Celebrating Peer Review Week with IOP Publishing’s latest innovation in peer review: Co-review
28 Sep 2023 by Faye Holst
IOP Publishing Co-review logo
“This year, the theme of Peer Review Week is ‘The Future of Publishing’. IOP Publishing is committed to driving innovation in peer review to help raise standards, reduce bias and increase inclusion. One of the most recent initiatives we have introduced to our peer review process is the option for reviewers to formalise co-reviewing a paper, which means that everyone contributing to the peer review report receives equal recognition and reward for their work. We encourage reviewers to take advantage of this when they next receive an invitation from us, as it helps to create a more equitable and transparent peer review future.” Laura Feetham-Walker, Peer Reviewer Engagement at Manager IOP Publishing.
What is co-review?
Co-review allows two (or sometimes more) people to collaborate on a reviewer report, with all receiving recognition and reward. We offer co-review in the hope that early-career researchers with limited experience of peer review can work together with more experienced colleagues or supervisors to build their peer review competency.
What issue are we trying to solve?
Early-career researchers and PhD students will sometimes write reviewer reports on behalf of their supervisors without receiving any credit for their work. By implementing this co-review functionality on our system, we hope to:
- Allow early-career researchers to build their peer review competency
- Provide early-career researchers with benefits and rewards for reviewing
- Ensure full accountability in peer review, so that everyone who contributes to peer review is known to the editorial team
- Reduce the pressure to peer review for senior researchers
How to co-review for IOP Publishing journals
If you are invited to review and wish to co-review with a colleague, select the ‘Co-review with a colleague’ link in the journal’s invitation email. You will be asked for the name and contact details of the person you will be co-reviewing with. Your co-reviewer will be invited to review the manuscript if we still require reviewers. If they accept the invitation, you can work on the review together. The completed reviewer report form should be submitted to the journal through the co-reviewer’s ScholarOne account. See video below.
What to do if you have been invited to co-review by a senior colleague
Co-review is a great way to get involved in the peer review community. Critiquing a manuscript can give you a deeper knowledge of your field, help you understand how to structure and write your own manuscripts, and build confidence in your own expertise.
While it is your responsibility to write and submit the reviewer report, the colleague that recommended you should help you through this process.
Here are some tips on how to review a manuscript:
- If this is your first time reviewing, we strongly advise that you complete our free Peer Review Excellence online training. We recommend this training to early-career researchers and anyone who is submitting their first review. This comprehensive training course is designed to give researchers in the physical sciences the tools and confidence to review well. The course covers the fundamentals of peer review, how to write a review and peer review ethics. Our Peer Review Excellence course takes 1–2 hours to complete. You can register for free here: Peer Review Excellence.
- Follow this link to find information on how to prepare and send in your reviewer report.
- Ensure that you get feedback and support from your co-reviewer by sending them your reviewer report to read before it is submitted.
To find more information on what submitting a reviewer report entails, you can read IOP Publishing’s information on: