Become a Reviewer

About Spectrum's peer review system:

Spectrum uses a double-anonymous peer review process. All submissions will be reviewed by three reviewers:

1. One undergraduate reviewer in a related discipline, who primarily assesses the technical quality of the submission (undergraduate specialist reviewer)

2. One undergraduate reviewer in an unrelated discipline, who primarily assesses the interdisciplinary aspects of the research and the overall accessibility of the submission to a broad, multidisciplinary audience (undergraduate general reviewer)

3. One graduate (or higher) reviewer in a related discipline, who provides an overall assessment of the submission and supports the undergraduate reviewers as needed

Peer Review Positions:

We are seeking undergraduate and graduate students, from a variety of disciplines, for reviewer positions to provide feedback on 1-2 submissions (per year) to Spectrum. All reviewers will be tasked with evaluating the merit of submissions made to the journal using a review template and providing constructive feedback for authors about how to improve their submissions. Reviewer reports provide a basis for editors to determine which submissions are acceptable for publication in Spectrum.
 
While peer reviewers from all disciplines are welcome (especially for non-technical reviews), we are currently receiving a large number of submissions in social sciences, humanities, and health sciences. 

Time Commitment:

The estimated time commitment for these positions is approximately 4-5 hours for each submission (1-2 submissions per year). Reviewers can choose to accept or decline invitations to review based on their schedule at the time. Once a reviewer accepts an invitation to review, they will have 3 weeks to complete and submit their reviewer report.

Requirements:

All candidates must have a minimum satisfactory academic standing.
 
Specialist reviewers must be able to demonstrate sufficient technical knowledge of the discipline to provide a meaningful review. Preference will be given to students who have completed at least 60* credits of study and/or have previous research experience.
 
Graduate reviewers must have completed at least one year of graduate study (at Master’s or PhD level) with a GPA of at least 3.0.
 
Spectrum is not accepting peer reviewer applications from post-doctoral fellows or faculty members at this time. 

How to register as a reviewer:

Please complete this Google Form to create a reviewer profile. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, and if you are eligible, you will be added to Spectrum's reviewer database. Editors will contact potential reviewers based on the nature of submisions we receive and alignment with your reviewing interests.

Reviewer assignments are at the discretion of the Spectrum Editorial Board. Given the variety of submissions Spectrum receives, we cannot guarantee that every reviewer will be assigned a submission in each review period.

Reviewers who are invited to participate in reviews will automatically be registered in Spectrum's submission system (www.spectrumjournal.ca) and all editorial correspondence will take place through the submission system.

Training:

Spectrum periodically works with partners on campus to provide in-person training opportunities for reviewers and editors, and these will be advertised on the Spectrum website when new offerings are scheduled. In the meantime, we recommend the following free resources for new reviewers:

Nature Masterclass - Focus on Peer Review (free, registration required): https://masterclasses.nature.com/courses/205

PKP School - Becoming a Reviewer (free, registration required): http://pkpschool.sfu.ca/courses/becoming-a-reviewer/