Formal peer review of all the scientific studies we publish is at the core of the mission of the Nature Portfolio. Scientists review their peers’ studies to provide expert input on technical and scientific correctness and, as the first readers of the manuscripts, provide feedback to enable clarity and accessibility for a broader readership. Participation in peer review provides crucial insights into how research is assessed and published. Although editors are keen to recruit experienced PhD students and postdoctoral fellows, who might be in the process of starting their independent careers, as referees, identifying early career researchers (ECRs) who have the appropriate scientific and technical expertise to assess a manuscript, as well as adequate training in reviewing, is challenging. Trainees often co-review with their supervisors in an informal way, which is a constructive training opportunity, but it lacks the formal recognition that can be useful for career development. To formalize contributions of ECRs to peer review, promote training in peer review and provide a track record of their peer review history, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology is delighted to offer reviewers the ability to officially invite an ECR in their group to co-review with them.

Formal introduction of an ECR co-review initiative was implemented in the Nature Reviews journals in 2020 (ref. 1) and expanded to the peer review of primary research at Nature Communications in 2024 (ref. 2), with the aim of growing the participation of ECRs in peer review. Although many journals in the Nature Portfolio have previously encouraged reviewers to engage named co-reviewers, we have lacked a mechanism to do this in a way that recognizes the contribution of co-reviewers. To address this, formalized participation of ECRs in peer review is now being expanded to other journals in the Nature Portfolio. Under this initiative, when editors invite a potential referee, they also encourage the researcher to involve an ECR in the process. The ECR is then formally invited to review the study through their own profile in our manuscript system, with the established referee remaining the main contact and submitting the final report. We suggest that the senior referee mentor their trainee through the assessment of the study and that they compile the report together. The ECR is thus able to obtain formal recognition for their contributions as a reviewer. Following on from the co-review, the ECRs are invited to participate in our long-term ECR pathways engagement program, which includes further peer-review and training opportunities. We were excited to see that in the first month of introducing this option, 60% of the studies we sent out for peer review had at least one ECR involved in their assessment. If you are a young researcher and would like to participate in this initiative, we encourage you to talk to your supervisor so that they let editors know of your interest.

This initiative was developed in the context of larger efforts to support ECRs in their interactions with the publishing process. In 2020, 2021 (ref. 3) and 2022 (ref. 4) Nature Communications ran three successful peer review mentoring programs, in which some of our editorial staff were participants. The trainees who took part in these programs provided overwhelmingly positive feedback, and we hope that in addition to hands-on training in how to draft a peer-review report, it also improved their confidence and supported career development. ECR reports helped editors reach an editorial decision in 80% of the studies assessed under these programs and helped the journal expand its reviewer pool. The formal co-review with ECRs initiative is an initial step in our efforts to broaden support for ECRs and engage the next generation of scientists in critical evaluation of research, which will contribute to the entire scientific enterprise.