How Can I Become a Journal Reviewer?

Nurse Author & Editor, Winter 2004 by Johnson, Suzanne Hall

Readers Ask

Question

I have been a psychiatric nurse (trained as a clinical specialist) for 19 years and have experience in individual and group therapy as well as in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings, including community crisis intervention. My area of research interest is persons with schizophrenia and how best to maintain their community functioning.

As a sole author, I published three articles in the area of community nursing for persons with schizophrenia. Two of these are research articles and one is a clinically focused one. I have an additional article in press that is theoretical. I was a secondary author on three other published research articles concerning the prevention and treatment of depression in college-age women.

I would like to be a reviewer for a journal. How do I go about doing this? Is it OK to call the editor and volunteer?-Lora Humphrey Beebe, PhD, RN, Gainesville, FL (lbeebe@ufl.edu).

Response

You have a terrific background and excellent publication record with published articles in three different formats (research, clinical, and theoretical). Indeed, reviewing manuscripts for a journal is an excellent next step for you.

The best answer to the question if you should call an editor is "Yes" and "No." Yes, I think you might call the editors with whom you worked in the past on your publications, because they already know your background and have your contact information in their files. But, don't stop there. Follow up with individual e-mails to each (not one group e-mail) within a few days of your call. I suggest putting your name in the "subject" field so that the editors can quickly pull your note out from spam e-mail.

No, I think you should not call an editor for whom you have not worked. Not because of any ethical or personal consideration, but because of a practical aspect, written communications last longer than verbal messages. The chances of an editor having an opening in your specific aspect of the journal's specialty at the moment you call is slim. You want the editor to have your information when an opening occurs, which can be a year or two later, and it is more retrievable for the editor if she or he received your information in writing.

Regardless of the way you contact the editors, follow up by e-mailing your request with the additional information described below.

Type of articles for which you might review. Include the specific topic or subspecialty and the article format you could review. For example, in your situation you might suggest reviewing manuscripts that are written hi research, theoretical, or clinical format with topics pertaining to outpatient and community-based projects as well as inpatient settings.

Summary of your background and experience. You might mention that you have completed projects on and are comfortable reviewing manuscripts related to depression, schizophrenia, and functional assessment of the psychiatric patient. The summary of your publication background in your question above is perfect to inelude also. You can attach a resume, but put a summary within the e-mail.

Suggestions on how you might fit in. Demonstrate your thorough analysis of the different departments, types of articles, goals, audience, and current reviewers of the publication. For example, you might say that you could review manuscripts for the new "community outreach" department, check references for review articles with theoretical models similar to the one that appeared in the journal's (date) issue, and that your outpatient background would fit well in the mix of the journal's current reviewers.

How to reach you. Editors vary in their choice of communication channels and individual editors change their communication patterns when they are out of the office, which occurs often. So, include all of your communication options including work, home (if acceptable to you), and cell phones; fax number; postal address; and e-mail address. It is amazing how many e-mails editors receive with no other contact information for the writer except the e-mail address.

Think about the wide range of journals you might assist with your expertise. Recognize journals where you might be able to contribute and where you would be unique. For example, if you contact psychiatric journal editors and they don't need reviewers in your area, don't hesitate to contact ambulatory or clinical specialist journal editors, who might not have enough reviewers with psychiatric or outpatient backgrounds. If more than one journal asks you to review, disclose this to the editors, so there is no undisclosed conflict of interest.

Most importantly, if an editor asks you to do a single review or write an article on a topic they need, do it. And, complete it before the deadline. It is most likely a trial to see if you have the commitment needed to be a good reviewer. Editors get many requests for reviewer positions, so experienced editors know they need to check the reliability and quality of the potential reviewer's work before committing. Of colleagues who have asked to be reviewers on the journals I have edited, 90 percent did not follow through to complete a small assignment first; the 10 percent that did all became reviewers for me, and good ones. So good in fact, that some have become editors of their own journals and now we work as colleagues.