September 16-20, 2019 marks the 5th Annual Peer Review Week. This global event celebrates the essential role peer review plays in maintaining scientific quality. ACS Publications is proud to join individuals, institutions, organizations, and other publishers, who are committed to sharing the central message that good peer review is critical to scholarly research. This year’s […]

peer review week

September 16-20, 2019 marks the 5th Annual Peer Review Week. This global event celebrates the essential role peer review plays in maintaining scientific quality. ACS Publications is proud to join individuals, institutions, organizations, and other publishers, who are committed to sharing the central message that good peer review is critical to scholarly research.

This year’s theme is Quality In Peer Review. Join the discussion on twitter through out the week at @PeerRevWeek and on the hashtags #PeerRevWk2019 and #QualityInPeerReview. Don’t miss the Reddit AMA Ask Science interviews on Wednesday, September 18th.

Finally, see how ACS Publications chooses to recognize the impact of its reviewer community, and look for essential resources to help foster quality in peer review.

How to Become a Reviewer

Peer reviewers are the heart of modern scientific publishing. They help journal editors evaluate the quality and technical validity of a paper, as well as assessing how novel the work is and whether it falls within a journal’s scope. Authors are often also reviewers. Editors may expect that chemists submitting to a journal will also be willing to review for it. But how do you become a peer reviewer?

I&EC Research 2019 Reviewer Awards

The I&EC Research 2019 Reviewer Awards published on September 18, 2019. This journal, led by editor-in-chief Philip E. Savage, recognizes 32 reviewers as nominated by the editors. These 32 reviewers come from 15 countries, located on 5 continents, and they have made notable and quality contributions to I&EC Research. Find out who will be awarded this honor for excellence in peer review on Wednesday, and see who was honored in 2018, 2017, and 2016 issues of I&ECR.

Reviewer Lab

ACS Reviewer Lab is a free peer-review training course. Designed by ACS Editors, leading scientific researchers, and ACS Publications staff, this course provides real-life guidance on how to navigate tricky ethical situations, identify core criteria for evaluating manuscripts, and write a first-rate review.

Environmental Science & Technology and Environmental Science & Technology Letters Presents the Excellence in Review Awards

Each November, the editors of Environmental Science & Technology and Environmental Science & Technology present the Excellence in Review Awards. These journals express their sincere and special thanks to all of the individuals awarded for consistently providing scholarly and timely reviews on a large number of manuscripts submitted. Check out last year’s 2018 Excellence in Review Awards.

Environmental Science & Technology Presents the 2018 Reviewer Awards
Environ. Sci. Technol., 2018, 52, 21, 11971-11972
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b05703

Environmental Science & Technology Letters Presents the 2018 Excellence in Review Awards
Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett., 2018, 5, 11, 621
DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00532

Stay up to Date with the ACS Style Guide

A new digital-first edition of the ACS Style Guide is coming in 2020. The new guide will be an indespensible part of any reviewers work. Learn more about the new edition of the ACS Style Guide.

Characterizing Peer Review Comments and Revision from a Writing-to-Learn Assignment Focused on Lewis Structures

Read this 2019 article from S. A. Finkenstaedt-Quinn, E. P. Snyder-White, M. C. Connor, A. Ruggles Gere, and G. V. Shultz published in Journal of Chemical Education.

Characterizing Peer Review Comments and Revision from a Writing-to-Learn Assignment Focused on Lewis Structures
J. Chem. Educ., 2019, 96, 2, 227-237
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00711

Responsible Peer Review

Read this 2018 editorial from ACS Chemical Biology Associate Editor Katrin Karbstein of The Scripps Research Institute.

Responsible Peer Review
ACS Chem. Biol., 2018, 13, 12, 3217-3218
DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b01035

Articles Relating to Data Analysis

Data analysis is an important skill for reviewers. Brush up on your skills with these articles.

Quantifying the Interactions between Biomolecules: Guidelines for Assay Design and Data Analysis
ACS Infect. Dis., 2019, 5, 6, 796-808
DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00012

The Ecstasy and Agony of Assay Interference Compounds
ACS Med. Chem. Lett., 2017, 8, 4, 379-382
DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.7b00056

The Essential Medicinal Chemistry of Curcumin
J. Med. Chem., 2017, 60, 5, 1620-1637
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00975

C&EN Articles Regarding the State of Peer Review

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