Webinar: Author and reviewer experiences: Building a bridge of empathy

Peer review is integral to academic publishing, and yet, it could be one of the most stressful stages for both authors and reviewers. Often, authors struggle to deal with reviewers’ comments, while reviewers my find it difficult to explain their perspective to authors. What if there was a way to bridge the gap between authors and reviewers?

Since we’re talking about “identity in peer review” during Peer Review Week 2021, let’s try to understand how an author’s and reviewer’s identity shapes their perception and experience of peer review. How about hearing from someone has assumed both these identities – author and reviewer? 

Sign up for Peer Review Week 2021 today to join this webinar!

We have invited Erin Owens, an experienced researcher and academic, to talk about the highs and lows she has faced while dealing with peer review as an author and a reviewer. In this session, Erin will use her own experience to bridge the gap between authors and peer reviewers by helping authors know what reviewers go through and vice versa. She will also share tips for authors and reviewers to help make peer review a less stressful experience for both. In Erin’s own words,

“I think that authors and reviewers both can improve their processes by discovering and empathizing with the experiences on ‘the other side’.”

Join this session to understand:

• The gap between authors and peer reviewers in terms of understanding and expectations
• As an author – what you need to know about what peer reviewers experience while performing reviews
• As a reviewer – what you need to understand about what really goes on in an author’s mind while dealing with peer review
• How you can use empathy to be a better author and peer reviewer
• What you can do to make peer review less stressful and more accountable, collaborative, constructive, and effective

Date and Time: September 21, 2021 | 14:00 UTC (10:00 EST)

Sign up for Peer Review Week 2021 today to join this webinar!

Speaker

Erin Owens

Professor, Access Services Coordinator & Scholarly Communications Librarian, Newton Gresham Library, Sam Houston State University, Texas

Erin Owens is a Professor in the Newton Gresham Library at Sam Houston State University, where she has been a member of the faculty since 2007. As the Scholarly Communications Librarian, she provides outreach, education, and individualized assistance for researchers on her campus in almost all aspects of the scholarly research lifecycle. She has authored or co-authored several peer-reviewed journal articles, presented at state and national conferences, and served as a reviewer for about a dozen journals in library and information science. She is currently a member of the Editorial Board for College & Research Libraries and an Associate Editor for Research Articles for Evidence Based Library and Information Practice. Her ORCID researcher profile can be viewed at http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9520-9314.

Moderator

Jayashree Rajagopalan

Senior Manager, Global Community Engagement, Researcher.Life (CACTUS)

Co-Chair, Peer Review Week 2021

Jayashree Rajagopalan is Senior Manager, Global Community Engagement at CACTUS, where she oversees R Voice, a community forum for researchers. Jayashree focuses on ensuring R Voice functions as a safe space where researchers can have open conversations about the highs and lows of academic life, exchange shared experiences; and give and get advice, support, and knowledge. Jayashree has been part of the scholarly communication industry for over 10 years, playing various roles that helped her learn more about researchers’ aspirations, needs, and the struggles they face while navigating their unique academic and publication paths. Her previous stint was with Editage Insights where she created useful resources to help authors deal with different kinds of challenges related to research, writing or academic life. Jayashree is also the co-chair of Peer Review Week 2021.

Sign up for Peer Review Week 2021 today to join this webinar!