Reviewer Training Program

Interested in improving your peer review skills? Not sure where to start when reviewing a manuscript? Need a structure for helping your own trainees learn peer review?

SLB is proud to offer its members a free, innovative peer-reviewing training course. In this course, you will learn from peer review experts and practice those skills in a simulated journal environment. Work at your own pace via asynchronous presentations. After completing the asynchronous portion, you will:

    • Accurately and fairly assess manuscripts
    • Write effective reviews
    • Identify conflicts of interest and bias

These skills will be refined after you complete the asynchronous course when you are entered into the JLB Editorial Manager system as a "trainee reviewer". You will be assigned paired reviews and hone your skills by reviewing active manuscripts for our journal.  Register below to get started with the asynchronous modules and begin learning how to be a great reviewer today!

Sneak Peek

Not sure what the course is like, or if you are ready to commit? Watch the implicit bias in peer review module below from the course. This module is the first training material to comprehensively discuss implicit bias in peer review and empower you to identify potential sources of bias in your decisions.

Not yet a member? Sign up today for many exclusive benefits and professional development opportunities, including this entire course for free!

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FAQs

1.  Who can take this course?  Although this course is envisioned as a career development opportunity for postdocs and junior faculty, any SLB member, at any career stage, is welcome. Continuous membership in SLB is required to in order to progress in the course.

2.  What is the cost of this course?  This course is free to SLB members. 

3.  Topic outline

    • Introduction - what effective peer review is / is not 
    • Knowledge and skills required for effective peer review
      • Considerations such as time, conflicts of interest
      • How to assess a manuscript
      • How to write a review
      • Implicit bias in peer review
    • Practice preparing peer reviews

4.  What are the requirements to complete this course?  Within approximately one year,

    • Completion of asynchronous lessons including related assessments
    • Complete assignments to participate in paired reviews in JLB's Editorial Manager system