Isn’t Reviewing Papers My Boss’ Job?

Dear Dora,

My PI asked me to start reviewing papers that are sent to him by journals- is this allowed? Isn’t that part of his job?!

– Suspicious in San Fran, Grad student

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Dear Suspicious in San Fran,

Reviewing papers is part of your PI’s job. The way the review process works is that the editor of the journal asks your PI to review a paper, but the authors of the paper do not know who the reviewers are. This way, the journal protects the identities of the reviewers, so they can be open in their critiques. So, if you review the paper for your PI, and he submits it, the authors will not know whether it was a professor or a student who wrote it.

That being said, reviewing papers is good training, and some students even consider it an honor. It can be actually be quite exciting to read what others have shown, even before it is published. Some professors consider reviews essential for their students’ training, because it will help the students to learn from other groups, and to identify shortcomings in the manuscript. Most professors will read your critique and make necessary changes before submitting it to the journal.

What you need to think about, is whether your boss PI has passed these papers onto you for your own benefit, or to decrease his own workload. If the papers are related to your work, then writing the critique could be good practice for your own research. On the other hand, if the papers are not related to your work, or if he gives you papers frequently, then you have good reason to be suspicious. Try to find out whether others in the group review papers regularly, and if so, how they go about writing the critique and setting limits with your boss.

My recommendation is to evaluate how much extra work this creates for you and how much you benefit from it. If the workload becomes too difficult to handle, then it is time to politely refuse his requests. Of course, it can be challenge to stand up to your boss, especially when you are in graduate school. To increase your chances of getting your message through in a positive way, pick a time when he is not too busy. Then you can calmly approach him and say something like:

“I wanted to talk to you about the paper you just gave to me by Smith et al. It is the third review you asked me to write in the last few weeks. As you probably know, reviewing papers takes a lot of time, and it definitely slows down my work. I do not mind reviewing papers once in a while, but I would like to focus on my research now.” If you think it is appropriate, you can suggest a reasonable frequency for writing reviews.

Another option is to turn down the papers as he hands them to you, and give a reasonable explanation. “Unfortunately, I do not think I will have time to review this paper. I have so many plates/proteins/bacteria etc. to analyze in the next few weeks that I will probably not get around it.”

As I mentioned in my column two weeks ago, practicing the art of saying “No”, is a skill that can come in quite handy in graduate school!

In any event, it is important to let your boss know how you feel about reviewing papers. He might think that it is good training for you. Once you explain to him how you feel, he will hopefully be more reasonable in his requests, and let you focus on your work.

Dora Farkas, Ph.D. is the author “The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.:200 Secrets from 100 Graduates,” and the founder of PhDNet, an online community for graduate students and PhDs. You will find links to her book, monthly newsletters, and discussion board on her site. Send your questions to [email protected] and keep an eye out for them in an upcoming issue!

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Stay tuned for the next Dear Dora in two weeks!  In the meantime, check a few of Dora’s recent posts:

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• How to Leave, Balance and Publish
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• Dear Dora: Asking for a Raise, Picking a Lab and the Importance of Good Grades
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Submit your questions to Dora at [email protected], or use the comment box below!