers" from Sense About Science, charitable trust.

Writing a Journal Article:

Submitting a Peer-Reviewed Journal Article:

Surviving Resubmission or Rejection:

  • Harris MS (2015) Revise and Resubmit. An essay on how academics should approach the resubmission process. Inside Higher Education. 
  • Belcher WL (2009) When a Journal Says 'No'. An essay on rejection. Inside Higher Education
  • Martin B (2013) Learning to Love Rejection. An essay on the importance of rejection in your budding academic career. Inside Higher Education.

Conducting a Peer Review: