Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a Journal of Trauma Nursing (JTN) peer reviewer? If you are a JTN reader, you have mastered the first step. A good reviewer is representative of the intended audience and who can judge the accuracy, completeness, and importance of the study compared with similar work in the field. The JTN peer reviewer is a special breed who gives back to their profession without recognition or remuneration. Who are these special people who generously share their expertise? The JTN peer reviewer is an anonymous colleague who works extra hours to provide thoughtful, constructive feedback to help an anonymous author improve their manuscript-Wow, what a gift!
The journal uses a double anonymized peer review process, meaning that the author and reviewer's identities are concealed from each other. The double anonymized peer review process promotes objectivity and lessens the potential risk of bias. I am privileged to work with JTN 's 145 peer reviewers representing multiple disciplines across seven countries. They teach me daily, and I am humbled to work with them. From this auspicious group, I have identified what I think are the best characteristics among these heroes (Table 1).
Every September, journals around the globe celebrate peer review week to acknowledge the impact of peer review in maintaining scientific quality. Please join me in thanking our peer reviewers who give their time and talent to help others. We couldn't publish JTN without them. If you are interested in becoming a JTN peer reviewer or would like to recommend a colleague, please contact Judy N. Mikhail, Editor, at mailto:[email protected].