Researchers worldwide can now build their peer review competency online through IOP Publishing’s (IOPP) new state-of-the-art peer review elearning hub.
The hub extends access to ‘Peer review excellence: IOP training and certification,’ the world’s first peer review program dedicated to the physical sciences. Harnessing the most updated learning technology to deliver an ‘always-on’ and fully interactive learning experience, module-by-module courses are streamed seamlessly online. Early career researchers (ECRs) can boost their peer review knowledge and expertise at their own pace, with the possibility of standing out as an ‘IOP Trusted Reviewer’ once the full course is completed and verified.
Peer review is a critical component of scholarly publishing. When carried out properly, it safeguards the quality, validity, and importance of academic work. For quality scientific outcomes to continue to grow, the system needs dedicated and competent reviewers. ECRs are critical to this but, as less-experienced peer reviewers, it can be a daunting task. ‘Peer review excellence: IOP training and certification’ was launched in September 2020 to give ECRs the ability to review with confidence, increase trust, and standardize the quality of the process.
The peer review elearning hub, which is free to access from today for the physical science community, delivers a portfolio of online courses which cover the fundamentals of peer review, how to write a review, and peer review ethics. The modules are tailored specifically for the physical sciences to ensure reviewers achieve an outstanding level of competence and critique scientific literature to an exceptional standard constructively. Completing the course online puts ECRs on a fast-track path to become an ‘IOP Trusted Reviewer,’ following the submission of a top-quality review report as graded by experienced editors.
Miriam Maus, publishing director at IOP Publishing, said: “Our peer review training and certification set out to create a future generation of outstanding reviewers, so the introduction of our elearning hub is a natural next step to take the program to an even broader pool of researchers. We believe we’ve created a program that the whole physical science community can be proud of. We are not only boosting the skills and confidence of reviewers but also giving researchers the tools to spot and prevent research misconduct. Ultimately, we are increasing trust in the process and improving peer review standards across the physical sciences.”
Laura Feetham, peer review engagement manager at IOP Publishing, said: “We’re always looking at how we can improve the experience of the thousands of researchers who review for us every year. After collecting qualitative data from in-depth interviews with researchers, as well as quantitative data from our survey of 1,200 reviewers, it became clear that reviewers wanted more recognition for the work that they do, and early career researchers, in particular, wanted reliable training in how to peer review. Providing free online access to our peer review excellence program through our elearning hub, with the opportunity to achieve IOP Trusted Reviewer status, evolves our approach in line with their needs.”
With the completion of the peer review excellence program recently, Joshuah T. Heath, Physics Ph.D. candidate, said: “I found the program helpful, giving me lots of practical advice and insight into the peer review process. I believe that the introduction of the ‘IOP Trusted Reviewer’ status would continue to increase the standard of reviews, as this will place recognition and trust upon individuals who show a strong ability to critique scientific literature effectively.”
Smart Packaging Solutions Virtual Congress -19 March 2021
The Smart Packaging Solutions for India and South Asia Virtual Congress on 19 March focuses on food and pharma supply chains, brand security, and sustainability. Organized jointly by IPPStar and the AIPIA, the virtual congress’s topics include brand authentication, condition monitoring, and active and intelligent packaging that contributes to the safe delivery of authenticated products leading to safety, security, and customer engagement. Please look at the agenda of the conference here, and for registration, please click here. You can also email Ruchi at conference@ippgroup.in or Umesh at subscription@ippgroup.in. Call us in Noida at 120-4546988 or 4326053 – Umesh at Xtension 30; Ruchi at Xtension 33; Gaurav at Xtension 23; and Mohit at Xtension 25.
