Our Commitment to Peer Review: Resources and Support

By Katie Willis, Senior Editorial Assistant

SAGE Publishing would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to our reviewers. With your dedication, SAGE has been able to keep our commitment to high quality and timely peer review.  As shown through our partnership with Web of Science Reviewer Recognition, we recently reached over 100,000 reviewers in our Web of Science Reviewer Recognition database and received over 347,000 reviews. In honor of this tremendous accomplishment, the SAGE Publishing Peer Review team would like to highlight our reviewer resources and support.

Researchers at the beginning of their careers can find it difficult to get their foot through the door. To assist new reviewers, Web of Science Reviewer Recognition created a free peer review training course for early career researchers through their Web of Science Reviewer Recognition Academy. This course provides guidance on interpreting manuscripts and writing high quality reviews as well as providing one-to-one mentor support. After completing the course, editors will be able to view recently certified graduates and reach out to them directly.

If you’re waiting for your first invitation or wanting to expand the number of journals you review for, browse our list of journals on SAGE's or Web of Science Reviewer Recognition's website and let the editors know you’re here to help. Editors greatly appreciate reviewers who show their interest and excitement for reviewing manuscripts in their journal. Once you’ve decided on a journal you’re interested in, reach out via email or indicate your interest on Web of Science Reviewer Recognition. Please be aware that journal editors may ask for your CV or other information.

SAGE is also dedicated to providing reviewers the resources they need while performing their review in our Reviewer Gateway. This gateway provides an in depth understanding of how to review manuscripts , how to use SAGE Track, and answer any questions reviewers may face. Helpful videos are available to guide new and experienced reviewers, including How to Become a Peer Reviewer, Peer Review Ethics, and How to Conduct a Peer Review.

After submitting your review, be sure to claim and record it on Web of Science Reviewer Recognition. An up to date profile allows editors to know the research you’re interested in and your activeness in peer review since reviewers have the ability to indicate their availability to review on Web of Science Reviewer Recognition. Indicating your availability gives you control over the invitations you receive and benefits the scholarly publishing ecosystem as a whole: journal editors don’t waste their time contacting and waiting for a reply from unavailable reviewers and can concentrate their efforts on working with available ones, which speeds up the pace of publication, bringing breakthrough research to the world faster.

As the cornerstone to ensuring quality peer review, SAGE Publishing would like to thank you for your commitment and dedication. We could not have done it without you!

SAGE is committed to supporting the research communities we serve as together we navigate this difficult time. For reviewers who are currently reviewing articles for publication in remote and challenging circumstances, we hope you find these resources helpful. Please email us at info@sagepub.com with requests and suggestions about how SAGE can make your life easier through this transition. See SAGE Publishing’s official statement on the COVID-19 Pandemic.