Perception of knowledge sharing among reviewers from the perspective of scientific editors

Abstract

Introduction/Objective: It aims to analyze the perception of editors about the contribution of knowledge sharing among reviewers of scientific articles, aiming at the improvement of the elaboration of reviews. Methods: The study is of exploratory type, conducted through bibliographic research, associated with the questionnaire as a technique for data collection. Content analysis was applied to analyze the data obtained. Results: The instrument was sent via e-mail and 32 editors from various areas of knowledge returned, most of them from the area of Applied Social Sciences, and more than half have six or more years of experience. It was found that most respondents believe that sharing knowledge among reviewers contributes to their improvement and to the improvement of their opinions, and although they recognize such contribution, 87.5% claim that there are no initiatives in the journal where they work that propose the exchange of knowledge. Finally, when asked about having knowledge about similar initiatives, even if in other spheres, some respondents claim to know and cite: the practices proposed by international publishers, which hold webinars and make content available on their websites, the projects and events of the Brazilian Association of Scientific Editors, WhatsApp groups and email lists, and the interaction proposed by the practices of open peer review. Conclusions: Based on the above, it is understood that editors perceive the relevance of knowledge sharing among reviewers, however, they have not yet put into practice such initiatives in the journals in which they work.