First Peer Review

Just completed a peer review for JADD (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders). Good to get to contribute to the scientific process from the other side. It’s unexpectedly empowering to get to evaluate work in your field.

 

🎓 What’s Peer Review?

Before a research paper gets published in  a scientific journal, they’re sent to 2-3 other experts in the same field (🧠 like me now!) to read and give detailed feedback. It’s not just saying a simple yes or no. As a reviewer, you're expected to check if the research question is meaningful, evaluate whether the methods and data are sound, identify missing info or unclear sections, suggest improvements, flag any ethical / technical concerns and recommend whether it should be accepted, revised, or rejected. The goal is to make sure the science is solid before it becomes part of the official literature. The goal is to check for quality, accuracy, and whether the work adds something new to the field. It’s kind of like a report card for a research paper, by people who understand the topic.