Phase 2 | Peer Review (Reviewer Guide)



Overview


Articles published by Common Ground Research Networks are two-way-blind peer-reviewed. The publisher, editors, reviewers, and authors agree on the standards of expected ethical behavior based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices. Please review our Publishing Ethics Guidelines for further information on policies and practices.


After peer review has been completed, the author and CGRN Journal Publishing Team will have an opportunity to rate the review in terms of its completeness and helpfulness for revisions following our rubric. We encourage authors to be respectful and fair with their rating. This rating system is meant to help encourage and guide reviewers to improve feedback practices and to acknowledge the importance of critical and constructive reviews. 


Reviewers who provide complete and constructive reviews will be given a certificate for their valuable contribution. Reviewers who successfully complete six reviews in a year will be considered for inclusion in a Research Network Editorial Board



Please note that in September 2023 we launched a new peer reviewer process. Peer review requests made after September 18, 2023, will use the new process. The Step-by-Step Guide for the new form can be found here


Step-by-Step Guide



Step 1: Sign in to CGPublisher

Sign in to CGPublisher with your CGScholar account information. Cannot login to your CGScholar account?


Step 2: Go to Peer Reviewer Overview

Once you have signed in, select Peer Reviewer in the left-hand navigation. This will take you to a table of your peer review requests and peer reviews in progress.


Step 3: Finding Files Needed for Peer Review

Click on the title of the manuscript to review. This will open a work page for this particular manuscript. Scroll to the bottom where you will see two tabs–Tasks/Queries and Documents. Click on the Documents tab. From here, you can download the Reviewer Report and complete your report.


Step 4: Complete the Report

Read the manuscript and follow the instructions in the peer reviewer report. Provide suggestions and comments for each of the five evaluation levels. In addition, you can make annotations within the manuscript using track changes if you think this will be useful for the author. Enter numeric scores for each of the evaluation criteria.


Step 5: Submit Reviews via the Documents Tab

Sign in to CGPublisher and select Peer Reviewer in the left-hand navigation. Click on the title of the manuscript that you have reviewed. Scroll down to the Tasks/Queries and Documents tabs at the bottom of the screen. Click on the Documents tab. Click the New button and upload your review.


The CGRN Journal Publishing Team will then evaluate your review and notify you. If your review does not meet our requirements, you may be asked to make revisions. Reviewers who provide complete and constructive reviews will be given a certificate. 



If you have any questions, you can communicate with a Publishing Admin via the Task/Query tab. 


Frequently Asked Questions


How do I become a Peer Reviewer? Sign into CGPublisher with your CGScholar account information. Once you have signed in, select Become a Peer Reviewer in the left-hand navigation. Please update your Affiliations, Peer Review Preferences, and Interests to ensure that we assign you manuscripts that fit your time constraints and field of study. 


How much time do I have to review each manuscript? Reviewers are given two weeks to complete peer-review assignments. Extensions are usually available on request. If an extension is not requested and your report is overdue, you will be withdrawn.


How do I contact the CGRN Journal Publishing Team? If you are unable to complete the review, need an extension, or need other assistance, please create a query. To do so, you will need to sign into CGPublisher, select Peer Reviewer in the left-hand navigation, and click on the title of the assigned manuscript. Scroll down to the Tasks/Queries and Documents tab at the bottom of the screen. Click the New Query button.


How do I find the reviewer report and manuscript? Once you have signed into CGPublisher, go to Peer Reviewer in the left-hand navigation. Select the article and scroll down to Tasks/Queries and Documents tabs. Select Documents to find the reviewer report and manuscript in one Word Document. If you do not see any assignments in the Peer Reviewer screen, please check that you are signed in with the CGScholar account that the peer review request email was sent to. 


How should I annotate my comments and observations? Please make detailed comments in each of the five sections of the Peer Reviewer Report. In addition, if you want to annotate the manuscript, please use the “Track Changes” function in Microsoft Word. This is a two-way anonymous review. We will delete your identifying information if your name appears in a comment.


What if the manuscript I am reviewing seems well-researched and meets the evaluation criteria but does not read fluently in English? Our publishing model is intended to ensure that authors speaking English as a second language are given the equal opportunity to receive feedback from a peer review process to critique and improve the conceptual material of their manuscripts. Evaluate the text for its conceptual material and select “Professional Editing Required” to indicate the manuscript needs assistance with English language fluency. 


How do I find my certificate? Once you have signed into CGPublisher, go to Archived then Completed Peer Reviews in the left-hand navigation. Select the manuscript and scroll down to Tasks/Queries and Documents tabs. Select Documents to find your certificate. 


How do I join a Research Network Editorial Board? Reviewers who successfully complete six reviews in a year will be considered for inclusion.


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