Liz Salmi and Dr Charlotte Blease are breaking new ground as co-authors of The Step-by-Step Guide to Peer Review for Patients and Novice Researchers, published in BMJ Health & Care Informatics. With this publication, they addressed the need for clear guidelines, tackled the challenges of measuring impact, and emphasised the importance of making resources accessible for educational purposes. Patients are increasingly recognised for their critical role as peer reviewers, and their input is becoming steadily more possible thanks to the support of journals and funding agencies.
Ms Salmi created the Guide to Peer Review as a template for herself to assist with peer reviews. Recognising its value, she shared it with others, thus providing a practical tool for those new to the process. The guide has been valuable in helping new reviewers—including patients—understand their roles and the importance of reporting on the impact of research. The guide has been cited in various contexts, including educational materials and handbooks, such as 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. The guide also plays a significant role in improving research environments through patient collaboration.
“The utility of the peer review template—which I draw from for every peer review—and its anecdotal recognition from its users is an example of how journal editors and authors have appreciated the template.” Liz Salmi, Communications & Patient Initiatives Director for OpenNotes at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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.
“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, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Participatory eHealth & Health Data Research Group, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala Universitet; and Digital Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
Both Ms Salmi and Dr Blease believe that the guide may have 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 the BMJ Patient Advisory Board also significantly contributed to the guide’s visibility and success.
Follow Ms Salmi on X: @TheLizArmy or online: thelizarmy.com
Follow Dr Blease on X: @crblease or online: charlotteblease.com
