Student Peer Reviewer: Benefits for the Profession and the Student

Peer review is the process of certifying new science (Berkenkotter 1995). Certifying research by other professionals allows a discipline to maintain high standards of research quality and credibility to peers and the public. Few scientists can imagine progress without the peer-review process (Laine and Mulrow 2003). At the recent student colloquium at the American Fisheries Society (AFS) Annual Meeting in San Francisco, the guest presentations and discussion focused on writing and publishing. As a part of this discussion, it became apparent that many students were not aware that they could be involved in the review process. While students have always been welcome as peer reviewers, student participation has waned in recent years. Indeed, as the future of the fisheries profession (Kohler 2005), students have a professional obligation to be involved in the peer-review process. Additionally, all three presenters at the colloquium indicated that student involvement in the peer-review process enhances a student's critical reviewing and writing skills and would be a benefit to the profession. This article is meant to describe the elements of a good critical review. More importantly, this discussion will hopefully serve as a catalyst for getting more students involved in the peer-review process.