About Peer Review
D. Scot Malay, DPM, MSCE, FACFAS
Editor, The Journal of Foot
& Ankle Surgery
Peer
review is the crucial process that we use at the The Journal of Foot & Ankle
Surgery (JFAS) to make decisions as to which manuscripts should be accepted for
publication, rejected from further consideration, or recommended for further
revision and then reconsideration. The process of peer review is both
time-honored and effective, particularly as it pertains to the scientific
literature.
It is the peer reviewer who, after initial editorial consideration, comments
on the meaningfulness, and the potential interest, that a manuscript may have
for our readers. Peer reviewers serve as the voice of our readership, and
provide constructive criticism related to the scientific merit, as well as the
overall interest, that a manuscript may convey once it is published. The peer
reviewer, therefore, serves as an important critic of the “content matter” that
is contained in a manuscript.
It is important to understand, too, that it is not the peer reviewer’s job to
edit a manuscript in regard to issues related to grammar, syntax, punctuation,
spelling, and other items related to formatting and style, since these duties
are the responsibility of authors and the editors. Ultimately, it is the Editor
who has the final responsibility for both the scientific content and the copy
editing issues related to formatting the prose. Even though JFAS uses a
group of Section Editors, consisting of individuals with a wide range of
expertise and knowledge, much of our decisions are still based on the
recommendations of the peer reviewers that are invited to comment on the merits
of any given article.
If you are interested in serving as a peer reviewer for JFAS, I
encourage you to go to our website (jfas.org), and click on the “Journal
Information: Become a Reviewer” link listed in the menu of options located on
the left-hand side of the page. In this way, you can sign up to become a peer
reviewer for JFAS, and provide our editors with useful information that
will enable us to readily identify your areas of interest and contact
information. At JFAS the entire process of manuscript submission and
editing is carried out electronically, so it is important to include your email
address when you sign up to be a peer reviewer.
The role that peer reviewers play in regard to the quality of a scientific
journal cannot be over estimated. We are very proud and appreciative of the time
and energy that our peer reviewers put forth on behalf of
JFAS.