How to Be an Effective Journal and Conference Paper Reviewer without Being a Jerk

In academia, advice about how to write a good paper for conferences and journals abounds. And yet, despite our best efforts in writing a paper, many of us dread receiving feedback-- especially from the infamous "Reviewer #2". How often do we actually talk about how to be a good reviewer? (Hint: not enough!) Reviewers are essential to the publishing process, and yet no one ever tells us how to write a constructive review. Reviewers typically have two roles: to provide authors with feedback to improve their paper, and to assist conference program chairs or journal editors in making decisions about what is accepted for publication and/or presentation. Given the commitment of CoNECD participants to fostering diversity and inclusion scholarship and practice, it is critically important to nurture a community of reviewers who can effectively and compassionately help authors publish and present the strongest, most accessible, and best articulated reporting of their work. In this presentation, the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering will offer ideas for practicing the art of constructive reviewing. Audience members will leave this presentation with specific strategies they can utilize the very next time they serve as a reviewer. By implementing the ideas discussed in this presentation, audience members will become more effective and constructive reviewers for conference like CoNECD and ASEE, as well as a variety of academic journals. Audience members will learn (1) the elements of a constructive review (2)how to practice the art of constructive feedback so that each review produced is a tangible contribution towards creating a supportive culture for academic publishing in STEM education, and (3) how to lead by example in holding our field to a higher standard in how we treat each other and the life's work of each community member.