Doing Peer Review: Reflections From an International Group of Postdoctoral Fellows

Abstract

There is very little written regarding developing the skills of doing peer reviews. In this piece we use our own experience as postdoctoral fellows to offer our reflections on how to get the most out of doing peer reviews as a trainee researcher. We touch upon the variety and complexity of peer reviews, the debates concerning the nature and validity of peer reviews, the issue of conflict of interest, the menace of predatory journals, but also the potential gain from doing peer reviews. In sharing our reflections, we hope that future graduate students and postdoctoral fellows may be better prepared to do peer reviews and benefit from the experience.