Information for
referees
More than 1000 people act as referees for the
Journal. About 90 of these are statistical experts and, in
addition, the Journal has a statistical adviser. Refereeing is part
of the editorial process, which results in less than one paper in
five being accepted for publication; nearly all papers are modified
in some way before acceptance as a result of this process.
Refereeing a paper for the Journal is an important part of peer
assessment and helps to maintain standards. It is recognised that
refereeing takes time. The BJGP now has a system of open
review.
Would you like to register as
a referee?
What the Editor needs
The Editor needs to know if the paper is original in some way,
if the question asked is important, and if the methods and results
are reliable. The Editor cannot be expected to be up to date in all
the diverse research areas in general practice. The Editor also
wants to know if you think the paper will be of interest to Journal
readers. Most authors appreciate informed, constructive criticism
of their work. The Journal aims to offer this service to all
authors even though only a minority of submissions are accepted for
publication.
The Journal recognizes that referees are the unsung heroes of
quality control. A referee’s report is seen by the Journal as a
service to authors, who may well be working in isolation. Authors
may modify their results in the light of your comments and it is
not unusual for resubmissions to the Journal to express gratitude
for the referees’ opinions.
To find out more information about being a referee for
the BJGP and to apply online please visit: AllenTrack.