Characteristics of 'mega' peer-reviewers

Area of Science:

• Bibliometrics
• Scholarly Communication
• Research Evaluation

Background:

• The demand for peer reviewers often exceeds the available supply.
• Identifying characteristics of prolific peer reviewers can inform strategies to manage reviewer recruitment.
• This study investigated differences between high-volume and low-volume peer reviewers in the Publons database.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the characteristics of 'mega peer reviewers' (≥100 reviews/year) with a control group (1-18 reviews/year).
• To identify factors associated with high-volume peer review activity.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was employed.
• Data from 396 'mega peer reviewers' and 1200 control reviewers were analyzed using Publons data.
• Mann Whitney and chi-square tests compared characteristics including publication count, citations, and h-index.

Main Results:

• 'Mega peer reviewers' were predominantly male (92%) compared to the control group (70%).
• Mega peer reviewers had significantly higher average publications, citations, Publons awards, and h-index (p < .001).
• No significant difference in the word count of peer reviews was observed between groups (p > .428).

Conclusions:

• Individuals performing a high volume of peer reviews exhibit greater scholarly output and recognition.
• Further research into reviewer motivations is recommended to support peer review activity.