Become a Reviewer

Reviewers are a critical part of the publication process. Optica Publishing Group's journal editors rely on reviewers to help maintain their journals' high standards. Providing a good review that is thorough and fair can be time-consuming and the editors appreciate the energy that reviewers devote to the task. Reviewing for Optica Publishing Group's journals can also be rewarding however, and it provides insight to some of the most up-to-date research in the field.

If you are interested in reviewing for our journals, please create an account in Prism, our article tracking system. If you have published in an Optica Publishing Group journal you will already have an account. Ensure that your contact information and expertise keywords are up-to-date so that your record can be easily found.

Optica Publishing Group's Reviewer Certification Course will help you understand the objectives of peer review, and explain best practices for writing a constructive and ethical review.  After successful completion of the course, certified reviewers will be identified in our reviewer database and will earn points within the Reviewer Recognition Program.

Becoming a reviewer can take some time. Creating and updating your account in our system is just the first step. Editors select appropriate reviewers for each paper based not only on expertise keywords, but also on information such as publication records, prior reviewing experience or personal knowledge and recommendations. You are more likely to be chosen as a reviewer of a particular paper if you have also published articles on that topic for example. Here are some other tips to increase your chances of being asked to review:

• Ask your supervisor to involve you when they review a paper so that they can guide you through the process.
• If you are asked to review, respond promptly, even if you need to decline the invitation.
• Update your account with a mixture of general and very specific keywords to describe your area of expertise.
• Contact the editor who handles papers in your area to let them know you are interested in contributing as a reviewer and provide him/her with details about your qualifications.