How to Find Reviewers

It’s important to have a large pool of reviewers so that the workload is evenly distributed. Reviewing can be time-consuming, so it’s best not to fall back on the same handful of reviewers too often.

Ensure that you have a group of reviewers that covers all the areas your journal publishes in so that submitted papers are reviewed by specialists in the field.

Since reviewers can decline the invitation to review, make sure you have enough reviewers available should you have to reallocate a manuscript to a new reviewer.

If you already have a small pool of reviewers and want to expand, here are some tips for finding new reviewers and onboarding them to your journal.

1. Leverage your network

Your network is usually the first port of call on the journey to finding reviewers. Ask your colleagues and your journal team or editorial board if they can recommend anyone who might be available for the reviewer pool, or to share that you are actively looking to expand your reviewer pool.

2. Broadcast on social media

Post a “call for reviewers” on your social media channels. This can be on your journal’s channels, if you have them, or on your own personal channels as well. You can also request your publisher to share this call on the social media profiles of their relevant subject areas to reach an even greater audience. Make sure to thoroughly vet the reviewers who might reach out to you via social media.

3. Reach out to authors

Authors who have previously published in your journal are also excellent candidates for reviewers, as they are already familiar with the aims and scope of your publication and can review new papers accordingly. So you might want to consider reaching out to your authors to see if anyone is interested in being added to the reviewer pool.

4. Seek out early career researchers

Reviewing is an excellent activity for early career researchers, as getting them involved in the journal allows them to develop essential knowledge of the publishing process and to gain access to newly written research. Consider any groups or communities in your field or ask colleagues if they can recommend any early career researchers who might want to be part of the reviewer pool.

5. Try tools like the Web of Science Reviewer Locator

Tools like the Web of Science Reviewer Locator can also help you find reviewers if any of the above methods don’t yield results. The Reviewer Locator matches reviewers to manuscripts by crawling the entire Web of Science dataset to find matching criteria. Although Web of Science provides a full view of the candidate’s experience, it’s still a good idea to get to know them and assess their qualifications before including them in your reviewer pool.

Not only is reviewing time-consuming, it is also a voluntary position. Reviewers are often motivated to review to gain experience and to participate in the upholding of quality research practices. To keep them motivated and encourage them to stay in your reviewer pool for years to come, it is important to show appreciation in other ways.

Here are some ways that you can show your appreciation to reviewers:

1. Be sure to thank all reviewers individually for their contribution to the issue.
2. In the last pages of the issue, you may want to publish a list of reviewer names as a sign of appreciation and so that they can receive the appropriate credit.
3. Providing reviewers with a certificate can be a nice way of recognizing their work and gives them a record of their contributions to the journal.