Once you’ve submitted your manuscript, the Editor or Associate Editor is tasked with finding a sufficient number of competent reviewers. However, finding enough willing reviewers is not always easy, and can lead to substantial delays in the peer review process, and ultimately publication if your article is accepted. As potential reviewers may decline the invitation to review a paper or never respond to the invitation at all, one strategy Editors use is to initially invite several potential reviewers, maybe as many as ten, in the hopes of securing just two or three. A look at the average number of potential reviewers solicited to review manuscripts found that nearly four reviewers per manuscript declined the invitation, and that many reviewers never even responded. Not being able to secure the desired number of reviewers forces the Editors to search for other reviewers, which can add to the number of days before you ever get that coveted decision on your paper.
This is when a list of subject-matter experts that you provide when submitting your manuscript becomes an invaluable resource and a vital part of the peer review process. However, selecting preferred reviewers can be a difficult part of the submission process and is not something that should be overlooked or done carelessly. After all, these are people that could potentially be recommending acceptance or rejection of your manuscript.
So, who should you include in your list of preferred reviewers? You will want to include people who will constructively assess and yet provide a balanced review of your work; people who will look for errors or ambiguities, and offer insights that will help you to improve your paper. A good place to start is your reference list. Look through the list for some potential candidates and discuss the possibilities with your colleagues and co-authors. Journals are often looking for papers that will appeal to a broad readership, a global audience, so try to avoid suggesting reviewers from a single geographical location and that only cover a narrow range of your field. One thing to remember is that your preferred reviewers are suggestions, and Editors are not required to choose them, but providing them certainly can speed up the peer review process and your list is a useful starting point when Editors begin their search for reviewers.
When compiling your list of preferred reviewers it is essential to avoid including anyone who has or potentially has a conflict of interest. This includes people from your own institution, or the institution of any of your co-authors, or anyone with whom you may have co-authored a paper recently.
One last thing… explain your choices. It’s great if you provide names and contact information, but without explanations, your list does little to convince the Editor to consider your suggestions. If the online submission system does not provide a place for this, consider including in your cover letter an explanation of why your choices would be good reviewers. In a brief sentence or two, tell the Editor why the suggested reviewers would be good reviewers. For example, it could go something like this:
“The following people are leaders in the field of [Insert the field here] and are among those with the expertise in [Insert the topic of the manuscript] or [Insert techniques or approaches used in the study] essential for reviewing our manuscript:…”So, the next time you’re preparing a manuscript for submission, don’t forget to compile a list of potential reviewers. Your suggestions for reviewers will not only help the Editor assigned your manuscript, but also speed up the peer review process.
Check back next month, when we take another look at some of the things that can delay publication of your article.Click here for the Japanese version.