Exploring the multifaceted role of identity in peer review
Peer Review Week takes place from 20–24 September this year and celebrates the central role of peer review across all forms of scholarly communication. This year’s theme is "Identity in Peer Review."
Peer review is an integral part of getting great science into the world. We are here to support you in your work, and recognise the vital role of peer review in preserving quality and integrity in chemical science literature.
But how does personal and social identity affect peer review practices and experiences? How can we, as part of the chemistry community, foster more diverse, equitable, and inclusive peer review processes?
Discover how we are increasing the diversity of people choosing the chemical sciences and fulfilling their potential for a truly inclusive community.
We have signed up to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals SDG Publishers Compact, which aims to accelerate progress to achieve the SDGs; in particular Goal 4 (quality education) and Goal 10 (reduced inequalities) by 2030.
Community views on inclusivity in peer review
We invited our diverse community of reviewers, authors and board members to share their views on inclusivity in peer review. Discover what some of our community think.
Inclusivity in peer review matters to me because only if we are taking all viewpoints into account, can we do the best science. I'm proud to contribute to Royal Society of Chemistry journals because they truly value diversity and because journal publishing belongs in the hands of learned societies.
Tanja Junkers
Monash University, Australia
Associate Editor, Chemical Science and Polymer Chemistry
Inclusivity in peer review matters to me because it is the only approach to a comprehensive vision. I’m proud to contribute to Royal Society of Chemistry journals due to their scientific excellence, quality, and gender inclusion.
Monica Lira-Cantu
Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Spain
Associate Editor, Journal of Materials Chemistry C and Materials Advances
Inclusivity in peer review matters to me because different thoughts from different aspects should be considered and involved together to contribute to the rapid and healthy development of science. Actually, diversity is useless without inclusivity.
Zhen Li
Wuhan University, China
Editorial board member, Materials Chemistry Frontiers
Inclusivity in peer review matters to me because it ensures a constant, diverse and a fresh flow of important ideas of brilliant minds. It is important to bring about an acceptance of broader perspectives and viewpoints which ultimately enhances the quality of scholarly work.
Subi George
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), India
Associate Editor, Chemical Science
Inclusivity in peer review matters to me because diverse perspectives and lines of thought make science better. I’m proud to contribute to Royal Society of Chemistry journals because I know that the editors have made a commitment to ensure that my work will be reviewed fairly.
Malika Jeffries-El
Boston University, USA
Associate Editor, Journal of Materials Chemistry C and Materials Advances
Inclusivity in peer review matters to me because is it the right thing and also offers the best route to a rich and diverse body of knowledge. I’m proud to contribute to Royal Society of Chemistry journals because of their focus on serving the chemical sciences community.
Robert Mokaya
University of Nottingham, UK
Royal Society of Chemistry author and reviewer
Inclusivity in peer review matters to me because peer review is a process that connects the authors, editors, and readers before a manuscript is published. Every stakeholder plays a unique role in making the peer review process successful. Inclusivity in peer review is the most important factor bringing in added perspectives, knowledge, skill, and diversity.
Rahul Banerjee
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)
Advisory board member, CrystEngComm and Materials Horizons
Join the conversation
Throughout Peer Review Week, we will be running activities and sharing stories that highlight what identity in peer review means to us. You can follow #PeerReviewWeek21 and #IdentityInPeerReview on Twitter to find out more.
How can we raise the bar for great science? As a Royal Society of Chemistry peer reviewer, you can play your part in making sure that the scientific record is accurate, comprehensive and trustworthy. Your contribution is integral for getting great science into the world.
Find out more about becoming an RSC peer reviewer.