Article Peer-Reviewer Training (APT) Program

Purpose

The Article Peer-Reviewer Training (APT) program is a year-long mentored learning experience that aims to expand the pool of qualified reviewers of articles submitted for publication to ASHA journals. The program runs from January through December, annually. Specifically, the program aims to:

• support improvement in the quality and culture of peer review for the ASHA journals,
• enhance the knowledge and skills of scholars for serving as peer reviewers for the ASHA journals,
• give APT program participants mentored opportunities to practice writing reviews that provide constructive feedback to authors in a collegial spirit, and
• provide ongoing mechanisms for sustaining and enhancing reviewers’ skill sets. 

The APT program is part of ASHA’s Academic & Research Mentoring (ARM) Network. The ARM Network offers programs for those who are considering, launching, and advancing academic-research careers in communication sciences and disorders (CSD). ASHA measures the impact of these programs by collecting participant outcomes data on participants’ continued engagement in a research career.

Participant Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the following requirements at the time of application: 

• Education
  • Hold a research doctoral degree (e.g., PhD). 
• Career Stage 
  • Be a postdoctoral fellow or 
  • Be an early- or mid- career researcher.
• Knowledge and Experience 
  • Have topic-relevant expertise in areas covered by the ASHA journals—these areas include the general field of communication sciences and disorders (CSD) and the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology as well as related topic areas.
  • Have previously published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal (preference given to those who have been a senior/first author on at least one published article).  

 Applicants are not required to have prior peer review experience. 

Program Format, Requirements, and Learning Outcomes

Format

The program will be structured in a collaborative, mentor/mentee format. Participants will be matched with a mentoring editor, who is an experienced editor with the ASHA Journals Program. Mentoring editors will work with up to two participants.

Requirements

During the year-long program, starting in January, APT program participants are expected to do the following:

1. Complete learning modules asynchronously in the time allotted.
2. Conduct approximately three to five mentored written reviews, incorporating feedback from their assigned mentoring editor.
3. Participate in virtual, live training and networking events with fellow participants and mentoring editors throughout the duration of the program.

Learning Outcomes

After participating in the APT program, participants will be able to do the following:

1. Effectively execute the roles and responsibilities of the peer reviewer.
2. Convey feedback in a constructive manner with a collegial tone.
3. Provide a theoretically neutral and unbiased peer review of a manuscript submitted to an ASHA journal for publication.

How to Apply

To apply, access the online application system during the application period, which opens in the first week of September. Complete the online form, upload the materials listed below, and submit the entire application by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, Tuesday, October 15, 2024.

Page limits do not include references. Pages should be 12-point font and single-spaced with 1-inch margins. All application materials must be uploaded as PDFs.

Required Submission Materials

Upload the following materials via the online application form:

• Personal Narrative and Research Focus (limited to 2 pages) that addresses the following: 
  • Why is this program a good fit for you? 
  • What do you hope to gain from the program? 
  • Briefly describe your research focus and direction over the next few years. 
  • Provide any further information that you want reviewers to know regarding your career trajectory, publication history, or any special circumstances affecting your history. 
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Be sure to include list of publications and journal review experience, if any. 

If you have any questions, please contact ASHA's Academic Affairs & Research Education team at research@asha.org.

APT Program Advisory Committee

The APT program is planned and coordinated by two ASHA teams—the Academic Affairs and Research Education team and the Serial Publications and Editorial Services team—in consultation with the APT Advisory Committee, which serves to review the applications and provide overall guidance on the structure and development of the program. The following ASHA members make up the APT Advisory Committee.

Sumitrajit Dhar, Chair
Northwestern University

Julie Barkmeier-Kraemer
The University of Utah

Leora Cherney
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Teresa Girolamo
San Diego State University

Shelley Gray
Arizona State University

Larry Humes
Indiana University Bloomington

Raymond Kent
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Lori Leibold
Boys Town National Research Hospital

Ignatius Nip
San Diego State University

Audra Sterling
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Rinki Varindani Desai
The Step Group

Elizabeth Walker
The University of Iowa