Teaching authentic peer review using preprints: a modular curriculum that can be embedded into existing science courses.

Abstract

The peer-reviewed literature is the foundation of science and science education. Peer-reviewed journal articles are often assigned as readings or used as references in undergraduate science courses. However, students cannot participate in journal peer review and are rarely taught how to write peer review reports, an authentic form of scientific communication and an important part of the job of a scientist. As such, authentic peer review represents part of STEM's hidden curriculum. Here, we present a modular, project-based curriculum on how to peer review a manuscript and write a balanced peer review report. Students work through outside-of-class, scaffolded assignments that can be clustered within weeks or distributed throughout the semester. These activities embed into disciplinary courses, complementing, not replacing, existing course material, to deepen content understanding and develop communication skills. The curriculum uses preprints: free, online, scientific manuscripts that have not yet undergone peer review. Preprint peer review does not have barriers to access like journal peer review, allowing students and educators to participate. Students are taught how to find preprints of interest and write peer review reports, which can be published online, creating scholarly products with citable digital object identifiers (DOIs). Field testing at six sites demonstrated that the curriculum is highly adaptable across diverse institutional settings, student populations, and course levels. By learning the mechanisms of peer review and authentically participating in it, students in the curriculum have the opportunity to develop scientific literacy, a sense of identity as a scientist, and belonging in the scientific community.