Should you accept an invitation to review articles early into your PhD? There is no specific answer here, but let’s go through the pros and cons of reviewing manuscripts as a PhD student.
1. It can be daunting at first
I was hesitant to review manuscripts in the first year of my PhD. I had just started to investigate my topic of ‘Mental Fatigue in Football’, so in my mind, who was I to review articles written by researchers a lot more experienced and established in the topic? It felt like a 17-year-old applying with a provisional licence telling Lewis Hamilton how to drive a car.
I eventually volunteered as a reviewer twelve months into my PhD. By this stage I had read scores of articles on my topic and worked on applied projects myself. Whilst not an expert, I had more credibility in my interpretation of the articles presented to me, and I now felt ready to provide meaningful feedback which could strengthen the rigour and quality of the work.
Being ready is the key part of what I am saying here. Do not feel a pressure to review articles early into your PhD. Build a foundation of knowledge in your field and go through the research process yourself before reviewing other articles.
2. It can be an unproductive use of your time
Everyone has a different style when reviewing articles. I’ve known fellow PhD students to provide all their feedback within a couple of hours, whereas other colleagues took days to complete their review. There is no standardised time recommended for such a task, but remember this is an unpaid duty which cuts into an already packed academic schedule.
This also comes back to the previous point. Review when you are ready. With experience you will be more efficient in identifying areas for improvement in writing quality and scientific rigour. If you find it is taking too long to complete your manuscript feedback (or you are so quick that you are missing valuable revision suggestions), it could be a sign to hold off on subsequent reviews in the near future. Go back to the drawing board, build research experience, earn your stripes, and grow in confidence. There is not a heavy expectation for PhD students to regularly review articles anyway, so you shouldn’t feel any external pressure to volunteer.
3. It can boost your own research skills
The first two points of this blog highlight that it is important to at least have an intermediate level of knowledge in your field before volunteering to review manuscripts. Being an intermediate means there is still a lot for you to learn about research, and acting as a reviewer is actually a great way to develop as a PhD student.
Reviewing manuscripts requires more concentration and attention to detail compared to reading a journal article at your own leisure. Once I had a greater microscope over manuscripts as a reviewer, I found myself becoming better at spotting methodological flaws, identifying improvements in writing style, and providing general feedback to make a more informed and rigorous study.
Becoming involved in the review process will sharpen these senses and impact your own work. I started to approach my own studies and thesis write-up with a ‘reviewer head’ on, and sometimes go full Reviewer 2 when I wanted to be critical of my own writing!
4. It can be good for your CV
If you want to work in academia, I recommend reviewing articles during your PhD. At my academic job interviews, I spoke about how reviewing for multiple journal articles demonstrated my versatility, critical analysis skills, and a selfless attitude to supporting the research community. It definitely helped!
Remember to have a balance though (and that this is an unpaid task!). You do not need to review a large array of articles to impress future employers, and other areas will be more important on your CV (teaching experience, publications, relevant skills). Volunteering to review is a piece of the academic puzzle, but not a huge one.
My general rule of thumb was to roughly review one paper for each publication I had. Therefore, I ended up reviewing around seven or eight papers during my PhD, which definitely felt like enough!
5. It will help you build a network
If you are interested in a career in academia, reviewing articles is a good way to tactically connect yourself with the right people.
You can Google each journal and learn which academics are affiliated with them. More specifically, if you find an editor of a journal who is an esteemed professor in a topic related to you (or is based at an institution you aspire to work at), then it could be a good idea to connect with them and express your interest in volunteering to review future articles for their specific journal.
This will allow you to exhibit your capabilities, personality, and eagerness to progress in academia. All of this can lead to further opportunities, such as more senior responsibility within a journal, valuable research connections, and employment opportunities.
Editors are often tearing their hair out finding suitable reviewers for articles, so your willingness to help will not be forgotten!
Final Thoughts
Your willingness to review articles can depend on your amount of free time, level of perceived knowledge in the field, and your career aspirations. Overall, someone else is going to give up their time to review your work one day, so it’s only fair you return the favour and contribute to what is a struggling system.
Be smart with what you review, and who you review with. Volunteering to review doesn’t have to be as selfless as it is made out to be. Make the process a mutually beneficial experience, and think about what you can gain in the short- and long-term.
