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Educational Session

Education/Developing Curriculum

The Peer-review Publication Process - How to Dip Your Toe in the Author and Reviewer Waters

AM25-ST-01-L - The Peer-Review Publication Process - How to Dip Your Toe in the Author and Reviewer Waters

Saturday, October 25, 2025
8:15 AM - 9:15 AM  PT
Location: 31

    Program Chair(s)

  • Margaret A. Keller, PhD (she/her/hers)

    Executive, National Laboratories; Editor-in-Chief, Immunohematology
    American Red Cross
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

    • Speaker(s)

  • Melissa R. George, DO

    Medical Director, Transfusion Medicine
    Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
    Hershey, PA, Pennsylvania

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

  • Jeffrey L. Winters, MD (he/him/his)

    Chair, Division of Transfusion Medicine
    Mayo Clinic
    Rochester, Minnesota

    Disclosure(s): No relevant disclosure to display

Session Description: The transfusion medicine community is constantly innovating and making novel discoveries. New laboratorians and clinicians as well as established personnel in transfusion medicine settings with little exposure, training or mentoring in academic pursuits may not pursue or succeed at publishing their findings. Publications not only share knowledge that benefits others but also allow for building a network of individuals with shared interest and complementary expertise. These synergies enhance collaborations and guide professional development.

Additionally, they may be asked to review a manuscript yet not understand the peer-review process and what is expected of a peer-reviewer. Peer-review is a critical aspect of scientific integrity, and a way to give back to the profession. Learning how to perform an effective peer review both increases the quality of published manuscripts and is an outstanding learning experience to become a better author. Establishing credibility as a peer-reviewer often leads to other opportunities such as serving on editorial boards. The session will include key milestones in the timeline from draft to submission to review to revision to publication.

Despite the profound importance of the academic pursuits of publishing and peer-review, many are not formally trained in either endeavor. This session will provide a framework to use critical thinking and systematic approach to reviewing and writing manuscripts

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe the peer-review process for scientific publications including a timeline and sequence of events
  • Distinguish between common manuscript types (case report, original research) and discuss criteria, roles and responsibilities for authorship
  • Discuss the process of drafting a manuscript and variables to consider when selecting a journal for submission
  • Discuss how seasoned reviewers can mentor trainees in performing peer review, and how an inexperienced peer-reviewer can identify and approach a mentor to help them hone their peer-reviewing skills
  • Apply an organized framework to perform a peer-review and formulate meaningful feedback