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  • 1.  Manuscript reviews in the time of COVID-19

    Posted 03-26-2020 18:04
    Hello all,

    How are you handling manuscript review requests during this time period of uncertainty around COVID-19?

    In the past, my policy has been to make sure I do at least as many reviews as I anticipate receiving in a given year for manuscripts that my students and I submit. Beyond that, I try to say yes to any manuscript that I feel like I could appropriately review and to any journal for which I serve as a Consulting Editor as long as my review queue is reasonably manageable.

    But now? I am sheltering at home with my family, which includes two young children, while also trying to get my courses online and do other work and support elderly relatives elsewhere etc etc.

    I received three review requests today and need to figure out how to approach these and other review requests in moving forward.

    I know that many, many researchers are juggling a lot right now. How do you think we should all approach this issue of figuring out how much reviewing to do?

    Thank you,
    Candice

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    Candice Mills
    The University of Texas at Dallas
    Email: candice.mills@utdallas.edu
    Web: www.utdallas.edu/thinklab
    Twitter: @CandiceMMills
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  • 2.  RE: Manuscript reviews in the time of COVID-19

    Posted 03-27-2020 08:26
    Hi Candice,

    Thanks for asking this question.  As a journal editor, I know things are challenging, and I completely understand when reviewers need to say no.  I suggest that you to decide what you can do and be honest about what you cannot do.  Accepting a review invitation thinking you can get to it and then cannot is worse than saying no up front.  When you decline a review invitation, it is very helpful if you recommend alternative reviewers.  You may have a better idea about who is qualified to serve as a reviewer than the editor, and you can serve as an important resource.  I am always eager to learn of new (often but not always) junior scholars who should be on my radar.  Before I became editor, I was on two editorial boards.  I always said yes to the requests from those journals (as long as I didn't already have one in the queue from the journal), and I turned down ad hoc requests if I already had a paper "on deck".  It worked out to about 12 papers per year.  I might add that I teach at a small liberal arts college with a high teaching load; one per month was really all that I could handle.

    Martha Arterberry (Editor-in-Chief Infant Behavior and Development [IBAD]; former editorial board member of IBAD and Developmental Psychology)

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    Martha Arterberry
    Professor
    Colby College
    Waterville ME
    207-859-5553
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  • 3.  RE: Manuscript reviews in the time of COVID-19

    Posted 03-27-2020 11:50
    This is a great question. As the current editor of Teaching of Psychology, working from home, and three kids under 13 at home, I am really struggling with this. My stance is that I try to be as flexible as possible. Meaning, flexible on the author's timeline of getting revisions back, reviews, back, Associate Editors decision letters, etc. Also, from the editor position, I am trying not to ask people (unless a revise and resubmit review) who have recently reviewed. As Martha suggested, I would say only review manuscripts that you feel most qualified to review and/or if you have current submissions with the journal. I hope this helps. 

    Cheers. 
    Aaron

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    Aaron Richmond
    Dr.
    Metropolitan State University of Denver
    Denver CO
    303-615-1060
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