Finding Reviewers (original) (raw)

Sometimes the most challenging part of our pyOpenSci open peer review process is finding reviewers. This page provides tips and tricks to help you find the right people to review a scientific Python package.

Where to Look for Reviewers?#

As an editor, you can find reviewers through:

When the above doesn’t work and you still need to find a reviewer:

Important

If you do a reviewer search, please be sure to have new reviewers first sign up using our reviewer signup form.

Criteria for Choosing Reviewers#

Here are criteria to keep in mind when choosing a reviewer. You might need to piece this information together by searching PyPI, Conda / Conda-forgeand the potential reviewer’s GitHub page and general online presence (personal website, social media profiles).

Reviewer Diversity Should Be Prioritized#

Try to balance your sense of the potential reviewer’s experience against the complexity of the package.

Each submission should be reviewed by two package reviewers. Although it is fine for one of them to have less package development experience and more domain knowledge, the review should not be split into two parts. Both reviewers need to review the package comprehensively, from their particular perspectives. In general, at least one reviewer should have prior reviewing experience, and of course inviting one new reviewer expands our pool of reviewers.

Reviewers should ideally have some subject matter expertise associated with the package functionality. It is ok and even welcome if one reviewer has more technical expertise and the other focuses on usability and is less technical. Read through the Guidelines for Reviewers Section to learn more about finding and selecting reviewers.

Peer Review Mentorship#

pyOpenSci encourages those who are newer to review to become involved in our open peer review process. As such, we offer a reviewer mentorship program where we pair a new reviewer with someone in the community that has previous review experience.

It is useful for reviewers to not only review the technical content of a package, but also to review the documentation and package installation process for usability.

If a new reviewer is interested in becoming a reviewer but would like some support, do the following:

  1. The Editor can lead the effort to find mentors for the new reviewers by posting in the #software-review Slack channel for help.
  2. If the Editor needs support in finding a mentor, they can contact the EiC or peer review lead for guidance.

Once a Mentor is Identified#

  1. Invite the new reviewer to our pyOpenSci Slack.
  2. Start a private DM group chat with the new reviewer and the mentor(s) so they are introduced.
  3. Let the review proceed from there.