Learn how to be a peer reviewer

Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group offers a free online course on journal peer review, Translating Critical Appraisal of a Manuscript into Meaningful Peer Review. Funded by the National Eye Institute, the course is intended for health professionals who are or wish to be peer reviewers of biomedical literature.

While oriented to U.S.-based ophthalmologists, optometrists and other vision practitioners, the information is  applicable to the peer review of biomedical literature in general. There are no prerequisites, but participants should have a basic knowledge of the approaches and language related to epidemiology, study design, biostatistics and critical appraisal methods.

The course covers:

• Available evidence regarding the effectiveness and utility of the peer review process;
• The purpose, process, and responsibilities in peer review from the perspective of the author, editor, and peer reviewer;
• The different types of clinical research questions and appropriate designs for studying them;
• The strengths and limitations of the various study designs;
• Measures used to test association between exposures and outcomes;
• How to apply critical appraisal to manuscripts submitted for peer review;
• How to provide meaningful feedback to authors and editors that they can use to improve manuscript quality.

Founded in 1997, the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group's goal is to prepare, maintain and promote access to systematic reviews of all interventions used to prevent or treat eye diseases and/or visual impairment.