How to Peer-Review Like a Pro (Step-by-Step Guide)

In this episode of Navigating Academia, Dr. Singh discusses step-by-step how you can do a peer review for an article that you've been assigned by an academic journal.

Knowing how to do a peer-review for academic journal articles is an absolutely critical skill to know for your career in academia.

👉Learn how to get on the editorial board of an academic journal in this video:

Especially if you don't have a lot of experience with a peer-review process this can be pretty daunting. A lot of people even report to me that they experienced a little bit of what they call impostor syndrome insofar as this feeling of Who am I to be asked to review somebody else's work?

What is peer review and where does it fit in academia? Let's say I've written an article and I want to get it published in an academic journal and hopefully a really good one with the high impact factor.

Step 1 - Download and read the entire article
Step 2 - Write a summary paragraph of the article
Step 3 - Make a list of all the sections
Step 4 - Make bulleted comments under each section heading
Step 5 - Submit it

Navigating Academia is your leading source for professional guidance on how to advance your career in academia. Hosted by internationally-renowned Cambridge and UPenn faculty member, Dr. Jay Phoenix Singh, this series provides practical advice for tackling the field’s biggest challenges.

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ABOUT DR. SINGH

Jay Phoenix Singh, PhD, PhD is a Fulbright Scholar, faculty at both UPenn as well as Cambridge, and the internationally award-winning Founder of the Global Institute of Forensic Research (successful 2017 exit as CEO).

Author of over 75 peer-reviewed articles and books, he completed his graduate doctoral studies in psychiatry at the University of Oxford and clinical psychology at Universitat Konstanz. He was named the youngest tenured Full Professor in Norway in 2014 and, since this time, has become the only psychology professor to have lectured for all eight Ivy League universities (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth, UPenn) as well as both Oxford and Cambridge. Dr. Singh is a charismatic academic mentor and coach who uses evidence-based practices to improve the lives of academics of all levels. #phdlife

[PoeCommunicateATL]

This is outstanding! I'm a Ph.D. candidate -- working on my third peer review ever this week -- and I've never had anyone cover this topic in this way.

[olson]

Another great tip: If you are suggesting an improvement, provide reference to examples of articles that did what you are suggesting well. It shows you are well-read and your peer will thank you for it!

[clicksilvah]

Great video! I was just asked to do a peer review for the very first time in my career, and this has pointed me in the right direction. Many thanks and more power to you.

[shashankbj]

"Perception is reality in academia"
Its surprisingly accurate and somewhat funny...
Thank you for the great video.

[astrick]

Thank you for this! I'm a Masters's student peer-reviewing for a conference for the first time and this helped so much!!

[passion]

Thank you for this video. I was offered a peer review opportunity for the first time in my life. I shall use the steps you recommended.

[habibjalloh]

Am really happy for this video because i was really confuse on how to complete my assignments.

[sujithrasankar]

This video was a life saver for me. You voiced the very thought I had when asked to peer review an article. I am a PhD scholar and was wondering if I was the right fit to review someone else's work. :D. Great video!! Thank you Dr. Singh.

[yayatinaresh]

Thank you so much for this video. I am a first time peer-reviewer. This video and the discussion in the comment section is helping me big time...

[obinnaama]

Thumbs up👍! Working on my first peer review and you just simplified the process for me. Thanks!

[srisaacharya]

Thanks a lot. Really a life saviour for someone who is new to Research articles and reviewing 😊😊😊

[augustineadira]

wooow, am a PhD student, and has just been given a manuscript to review for the first time, this video just saved me a whole lot as am sure of doing a wonderful job for the journal.. thanks so much Dr.

[SirazumMunira_GoldFish]

Thank you for the video! It was really helpful and clear. I have never seen any other people covering this topic this much thoroughly! Kudos

[dissertatinopossum]

Thank you for this video! Invited for peer review for the first time and the person who invited me is a mentor. They provided some general guidance about this but I wanted to see some videos as well.

[jugg]

Real good introduction to do peer reviews, thanks a lot

[jjennyee]

Love the shout out to Saskatoon SK! From, a PhD student at the U of S

[jdpham]

Thank you a lot! i was stuck and i didn´t know how to start on research stuff and this video was very helpful!
I will be careful to be respectful each article i peer-review since this day

[ColterLitsKy]

Wish my professors had intros like how you do in my online classes

[faathimahkhan]

This was extremely well presented and enlightening. Thank you!

[antoniamitchell]

Thank you so much!!!! well on my way to do my peer review # BSN undergraduate.