Nature Research launches free online peer review training

Nature Research has launched a free peer review training course, delivered by its journal editors to meet the needs of researchers who are new to peer review or those looking to improve their skills.

The ‘Focus on Peer Review’ online course, developed by Nature Masterclasses, uses video interviews with Nature Research journal editors, peer reviewers, and published authors to share insights into the complexities of peer review.

The breadth of content – totalling 63 videos, short text posts, and interactive activities – provides users with a comprehensive and practical overview of the peer review process, focusing on four areas: the role of a peer reviewer, how to prepare a peer review report, the ethics of peer review and innovations in peer review.

Alicia Newton, senior editor at Nature Geoscience, who features in the training, said: 'We truly appreciate the service that peer reviewers provide and recognise just how important they are to the scientific process. We wanted to do what we could to help make it easier for them, and we know that there’s a great need from peer reviewers for training, especially those who are new to reviewing.'

'Every week editorial teams across all of our journals spend thousands of hours co-ordinating the process of peer review, to ensure and improve the quality of the scientific literature and in doing so, advance discovery. Through this training we are able to share our experience as Nature Research journal editors in an interactive and engaging way. We hope that in doing so we can help those already doing this crucial work, and just as importantly, encourage more researchers to become peer reviewers.'