Engaging with early career researchers (ECRs) is a pivotal step in shaping the future of research and academia. These individuals bring fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and a drive to make meaningful contributions to their fields. As they navigate the early stages of their careers, journals play a crucial role in their professional development. Involving ECRs in journal activities—whether through peer review, editorial roles, or mentorship—benefits not only the researchers but also the scholarly community by fostering diversity, inclusion, and cutting-edge insights. This blog outlines practical strategies for journals and senior academics to collaborate with ECRs, ensuring mutual growth, impactful research, and strengthened academic networks.
Peer Review Mentorship
Reviewer selection challenges are a frequent topic at board meetings and in our day-to-day communications with Sage journal editors. Reviewer selection often presents challenges, but involving ECRs in the process can be a win-win.
- Leverage ECRs’ Eagerness: Senior researchers can mentor ECRs by inviting them to co-review submissions, providing feedback on their evaluations, and ensuring their reviews align with field standards. In many instances, Editors invite a higher-level faculty member to conduct a peer review. That person will respond they don’t have the time, so they suggest a student complete the review for them.
- Use Structured Support: Journals can implement mentorship tools, such as a Reviewer-in-Training rubric, where supervisors and ECRs submit joint reviews to ensure quality and consistency.
- Provide Resources: Equip ECRs with materials on ethical responsibilities and peer review best practices. Sage’s guides and dedicated peer review training platforms are excellent starting points. We have a site dedicated to the ethical responsibilities when conducting peer review, as well.
Participating in peer review offers ECRs the chance to:
- Enhance the quality of academic articles through constructive feedback.
- Stay updated with the latest research in their field.
- Develop critical skills for structuring and conducting their own research.
- Build credibility, as peer review experience is a key benchmark for readiness in academic publishing.
It may take a while for an ECR to receive a reviewer invitation. Therefore, for ECRs waiting for their first formal review opportunity, practicing on preprints is a proactive option:
- Identify relevant preprint servers in your field.
- Select papers to review and share your assessments with a senior colleague for feedback.
- Post your reviews, where allowed, to contribute openly to the academic community.
- For additional resources, check out Advance, Sage’s preprints community, where ECRs can practice and engage with research before formal publication.
This article is part 1/3 of this month's blog post about journal management. Read the second part here. Read the third part here.
