The impact of patient advocacy on peer review A step-by-step guide to peer review: a template for patients and novice reviewers, 35 co-authored by Liz Salmi and Charlotte Blease, PhD, provides a structured approach to peer review to enhance the involvement of patients and novice researchers in the review process. This guide has been valuable in helping new reviewers understand their roles and the importance of reporting on the impact of research on patients. It has received six formal citations, including one in the monograph Applying Metascientific Principles to Autism Research , which offers practical ideas for academics to improve the quality of their research on the autism spectrum. As an educator at Uppsala University in Sweden, Dr Blease finds the guide particularly useful for PhD students and early career researchers. It is an educational tool that helps familiarise them with the peer review process, enhancing their academic training. Both Salmi and Blease believe that the guide inspired the development of similar resources and increased the involvement of patient advocates in peer review, thereby broadening the scope and diversity of reviewers. BMJ Group’s support through its dedicated patient advisory board also significantly contributed to the guide’s visibility and success.
This document is a good example of patient collaboration improving research environments. Such advice must be properly articulated and accessible, as it can significantly enhance research practices.” Dr Charlotte Blease , PhD, Associate Professor, Participatory eHealth & Health Data Research Group, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University; and Digital Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School
Almost 90% of research papers first submitted to The BMJ in 2023 and sent out for peer review were also sent to a patient and public reviewer for their opinion.
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