“It's something I always wanted to be involved in and I thought this was a nice step into it.”: how the Veterinary Evidence mentorship program is helping people into peer-review

Katherine Hart RVN, a lecturer in Veterinary Nursing at Harper Adams University in Shropshire, had always wanted to be a reviewer for a scientific journal. When she saw the Veterinary Evidence peer-review mentorship program on social media, she decided to sign up.

The Veterinary Evidence Editorial Office soon paired her with Loni Loftus, a lecturer in Clinical Animal Behaviour at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh, who had signed onto the scheme as a mentor.   

So, what inspired her to become a mentor? Loni said: “When I started reviewing years ago, there weren’t mentorship schemes like this in place.   

“I felt like I would have really benefitted from having that sounding board,” she added.   

Launched last year, the mentorship program aims to provide support to those interested in peer reviewing in the hope that Veterinary Evidence reviewers will reflect the diversity of veterinary professions and readership.

Individuals can register on the Veterinary Evidence peer-review system, Editorial Manager, and be assigned to a paper in their field of expertise. A mentee and mentor will then be put in touch with each other and communicate via email or online calls. The mentor will give guidance on how to review a paper – which will be assigned to them by the Veterinary Evidence Editorial Office - before a combined review is submitted.   

“It’s been really positive,” said Katherine. “I’ve been given a mentor who is really supportive, which has helped the process. It’s solidified the fact that I do want to be a reviewer.”     

That support is a key part of what mentors can provide to their mentees, with Loni adding: “People are often put off reviewing because they feel like they can’t do it, so having someone to bounce ideas off encourages people to have a go.”   

The program is is open to members of the veterinary professions who have either never peer-reviewed or would like to gain more confidence in reviewing papers.

“The process of reviewing is not quick, you have to want to do it,” said Katherine, “but if you enjoy academic learning, it’s definitely a good process to be involved in,” she added.      

Could you be a mentor or mentee? Sign-up here