Policies
WSU Policies
Other related policies
- ARC Open Access Policy
- Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018)
- AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research
- The Australian Code For The Care And Use Of Animals For Scientific Purposes 8th edition ( 2013)
- NHMRC Open Access Policy
- The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2023)—Effective 1 January 2024
Peer review
Peer review is the process by which manuscripts submitted to a journal are assessed and evaluated for their quality, value and credibility. Peer review also contributes to building trust in scholarly output. Scholarly journals use peer review to protect and maintain the quality of their published material. The review process means that the articles in scholarly journals are generally of a higher quality than those published in other types of publications.
Journal editors select subject experts to review and evaluate submitted manuscripts before accepting (or rejecting) them for publication. Authors must respond to feedback provided by peer reviewers, and manuscripts must pass the peer review process to be published.
The Conversation explainer: What is peer review? outlines the steps involved in peer review and some of the advantages and disadvantages of the process.
See Strategic scholarly publishing to check the type of peer review undertaken by the journals you are considering.
Peer review training
- Nature Masterclasses Online is available to WSU HDR students and staff via Single Sign-On. Log in using your Western Account credentials. Step-by-step instructions on how to sign up are available here
- LinkedIn Learning also offers various online training opportunities to WSU students and staff, including peer review. Log in using Single Sign-On and your WesternAccount credentials.
- Web of Science Academy provides an opportunity for Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students and early career researchers to take free online peer review training courses, with the option of working with a mentor. Contact wosacademy@clarivate.com for more information about Web of Science Academy.
Responding to peer review feedback
Reviewers usually propose one of the following:
- acceptance of a manuscript or a proposal
- acceptance on condition that the author improves it in certain ways
- rejection, but also encouragement to revise the manuscript and resubmit it
- outright rejection
The comments made by peer reviewers are not requirements, but suggestions. You need to decide which points you want to act upon. However, each suggestion should be acknowledged and justification for their acceptance or rejection.
Research datasets and peer review
If your publisher requires a peer review of your research datasets, check the data storage options available through Western.
If you need further assistance, 'Support for research data management' forms are available in WesternNow for staff researchers and HDR students if you have questions about confidentiality or embargo periods.