About the Training

Building Excellence in Peer Review is a capacity strengthening training designed to equip African researchers with the knowledge, skills, and ethical grounding required to participate confidently and effectively in scholarly peer review. As peer review remains a cornerstone of academic quality and integrity, this program responds to the growing need for reviewers who are not only technically competent but also critically aware of context, equity, and responsibility within global knowledge production.

Training Specs

Training Title: Building Excellence in Peer Review
Format: Virtual delivery via Zoom with interactive components.
Language: English
Duration & Delivery Format: Tuesday, 30 September - Friday, 3 October 2025
Coordinating Institution: Africa Bioethics Network (ABN)
Partner Institutions: African journal of Bioethics (AJB)
Total Participants: 40 Participants

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Peer Review Training Program | 2025 was a highly successful initiative that strengthened ethical peer review capacity and advanced research integrity across Africa. The training not only enhanced participants’ understanding of ethical peer review, research integrity, and scholarly communication but also provided a pathway for practical application.

Participant Professional Background

Academia (Teaching & Research)
Research & Science Professionals
Medical & Clinical Professionals
Graduate & Postgraduate Students
Administrative & Regulatory Roles

Participant Coverage

African coverage: 14 of 54 African countries represented (26% coverage).
Strongest regions: East and West Africa accounted for over 80% of all participants.
Gaps: North and Central Africa remain underrepresented
Gender: Generally, there was a balance in gender.

Skills Gained

Strengthened Peer Review Competence in Africa
Enhanced understanding of the peer review ecosystem and the responsibilities of reviewers within scholarly publishing.
Built capacity to conduct ethical, rigorous, and contextually relevant peer reviews.
Increased appreciation of the importance of African perspectives in strengthening global research integrity.

Integration of Ethical, Cultural, and Professional Standards
Reinforced core principles of confidentiality, fairness, and transparency in peer review practice.
Promoted awareness of unconscious bias and its influence on evaluation and decision-making.
Highlighted cultural competence as essential for equitable, credible, and responsible peer review.

Constructive Feedback and Review Writing Mastery
Developed the ability to provide clear, actionable, and respectful feedback to authors.
Strengthened understanding of how to distinguish between major and minor concerns in review reports.
Practiced professional communication with authors and editors in line with international standards.

Exposure to Open Science and Preprint Peer Review
Introduced participants to open peer review and preprint platforms, including PREreview and AfricArXiv.
Demonstrated how open science enhances transparency, collaboration, and reviewer recognition.
Encouraged engagement with open peer review as a pathway to inclusive and participatory scientific practice.

Application of Scientific Evaluation to Real Research
Applied peer review skills to critically assess a preprint study (Preprints202402.0835.v3 on hypertension combination therapy).
Practiced evaluation of research methodology, data interpretation, and clinical relevance.
Illustrated how high-quality peer review strengthens research credibility and public health impact.

Research Integrity and Equity
Emphasized peer review as a foundational pillar of ethical and transparent scholarship.
Encouraged participants to serve as advocates for research integrity within African research institutions.
Addressed equity in access, authorship, and participation within global publishing systems.

Building Excellence in Peer Review