Seiichiro Abe, MD

Endoscopy Division

National Cancer Center Hospital

Some clinicians say that peer review is a thankless and time-consuming task. That’s partly true; however, I feel good and motivated when accepting invitations for peer review in my working life. I would like to share my reasons for accepting an invitation for peer review.

• First, I feel happy and honored to be recognized as an expert endoscopist in a particular field by the Editors of GIE and VideoGIE. That makes me feel noble and responsible for contributing to a top journal of gastrointestinal endoscopy.
• Second, peer-review task allows me to read up-to-date research in advance of formal publication. It is definitely a privilege for peer reviewers, and I’ve seen many diamonds in the rough. Through the review process, some high-quality manuscripts were further revised and refined, and eventually became brilliant publications leading to the establishment of new evidence, brand-new developments in and innovation of diagnostic and advanced endoscopy, and unique ideas and techniques to improve our technical skill and clinical outcomes.
• Third, I can learn a lot through the review process: how the submission is reviewed, evaluated, and graded. A peer reviewer is given the opportunity to see the comments from other reviewers and editors. These criticisms and advice are very helpful, not only to organize my knowledge and improve my skill sets in writing scientific papers but also in educating our trainees. Moreover, the quality of my review is also evaluated and comprehensively scored by Associate Editor of GIE, and I am informed of the category of score (superior, average, or poor).

Time management is always key to a successful and effective peer review. I attempt first to read through an abstract up to the conclusion and check some related articles while reminding myself the deadline.

I always approach a VideoGIE submission thinking of the current clinical issue and how the current standard of care should be improved, developed, and simplified. More attractive and cutting-edge research on endoscopic diagnosis and intervention is being submitted to VideoGIE, along with the development of technology, equipment, and devices. I would appreciate video cases that are clinically acceptable and beneficial to endoscopists as well as our patients. As the accepted video should be reproducible to contribute to our daily clinical practice, I appreciate a video in which methodology, tips, and tricks are clearly shown.

I’m grateful for the peer review opportunities and receiving awards for being an outstanding reviewer from both GIE and VideoGIE. I wish GIE and VideoGIE continued success from now on. They provide a great contribution to the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy all over the world.

If you are interested in becoming a reviewer for GIE or VideoGIE, please contact the editorial office at gie@asge.org or videogie@asge.org.