Three reasons reviewing papers is good for you (and an update on the call for reviewers)

Let’s be honest: reviewing papers takes time, and although in theory many academics are allocated hours to engage in “service” activities, in reality most of us need to squeeze it in around all the other calls on our time.

So why do it? Here are three reasons why I think reviewing papers is good for us.

It helps us stay in touch

For many of us, the daily grind of teaching, marking and trying to keep our own research boat afloat means we have very little time to engage with what others in very similar fields are doing. It is useful to read what others in the field are thinking about and trying to achieve. Even the very poorest submissions (and hopefully we don’t get too many of them!) reinforce our convictions on how NOT to approach a problem.

It helps our careers

Careful and considered reviews of papers help to ensure that our academic disciplines continue to grow and develop in excellence. This ensures that the disciplines we work in continue to be held in high esteem, which is good for all of our careers.

It is good for our souls

A bit of a stretch? Research shows that helping others is good for us. Let’s remember that we’re not just reviewing papers, we’re actually helping fellow academics, junior researchers, PhD students and other professionals working in related fields.

Received another invitation to review papers? Remember: it’s good for you too.

Update on the ASCILITE 2017 review process

The call for reviewers for ASCILITE 2017 has now closed and we have contacted everyone who expressed interest in reviewing to invite them to be part of our peer review mentoring program. This year, we are offering the opportunity for reviewers to mentor other reviewers or be mentored. Those who choose to sign up as mentees will have the opportunity to send one of their reviews to their mentor for feedback before submitting the review.

Did you miss the call for reviewers? If you’ve got a burning desire to review for ASCILITE, we won’t say no! Please contact us at ascilite2017@usq.edu.au to by Friday 2 June to let us know you want to be involved.