A Conversation with eNeuro's Editor-in-Chief
Did you miss SfN’s first Neuronline chat with eNeuro editor-in-chief Christophe Bernard last week? Here are some highlights from the conversation on what you should you know about being a reviewer.
Q: What can I do to be invited to review for any journal?
A: While it’s important you publish several papers in a given field, it’s best to have direct contacts with editors because reviewer selection is often based on a personal knowledge. Meet the editors and talk to them. If you introduce yourself and have a good publication record, it may work.
Q: How can postgrad students learn to create a good review?
A: Journal clubs in the lab are the first place to start. If the group is large enough, an individual can propose to review a paper when it is still under construction by a colleague, which is helpful to both parties. While how to perform a review is subjective, you should focus on this one area: What is the question asked, and did the authors provide a good answer?
Q: How can neuroscientists whose first language is not English improve their manuscript writing?
A: The most difficult part is to express everything clearly. Consider a set of papers in your field (or other fields) that are beautifully written. Try to understand the packaging (not the content), such as how the authors led the reader from the original question to the conclusion. Use that as a model.
Explore the full chat to see Christophe’s advice on other reviewing topics.
Stay tuned for future Neuronline chats on professional development and scientific training topics. In the meantime, check out Neuronline’s hundreds of resources, including webinars, podcasts, interviews, and articles.
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