Your Career: How to fix our ailing peer-review system

A new study found that half of peer reviewers focused mainly on proofreading and other micro copy-editing concerns. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. A new study found that half of peer reviewers focused mainly on proofreading and other micro copy-editing concerns. Peer review is integral to a scholar’s journey, whether you’re trying to secure funding, present research at a conference, or publish your findings in a book or journal. Yet despite its ubiquity and importance, peer review has also been called the scholarly skill that “almost no one is teaching.” Emerging scholars must often learn about it through painstaking and costly trial and error rather than via mentors or formal training. A recent study of a year’s worth of peer reviews from a U.S. journal explored how to improve this vital academic practice. Among its findings: - Two-thirds of the time, reviewers only provided critical feedback. Suggestions on how to resolve the identified problems were only provided in about a third of the reviews. - About half of the reviews provided big-picture feedback on the manuscript. The other half focused on proofreading, line editing, and other micro copy-editing concerns. Thus, reviewers implicitly saw their role not only as evaluating the submitted research but also helping edit how it was presented. - In only 20 percent of the submissions did reviewers indicate which aspects of their feedback were most important. Continue reading: “[3 Ways to Fix Peer Review]( by T.J. Thomson, Lesley Irvine, and Glen Thomas Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here](. ADVERTISEMENT SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. UPCOMING PROGRAM [The Chronicle's Library and Institutional Success Program | July 2024] The Chronicle is partnering with Ithaka S+R to host a brand new [professional development program for librarians]( in July. This innovative two-week program will help library leaders understand the many roles they might take on, boost the success of the campus library, and better align with their institution’s goals. Learn more about our seminars and workshops, and [register today]( LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS ADVICE [Do Things You’re Bad At]( By Rachel Trousdale [STORY IMAGE]( How pushing yourself to learn skills outside of your comfort zone can improve your teaching. SPONSOR CONTENT | Hudson Valley Community College [HVCC's Path to Inclusive Vocational Education]( ADVERTISEMENT [Do Things You’re Bad At]( ADVICE [Ask the Chair: How Do I Start Training for the Role Now?]( By Kevin Dettmar [STORY IMAGE]( A new assistant professor with an eye on administration asks how to get ready for leadership posts down the road. MOMENT OF TRUTH [Is This Famous Misinformation Expert Spreading Misinformation?]( By Stephanie M. Lee [STORY IMAGE]( Joan Donovan claims that Meta’s influence cost her a job at Harvard. Does her story stand up to scrutiny? THE CHANGING CLASSROOM [Professors Ask: Are We Just Grading Robots?]( By Beth McMurtrie [STORY IMAGE]( Some are riding the AI wave. Others feel like they’re drowning. THE REVIEW | ESSAY [The Impossible College Presidency]( By Brian Rosenberg [STORY IMAGE]( Leaders face unreasonable demands and intolerable critics. FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Fostering Students' Free Expression - Buy Now]( [Higher Education in 2035]( Higher education is facing an array of challenges: economic headwinds, political pressures, and shifting demographics. [Order your copy]( to help your institution prepare for what’s ahead, and discover how the sector will evolve in the coming decade. What we’re reading Here’s more on career issues and trends from around the web. See something we should include? [Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - [Advice]( in The Wall Street Journal on “how to work part time and still earn the money you need.” - An [essay]( in the Harvard Business Review explores nine questions “to help you figure out why you’re burned out.” - Need more recommendations for your summer reading? Here’s some from [The Atlantic]( [NPR]( and the [Chicago Tribune.]( MORE CAREER RESOURCES ADVICE [Advice Finder]( [STORY IMAGE]( Want to advance your career? Improve your institution? Our academic experts have guidance for you, and we’ve made it easy to find. DATA [How Much Are Private-College Presidents Paid?]( [STORY IMAGE]( Base pay, bonuses, and benefits for 312 chief executives at private colleges with expenditures of $100 million or more in 2021. DATA [How Much Are Public-College Presidents Paid?]( [STORY IMAGE]( Base pay, bonuses, and benefits for 195 chief executives at public doctoral universities and systems in 2022. DATA [Tracking Higher Ed’s Dismantling of DEI]( By Erin Gretzinger and Maggie Hicks [STORY IMAGE]( We’ve documented actions taken on dozens of campuses to alter or eliminate jobs, offices, hiring practices, and programs amid mounting political pressure to end identity-conscious recruitment and retention of minority staff and students. 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