About Peeref

About us News Partnerships FAQ
  • General info
  • User account
  • Journal information search and commenting
  • Publication search and discussion
  • Reviewer certification
  • Researcher connection
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FAQ

 

General info

What is Peeref?
Peeref is a large communication platform designed to provide researchers around the world with an integrated forum and social network to exchange insights on scientific publications and share their journal submission and peer review experiences. Peeref allows you to view the latest research activity, build collaborations with global scientists, and offers educational services to enhance your career and move science forward. Read more about Peeref here.

User account

How do I edit my user profile? Or, how do I update my account information?
After logging in, navigate to your Author Center and click Edit my Profile. Scroll down and fill in the fields with your information. The form requires you to list your user name, country/region, academic institution, research area (subject category) and research field. Other information, such as your job title, are not required. Click Update your Profile and you’re set. You can update your profile at any time.
How do I change my email address?
By default, the email address you used to sign up with Peeref cannot be changed. This email serves as the email address for any correspondence with Peeref.
Who can see my account information?
Your Peeref account is split into sections: your Homepage and your Author Center. Your Homepage serves as your public profile, which is visible to any visitor on the Peeref website. Your Author Center is visible only to you and allows you to update the information present on your Homepage (public profile). You can navigate to your Homepage or Author Center by clicking on your profile picture on the top right of the Peeref website.
Does Peeref share my information?
Peeref won’t share any of your information - we respect your privacy. We will never display information about manuscripts until they have been published, and we do not use any of your private information included in forwarded email receipts or reviews other than for verifying reviews.
My activation email doesn’t work and/or I never received an activation email. What do I do?
Please send an email with your name, email address and subject to support@peeref.com. We will respond to your inquiry ASAP.
Can I connect an account (Google, Facebook) to Peeref?
Yes. Sign up Peeref with your Google or Facebook account, and then follow prompts to fill out your email and nickname. After logging in, navigate to your Author Center and click Edit my Profile. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Next. Enter your information in the appropriate field and click Update your Profile.
How do I change my password?
After logging in, navigate to your Author Center and click Change the Password. Enter your current password, your new password, and confirmation of your new password. Click submit and your password will be automatically updated.
What if I forgot my password?
On the login page, follow the “Forgot password?” link and enter the verified email address associated with your account. An email with a password reset link will be sent to that email address. Click “Reset Password” from the email. After being redirected to the Peeref website, enter a new password and confirmation of that password with your verified email address. This will be your new password for your Peeref account.
How do I change my email preferences?
After logging in, navigate to your Author Center and click Email Subscription. You can change the type of subscription (e.g., notifications related to authors or journals you follow), the custom feed frequency of new journal articles (weekly, monthly, or every three months), and the language of the emails you receive from Peeref. Additionally, you can provide keywords to receive more specialized results. Once you’re all set, click Save Preferences.
How do I upload my publications?
After logging in, navigate to your Author Center and click Published Papers. Click Add a New Record and fill in the fields (e.g., Title, Journal Name, Author(s), Year of Publication) with the relevant information. Click Submit. Or, simply search your paper under Publication (https://www.peeref.com/works), claim it with one click, and it will automatically appear in your Author Center.
How are my publications shown on my profile?
Your publication history can be manually added from your Author Center and will be displayed on your Homepage. Once you have uploaded your publications, they will be visible in the Published Papers section of your Homepage. Publications will be sorted by publication date by default. For each article, Peeref will display as much information as you provide, such as the title, journal name, author(s), publication year, keywords, summary and even figures or graphical abstracts.
How do I delete messages in my Author Center?
The Peeref system will automatically delete any notices that are greater than three months old. If you want to delete a notice sooner than that, simply click the Trash symbol in the lower right corner of the particular notice or message you want to delete.
Can I stop other researchers from sending me messages on Peeref?
Unfriending or blocking settings are under development.
Are my reviews visible on my Homepage?
No. Once you upload a review via your Author Center, the review will not be visible on your Homepage. You can, however, upload, edit and delete any of your professional peer reviews by logging in to your Author Center, navigating to Peer Reviews, and clicking the appropriate function in the My Peer Reviews section.
Can I delete my account?
Yes, you are free to delete your account at any time. Simply email us at support@peeref.com.

