You may have noticed a more frequent delivery of Advances in Skin and Wound Care this year, as the journal has expanded to 12 issues annually. And as the publication continues to experience growth, we need your help! We are currently recruiting new members to our peer review panel. If you are interested in becoming a peer reviewer for the journal, we would like to hear from you. We are also seeking new members to join our Editorial Board, to serve initial 2-year terms with the potential for renewal.
Without the support of our strong peer-review panel, Advances in Skin and Wound Care would not be one of the most authoritative and most commonly cited peer-reviewed journals in the field of clinical wound care. Having a transdisciplinary peer review panel with a strong track record of clinical strength and depth is essential to the journal and its editorial process.
Peer reviewers are selected from a group of clinical thought and content leaders. On a rotational basis, the peer reviewers are selected by the journal's Editor-in-Chief to review a given manuscript. The peer reviewer evaluates the manuscripts for thought, content, accuracy, timeliness, and adherence to commonly accepted ethical and research standards. Concurrently, our peer reviewers are known for providing services above and beyond the traditional "reject or accept" recommendations. They actually mentor the author and provide constructive dialogue and suggestions for improving the manuscript.
Points to Ponder
The quintessential peer reviewer is someone who provides a "mentoring moment" to the prospective author. The following are among the factors a peer reviewer will examine.
* Does the author or authors effectively state the problem or the theme of a given research question (the hypothesis) in the manuscript? Does the manuscript answer the question? Is it compelling? Does it identify a persuasive quandary relevant to clinical practice in wound care?
* The reviewer must also ensure that the author adequately describes the methods and materials used and that the appropriate statistical methods are employed that will actually elucidate the problem in an effective analytic way using known qualitative or quantitative methods-the scientific method.
* In evaluating the results, the peer reviewer will ensure that the results are reliable, probable, and in line with the methods and materials used-the results must be supported by the interrogatives and the commonly accepted methods. Ideally, the work should be reproducible by others wishing to replicate or further the work.
* The discussion section of the manuscript is where the reviewer will check the author's grasp of the concepts or the presentation of any new or relevant issues pertaining to the subject matter. This section also provides the author with an opportunity to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the research methods and materials used in the analysis. In addition, reviewers look for a comprehensive, but succinct, comparison or contrast to previous published studies on the topic. These statements should be referenced to contemporary, topical, and thematic published work in the field. The discussion section of the paper allows the reviewer to discern the author's command of the subject and a review thereof.
* In the conclusion section, which is the final section of the manuscript, all elements are brought together. In this segment of the manuscript, the reviewer and the readers want a clear and concise "take-home message." In other words, the conclusion should provide a brief message about the manuscript with its statements supported by the aforementioned sections. Peer reviewers will discern whether the conclusions are definitive for clinical practice and if they give the reader clarity about certain clinical practices, or the use of a certain wound dressing or biological or physical intervention. Or, the author may find that more research needs to be done on the given topic, and that should be reflected in the conclusion section.
Winning Qualities
What are the qualities we are looking for in a peer reviewer? Foremost, this is a volunteer position, but we sincerely hope that you will receive as much as you give. Peer reviewers impact patient care, clinicians who adapt their wound care practices, and the academic arena.
For those who are willing to volunteer their time and efforts as a peer reviewer, expectations of the position include
* learn and use Editorial Manager-an online editorial program,
* review 3 to 4 new manuscripts per year,
* provide encouraging and constructive reviews,
* review revised manuscripts after the authors incorporate your suggestions,
* gain valuable experience reviewing clinical and research manuscripts submitted to the journal, enhance patient care, teach clinicians, and attain visibility in the wound care community
* provide mentoring relationships with authors and colleagues in the wound care community, and
* work with the wound care community and the journal to advance clinical knowledge and research.
Advances in Skin and Wound Care credits its ongoing success to the contributions of a multifaceted team of individuals working to publish the latest information in advanced wound care. If you are interested in submitting your curriculum vitae for consideration as a member of our editorial board or peer review panel, please e-mail that information by April 1, 2008 to Barbara Miller at [email protected].
Richard "Sal" Salcido, MD