By BI Weizi

Matteo Cavalleri. (COURTESY PHOTO)

With the rapid rise of international publication volume, more Chinese reviewers are needed to match China's increasingly important contributions to international publications.

"Inviting expert reviewers to participate in the peer review process is inevitable if journal editors want to make informed publishing decisions," Matteo Cavalleri, publisher, Strategy & Portfolio Development, AIP Publishing, told Science and Technology Daily.

Rising as a major contributor

According to the 2023 Nature Index Annual Tables, which examined the institutions and countries that contributed most to high-quality research published in 2022, China surpassed the United States to take the top spot in four science categories (physical sciences, chemistry, biological sciences, and earth and environmental sciences). With a 21.4 percent increase in adjusted share from 2021, China had the largest increase among the top 10 countries in the annual tables, emerging as a science and engineering research superpower.

Based on data from Clarivate, taking the three-year average through 2021, China produced 24.6 percent of all papers published worldwide and nearly 30 percent of the top 10 percent and one percent of most-cited publications.

Cavalleri attributes the rapid development of China's S&T publications to the country's ample funding and resources. "The Chinese government has prioritized scientific research and development as a cornerstone of national development," he said, adding that a large pool of highly educated and skilled researchers has been fostered through initiatives such as the "Double First-Class" initiative, a higher education development program to forge a world-class higher education system.

Young scientists welcomed

Cavalleri noted that the percentage of Chinese reviewers does not proportionately match their contributions to international publications.

According to AIP Publishing's database, about one-third of research articles in 2023 came from China, while only 17 percent of the review invitations were sent to Chinese researchers that year. Therefore, AIP Publishing encourages more Chinese scientists to join the reviewer community to bridge this gap since Chinese reviewers play an important and multifaceted role in international journal publishing.

"Chinese reviewers bring a wealth of expertise and knowledge in various sci-tech fields. Their involvement adds a diversity of perspectives to the peer review process," Cavalleri said. Diversity is essential to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of manuscripts, taking into account different scientific traditions, methodologies, and cultural contexts.

To engage more Chinese reviewers in international journal publishing, AIP Publishing has launched a new peer review initiative that has added an "Engaged Reviewer" person tag to its manuscript submission and tracking website to better attract researchers who want to contribute to the peer review process, Cavalleri said. Relevant webinars were also held to support young scientists.

"We welcome more young Chinese scholars to join the community of peer reviewers as this would indeed bring significant changes to the global academic ecosystem," Cavalleri said.