Journal information search and commenting

What journals does Peeref have?
We include all journals that are currently in the Web of Science’s Science Citation Index Expanded list. If you wish to see the information of a journal not currently listed on Peeref, please contact us at support@peeref.com.
What metrics does Peeref list for the journals?
We list each journal’s CiteScore and CiteScore ranking.
What is CiteScore?
CiteScore is a new metrics (first released in 2016) that measures journals’ citation performance. It is used in the abstract and citation database Scopus. To learn more about CiteScore, go tohttps://journalmetrics.scopus.com/index.php/Faqs (Warning: this link will direct you away from the Peeref site).
What comments about journals can I post on Peeref?
Please share your experience interacting with the journal (e.g., submitting papers to the journal or conducting peer-review for the journal). Good or bad, your experience can help other users make informed decision before they submit to the journal or accept a peer-review request. Please be honest and use professional language. Thoughts about the general quality of the journal, from a reader’s point of view, can also be posted. If you have comments about a specific paper in that journal, please go to publication search and post your comment under that paper.
Can I delete a comment on a journal I posted previously?
No. Once a comment appears on the website, you will not be able to delete it without our manual assistance. Should you wish to delete a comment, you have to send an email to support@peeref.com from the email account you registered at Peeref. Or, if you have any updated information, you can reply to that comment and write the new information in the new comment.
Can I post my comment anonymously?
Yes. You can choose to display your username with your comment or show it as from an anonymous user.

Publication search and discussion

What publications does Peeref cover?
We cover all papers published in our listed journals since 2008.
Can I add publications currently not listed on Peeref and comment on them?
This function is under development. However, you can add your past publications from your profile and other users will be able to see those publications.
How soon will a new publication show up on Peeref?
Shortly after a paper is published online; within days to weeks.
What comments can I post under the publications?
Anything related to the science, methods, and presentation of the paper. Please be honest and use professional language.
How do I claim a paper?
Go to publication search and find the paper you want to claim. Click your name in the author list and fill out the pop-up form.
Someone else who has the same name as me claimed one of my papers. What can I do?
Please report this to us by emailing support@peeref.com.

Reviewer certification

Do I have to register to complete the Peeref reviewer certification?
Yes, whether you have existing reviews to upload or want to complete the Peeref certification, it all starts with registering an account.
Is the certification free?
The certification is absolutely, 100% free of charge.
How long will it take to complete the course?
The learning modules total less than 30 minutes of total play length. Depending on how long you spend on the questions, you can expect to spend 45 minutes or less on the entire certification course.
How will journals, agencies and institutions know that I am a Peeref-certified reviewer?
Journal editors and other organizational staff visit Peeref to access reviewer profiles. They will see your Peeref certification in your profile and will be able to search you out based on your areas of expertise; so be sure to enter and update these regularly! You can also list your participation in the platform and your certification on your CV, laboratory website, or anywhere else you choose.
Is there an exam for certification?
Yes, there is a short exam comprised of 15 questions to be completed after reviewing the modules.
Is it pass/fail?
Correct, the exam is pass/fail based on acquiring 11 of 15 possible points.
How will I know the result?
The test will be graded and the result shown on your screen immediately after the completion of the test.
What if I do not pass?
You can retake the certification exam as necessary to complete the process after 6 hours. A quick review of the slides after a failed first exam should have you adequately prepared to pass on the second try.

Researcher connection

What is the difference between “Protocol,” “Reagent” and “Reprint?”
Requests for information generally fit these 3 types. The first is a protocol, or more detailed protocol, for a specific part of an experiment. The second is the specific purchase information for a reagent, cell line, equipment, etc. The third is a request directly to the authors for an individual copy of their manuscript or preprint.
Is information provided by other researchers guaranteed accurate?
Authors are generally motivated to provide accurate answers to queries from other researchers. However, information cannot be guaranteed. Proceed with the same general skepticism as you would in any scientific forum.