The scholarly community will soon come together for the Peer Review Week 2022, an annual event that celebrates the critical role peer review plays in academic publishing. From September 19 to 23, 2022, the global event will focus on Research Integrity: Creating and supporting trust in research.1 CACTUS, our parent organization, is proud to have been associated with Peer Review Week since its inception; this year, it is a member of the organizing committee and we’re co-chairing the event too! So as we get closer to the event, here’s everything you need to know about Peer Review Week!
What is Peer Review Week trying to do?
The first Peer Review Week was held in 2015 to showcase and celebrate peer review, an integral process that is often taken for granted. Born out of informal conversations between ScienceOpen, Wiley, ORCiD, and Sense Over Science, the first year included key events, activities, interviews and webinars that aimed to increase recognition for both the peer review process and peer reviewers.2 Since then, Peer Review Week has earned its spot as one of the biggest events in academia. With a new theme every year, this week-long event encourages discussions on the different perspectives, expectations, best practices, challenges, innovations, and evolving trends in peer review.
Why is the Peer Review Week 2022 theme important?
With an increased politicization of science, questions about reproducibility of work, global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rapid dissemination of research online, research integrity and trust have emerged as hot topics of discussion.1 This was clear in the global open survey held to choose the Peer Review Week 2022 theme, where almost 30% of the 1,200 respondents wanted the focus to be on Research integrity and building trust in the academic community.
Peer reviewers are seen as gatekeepers of reliable high-quality research by ensuring adherence to international disciplinary standards and key ethical guidelines. This year’s theme then is an apt choice to promote and ensure transparency, quality and trust in the peer review process. “By focusing on integrity in peer review, Peer Review Week 2022 is an unmissable opportunity for the global scholarly community to talk about how peer review helps not only maintain but also strengthen the integrity of critical scientific research,” said Jayashree Rajagopalan, Senior Manager, Global Community Engagement, at Cactus Communications and Co-Chair of the Peer Review Week 2022 steering committee.1
Peer Review Week 2022: What to look forward to
Peer Review Week aims to bridge the gap between authors, publishers, reviewers and readers and foster a collective sense of trust in peer review this year. Here’s a peek into some of what the Peer Review Week 2022 committee has planned. 3
- Annual Theme: The Peer Review Week 2022 theme of Research Integrity: Creating and supporting trust in research was announced in early July.
- Participating organizations: So far, more than 35 organizations around the world have signed on to be a part of and add to this year’s Peer Review Week.
- Maximum outreach: All announcements and information about this year’s theme from the steering committee will be available in multiple languages to boost visibility across the world.
- Expert discussions: The five-day event will include AMA sessions with Steering Committee members and other stakeholders on the role of peer review in upholding research integrity.
- Global perspectives: Specific outreach efforts are being planned for different regions in an effort to capture the diverse voices of authors, reviewers, and editors from across the globe.
- Short Videos: Members of the academic community are invited to share short videos on the theme, which will be hosted on the Peer Review Week YouTube channel.
- Twitter updates: Keep up with discussions by your peers or activities planned through the Peer Review Week 2022 on Twitter. Use the #PeerReviewWeek22 and #ResearchIntegrity hashtags to join the conversation.
We’re looking forward to the host of exciting updates, discussions, activities, resources and learning experiences around the role of peer review in upholding research integrity and trust in research.
References:
- Peer Review Week: 2022 Theme Announcement. Peer Review Week 2022 Explores the Importance of Peer Review in Supporting Research Integrity. https://peerreviewweek.wordpress.com/2022-edition/
- Meadows, A. Peer Review Week – A Celebrations. https://info.orcid.org/peer-review-week-a-celebration/
- Meadows, A., Wallace, J., Vines, T., Wulf, K. Announcing Peer Review Week 2022: An Interview with the Co-Chairs. Scholarly Kitchen. https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2022/07/07/announcing-peer-review-week-2022-an-interview-with-the-co-chairs/
