Presented at the CSE 2012 Annual Meeting on Monday, May 21st

1. The Current State
of Peer Review
2012 CSE Annual Meeting
Anna Jester
Director of Sales and Marketing

2. Peer Review
A basic concept with many forms
Single-Blind, Double-Blind
Topic 1 Who should see what?
Removing Properties from Files
Topic 2 Where did you see that?
Reviewer Disclosure/Conflict of Interest Forms
Topic 3 Tell us more about yourself
Providing Reviewer Comments to Others
Topic 4 Options abound
Sending Content to Production
Topic 5 Including reviews

3. Preference varies by journal,
sometimes even within a
single organization
Blinding
What should be seen?
SINGLE-BLIND DOUBLE-BLIND
• Authors do not know • Authors do not know
reviewers’ identities. reviewers’ identities.
• Reviewers do know authors’ • Reviewers do not know
identities. authors’ identities.
• This can allow reviewers • Author identification must be
to identify potential removed from article files
conflicts of interest of provided to reviewers.
which they would • Author information should not
otherwise have been be visible on peer review
unaware. website screens seen by
reviewers

4. Removing Properties from Files
Do you know where to look?
• Many peer review systems automate creation of PDFs
for peer review purposes.
• Peer Review systems may remove the file properties
automatically from:
• Author uploaded files
• Reviewer attachments
• Editor or decision letter attachments
Keep this in mind when new file
formats or new versions of
formats become available.

5. •PDF File Properties
General Tab

6. •PDF File Properties
PDF Tab

7. •PDF File Properties
Simple Summary Tab

8. •PDF File Properties
Advanced Summary Tab

9. •Word 97-2003 File Properties
Simple Summary Tab

10. •Word 97-2003 File Properties
Advanced Summary Tab

11. •Word File Properties (.docx)
Simple Summary Tab
Only two tabs at the top in this version!

12. •Word File Properties (.docx)
Advanced Summary Tab
Only two tabs at the top in this version!

13. Reviewer Disclosure /
Conflict of Interest Forms
Inquiring editorial offices may want to know
• Some journals require reviewers fill out Disclosure /
Conflict of Interest Forms prior to reviewing.
• Questions often vary by discipline and may cover
topics including:
• Employment
• Consultancy
• Research Funding
• Stock Ownership
• Honoraria Items included may need to be
• Expert Testimony reviewed and/or updated at
regular intervals.

14. •Sample Disclosure Form
Answering “Yes” may prompt the
reviewer for additional information.

15. Providing Reviewer
Comments to Others
• Many journals • Some journals • Some journals
provide reviewers’ provide reviewers’ publish reviews
comments to the comments to all received with the
authors. other reviewers. article.
• Some journals • This may benefit • This may include
require a response less experienced the reviewers’
to the reviews at reviewers by names and
revision submission. helping them affiliations.
• Comments may understand what is • Journals may also
be edited before expected of all publish the
inclusion in the reviewers. decision letter.
decision letter .

16. •Sample Reviewer Comments in Decision Letter
Reviewers may be identified beyond “Reviewer #1”, etc.

17. •Sample of All Reviewer Comments to Reviewers
Reviewers may be identified beyond “Reviewer #1”, etc. and may be
provided a field to enter their name on the review form.

18. •Sample of “Other Review Submitted” Email to Reviewer
Reviewers may be notified when other reviewers have submitted their review(s).

19. Sending Content to Production
Including reviews
Many journals send metadata
collected by the peer review
system, in addition to files, to their Article File(s)
production team/vendor.
Metadata fields and files sent to
Metadata Table(s)
production vary by journal and
may be influenced by factors
including:
•Does the journal publish a
“pre-print” version?
•Does the online publishing
platform include functionality Review
Figure(s)
to publish reviewer Content
comments?
•If the online publishing
platform allows for this, how Audio/Video
must the reviewer comments
be collected and
formatted?

20. Peer Review (Recap)
A basic concept with many forms
Single-Blind, Double-Blind
Topic 1 Who should see what?
Removing Properties from Files
Topic 2 Where did you see that?
Reviewer Disclosure/Conflict of Interest Forms
Topic 3 Tell us more about yourself
Providing Reviewer Comments to Others
Topic 4 Options abound
Sending Content to Production
Topic 5 Including reviews

21. Thank You for Your Time!
Anna Jester
Director of Sales and Marketing
eJournalPress
6011 Executive Blvd, Suite 203
Rockville, MD 20852
301.230.7601
ajester@ejpress.com