About the ARI Group Peer Review process

Our Peer Review process is conducted according to the Cochrane Peer Review Policy.

Peer Review timeline

Peer Reviewer assessment and comment on drafts is invited within three weeks of receiving drafts. The ARI Group is always willing to negotiate timeline windows, but aims to conduct the process promptly.  

Peer Review roles

ARI editorial base team

• The Managing Editor manages the Peer Review process and is the contact point between Peer Reviewers and authors. Specific tasks are: identify Peer Reviewers and invite their participation; keep track of timelines; collate Peer Reviewers' comments and assessments; invite Contact Editors/Handling Editors to assess and provide further comment; send collated comments to authors to invite response and amendment; check responses and amendments before sending on to the Contact Editor/Handling Editor for further input.
• Information specialist. Checks submitted drafts to ensure compliance with Cochrane searching and search-related reporting policies.

ARI Group Editors (external to the editorial base team)

The ARI Group Contact Editor/Handling Editor provides guidance and adds comments to the collated Peer Reviewer and Consumer comments that aim to clarify, harmonise and prioritise all feedback comments.

The ARI Group Statistics Editor assesses review methods and statistical analyses, provides guidance to authors and validates methods.

External Peer and Consumer Reviewers

The ARI Group aims to obtain assessments from:

• at least one, but preferably two, Peer Reviewers who are clinical experts in the review topic.
• at least one, but preferably two, Consumer Reviewers who have interest or experience in the review topic.

Cochrane Diagnostic Test Accuracy Review Peer Review

Cochrane Diagnostic Test Accuracy Review (DTAR) draft protocols, reviews, and review updates are also assessed by Peer Reviewers in a separate process managed by the DTAR editorial team.

Declarations of conflicts of interest by Peer and Consumer Reviewers

All reviewers are requested to provide statements of conflicts of interest which are provided with collated reviewers' comments for authors. Conflicts of interest declarations of Cochrane editors and staff are available here.

Guidance for Peer and Consumer Reviewers who suspect misconduct

Peer and Consumer Reviewers who have any concerns about draft manuscripts or the Peer Review process should contact the ARI Group Managing Editor to discuss their concerns. All drafts are checked for unacknowledged use of the work of others before entering the Peer Review process.

Acknowledgement of Peer and Consumer Reviewers

We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of all Peer and Consumer Reviewers. The following people have contributed to protocols and reviews in 2023:

Clinical Reviewers:

Australia
Janet Wale

USA
Sallie Bernard
Ann Fonfa
Jonathan Fuchs
Dee Shneiderman

Methods Reviewers:

UK
Emma Axon
Leslie Choi
Peter Knapp

Search Reviewers:

Canada
Yan Chi

We also wish to acknowledge reviewers who have chosen to remain anonymous.