Program Fast Facts
- Eligibility: This program is free to all current AIB members
- Target Audience: Late-stage doctoral students, early-career academics, and others seeking to advance their reviewing skills
- Program Format: Eight modules delivered fully online to allow for self-paced learning (estimated completion time 10-12 hours)
- Point of Contact: Ieva Kule, AIB Managing Director, programs@aib.msu.edu
- Benefits: In addition to building key professional skills, you will be issued an official Certificate of Completion upon finishing all eight program modules
- Enrollment Process: After submitting your enrollment request via our online form, a member of the AIB Secretariat will review your information and provide instructions for accessing the Reviewer Development Program course content via our Moodle platform. Please allow up to two business days for our team to complete this enrollment process.
Curriculum Overview
The Reviewer Development Program consists of eight distinct modules. Early modules are designed to familiarize participants with the fundamental best practices of developmental reviewing. Later modules build on this knowledge through application exercises so participants can “learn by doing” their own practice review.
The material for each module consists of a mix of narrated slides, short videos, journal articles on reviewing, exercises, and/or quizzes.
Users will be required to finish each module’s capstone quiz or assignment before proceeding to the next one.
Participants will work through modules independently and at their own pace. Completion of the full Reviewer Development Program typically takes 10-12 hours. Users will be issued an official Certificate of Completion upon finishing all eight program modules
Module 1: Introduction to the AIB Reviewer Development Program
Overview: This module introduces the AIB Reviewer Development Program and the role of reviewers in the academic publication process.
Takeaways: Participants will gain a deeper understanding of reviewer expectations and their role in the international business research process.
Content Included: A slide show in the form of a video, a short video from an experienced editor on what makes an effective review, and a brief concluding quiz.
Module 2: Mechanics of Reviewing
Overview: This module covers the mechanics of reviewing, including the role of a reviewer, the invitation to review, and review rounds. It also draws attention to reviewing involving emotions that need to be recognized and managed.
Takeaways: This module is designed to help participants better understand the expectations and requirements being placed on them as academic reviewers.
Content Included: A slide show in the form of a video, a recent JIBS editorial on effective reviewing, a video by an award-winning JIBS reviewer, and a short concluding quiz.
Module 3: The Content of an Effective Review
Overview: This module covers the key elements of an effective review, ranging from its topical content to the tone in which it is delivered.
Takeaways: Program participants will receive many actionable tips for focusing their review content and presenting their comments in a clear, professional manner.
Content Included: A slide show in the form of a video, a recent JIBS editorial on effective reviewing, a video by an experienced JIBS editor explaining their approach to reviewing and a short concluding quiz.
Module 4: Academy of International Business Journals Code of Ethics
Overview: This module covers key ethical principles of reviewing as outlined in AIB’s Journals Code of Ethics.
Takeaways: A working knowledge of ethical expectations reviewers are expected to adhere to when volunteering for AIB, plus general guidelines for promoting an objective and fair peer review process.
Content Included: The AIB Journals Code of Ethics, a slide show in the form of a video. and a short concluding quiz involving ethical dilemmas that may arise in the reviewing process.
Module 5: Becoming a Great Reviewer
Overview: This module covers the defining characteristics of great reviews from both a journal editor’s perspective and an author’s perspective.
Takeaways: Best practices for ensuring that your reviews target the needs of various key audiences, including conference track chairs, editorial teams, and submitting authors.
Content Included: Two videos by experienced editors providing advice on how to deliver great reviews, a recent article on how to write an effective review, and a short concluding quiz.
Module 6: Example Review
Overview: This module guides participants through the process of synthesizing the lessons covered in the first five modules and applying them towards a real review.
Takeaways: Applied knowledge for assessing and enhancing a review’s efficacy.
Content Included: A real review submitted to JIBS that has been anonymized for use as an exercise in this module. Participants are asked to download this review and annotate the document where they see best practices implemented. When participants have uploaded their annotated version of this document, they will be provided with a version featuring annotations from an experienced editor, and they can go on to Module 7.
Module 7: Writing and Reflecting on Your Own Review
Overview: This module will guide participants through the process of writing their own review and reflecting on their areas of strength as well as those that may require future improvement.
Takeaways: How to apply the lessons learned in this program, as well as feedback received from peer reviewers, toward producing your own impactful reviews
Content Included: A real manuscript submitted to JIBS that has been anonymized for use as an exercise in this module. Participants are asked to download the manuscript, complete a review of it, and upload their review, together with a completed review form and decision recommendation. Once these have been uploaded, participants will be provided with comments and decision recommendations from 2-3 other reviewers which they will use as the basis for a reflection paper comparing and contrasting their assessments with those submitted by their peers. Once this reflection has been uploaded, participants can go on to Module 8.
Module 8: Reviewing for AIB Conferences
Overview: This module focuses on reviewing for AIB conferences and highlights how conference reviewing differs from journal reviewing, particularly when papers are at earlier stages of development.
Takeaways: Participants will learn how to provide constructive, developmental feedback appropriate for conference submissions.
Content Included: A slide show in the form of a video, and a short concluding quiz.