News Release

ACS Publications announces free training resource for peer reviewers

Business Announcement

American Chemical Society

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2017 - Reinforcing its commitment to publishing the best peer-reviewed scientific research, the Publications Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) today announced the debut of ACS Reviewer Lab, an online course created to help educate researchers on the fundamentals of scholarly peer review. A collaborative effort by ACS Editors, leading chemistry researchers and ACS Publications staff, the course offers scientists practical instruction and challenging exercises designed to hone their peer-reviewing skills.

Incisive and thorough peer review is critical to the advancement of science, which is why ACS Publications has embarked on an effort to provide educational tools for researchers eager to volunteer their reviewing skills, and to confidently and effectively serve as referees for scientific journals.

"We are delighted to open ACS Reviewer Lab for use by the scientific community," says Sarah Tegen, Ph.D., vice president of Global Editorial & Author Services at ACS Publications. "Rigorous and trusted peer review is recognized as the cornerstone of the high editorial quality of ACS journals. ACS Publications is dedicated to further enhancing our service to reviewers, editors and authors by creating specialized training resources."

ACS Reviewer Lab features six interactive modules covering the basics of peer review and publishing ethics, as well as practical guidance on how to write an informative, high-caliber referee report. Comprehensive guides prepare users for a final assessment, for which they are rewarded with a certificate of completion upon achieving a passing score. Successful completion of the course indicates to ACS Editors that researchers have invested their time in this peer-review instruction and have acquired an understanding of the essential skills needed to be a thorough and well-informed volunteer peer reviewer.

To learn more about ACS Reviewer Lab or to take the online course, please visit: http://www.acsreviewerlab.org.

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About the American Chemical Society

The American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Through its Publications Division, the Society publishes 50+ peer-reviewed journals and eBooks. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature. The Publications Division offers high-quality service to authors and readers, including rapid time to publication, cutting-edge web and mobile delivery platforms and comprehensive open-access options. The Society's main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive press releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

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