Our core is an innovative approach to quality assurance, a modern and, above all, transparent version of the so-called peer review. We are convinced that the ability to critically and competently evaluate scientific manuscripts and articles should be part of the curriculum—because it can be learned!
We have therefore developed several course formats to introduce participants to peer review and good scientific practice.
Online Courses
We now offer on-demand courses! Starting with our successful Peer Review Crash Course, the content can be learned anywhere, anytime.
„Was Wissen Schafft“ Podcast
The podcast “Was Wissen Schafft” (What Knowledge Creates) conveys scientific fundamentals and principles in an understandable way.
Peer Review Crash Course
Our twice-yearly peer review crash course prepares students with and without prior review experience for the role of reviewer over three sessions.
The course, which we designed ourselves, comprises approximately 15 course hours and 15 hours of independent study and consists of an accompanying Web of Science online course, two input sessions on weekday evenings, a workshop day on the weekend, and two meetings with editors of our journal to prepare and discuss the final trial reviews.
The course begins with an approximately three-hour introductory meeting, in which we provide an overview of our initiative and the course program and apply the course concept—guided and informed learning by doing—directly in a so-called flash review. The second course session is followed by a moderated journal club, in which a preprint is reviewed together.
The input phase concludes with a workshop in which various key topics—including bias in review, communicating feedback in review, and a brief introduction to the evaluation of biomedical statistics—are highlighted in presentations by team members and international (early-career) scientists.
Participants then assign themselves to the various sections of our journal according to their interests and write their own trial review under close supervision. In a second meeting with the editors, this self-written review will be
Participants then assign themselves to the various sections of our journal according to their interests and write their own trial review under close supervision. This self-written review is discussed in a second meeting with the editors.
Depending on internal university regulations, students can receive up to 1.0 ECTS credits for successful participation. All participants who complete the course are automatically added to our initiative’s pool of reviewers and gain further experience as active, critical players in the process of scientific knowledge acquisition by reviewing the term papers, doctoral theses, bachelor’s theses, or master’s theses submitted to us!
Educational Journal Clubs (German)
Our Educational Journal Club meets online once a month and is aimed at students and doctoral candidates from all disciplines who are interested in scientific literature and would like to further develop their skills in critically reading, analyzing, and evaluating publications. The format offers an accessible introduction to the structured examination of scientific papers and is aimed at anyone who would like to engage more intensively with research literature, for example, in preparation for advanced scientific journal clubs, their own research projects, or future reviewer activities.