Chemical Science Blog

To further thank and recognise the support from our excellent reviewer community, we are highlighting reviewers who have provided exceptional support to the journal over the past year.

This month, we’ll be highlighting Dr Sascha Feldmann, Professor Scott Cockroft, Dr Xiyue Zhang and Professor Chuan He. We asked our reviewers a few questions about what they enjoy about reviewing, and their thoughts on how to provide a useful review.

Dr Sascha Feldmann, Harvard University. Dr Sascha Feldmann’s team combines ultrafast magneto-optical spectroscopy and materials chemistry to transform the way we produce and consume energy as a society. They work on uncovering the design rules which enable the next generation of cheap, efficient and flexible solar cells & ultra-bright displays, and unlock entirely new applications in quantum information technology.

Professor Scott Cockroft, University of Edinburgh. Professor Scott Cockroft’s group uses synthetic molecules and computational chemistry to study the origins and energetics of the interactions between molecules that make them stick together (or not!). They seek to exploit these chemical principles to construct devices from synthetic and biological molecules that can perform tasks within lipid membranes such as those surrounding living cells.

Dr Xiyue Zhang, University of Maryland. Dr Xiyue Zhang’s research mainly focuses on electrolytes and electrodes for Li-/Na-/Zn- ion batteries and supercapacitors.

Professor Chuan He, Southern University of Science and Technology. Professor Chuan He’s research is focused on chiral organosilicon and chiral organoboron chemistry. They are particularly interested in the construction and application of silicon-stereogenic silanes and boron-stereogenic compounds.

What do you enjoy most about reviewing?

Dr Sascha Feldmann: I really enjoy that reviewing a paper actually forces me to read a paper from beginning to end, thoroughly and with a critical assessment mode activated. This to be is quite different from just skimming through some published reports to search for a specific piece of information and more often than not allows me to learn something new and unexpected.

Professor Scott Cockroft: The chance to be the first to read cutting-edge research on a topic of close personal interest.

Dr Xiyue Zhang: It’s happy to get in touch with the advanced level of research in the world and see the quality of the manuscript improved through the review process.

Professor Chuan He: It is always exciting to get first-hand information on the new and cutting-edge science from reviewing.

What encouraged you to review for Chemical Science?

Dr Sascha Feldmann: Chemical Science for me is one of the flagship journals to find cutting edge results in the broad field of the Chemical Sciences, from fundamental synthesis reports to spectroscopy studies and device applications. Having done my PhD at Cambridge and therefore growing up with the RSC as a premier publisher in the UK, it feels only natural to now be part of the reviewing process as well.

Professor Scott Cockroft: Peer reviewing is a cornerstone of academic integrity within science. It is therefore a duty that anyone contributing to science should fulfil. I tend to agree to review articles when I am particularly interested in the topic of the submitted paper.

Dr Xiyue Zhang: Chemical Science is dedicated to publishing ground-breaking research involving novel ideas, challenging questions and progressive thinking. Review is not only a way for me to serve the community, but also a way to connect with other world leading scientists and contribute to future breakthrough.

Professor Chuan He: Chemical Science is a high-quality journal that publishes world-leading interdisciplinary research from every aspect of chemistry.

What are you looking for in a paper that you can recommend for acceptance in Chemical Science?

Dr Sascha Feldmann: A paper that I would recommend for acceptance in Chem Sci should above all have novelty. There are other fantastic journals inside and outside the RSC where I would find a good home for a thorough follow-up investigation on an existing project, but Chem Sci I would reserve more for those new out-of-the-box type of results to share with a broad community.

Do you have any advice to our readers seeking publication in Chemical Science on what makes a good paper?

Professor Scott Cockroft: Take your reader on journey of discovery. Propose hypotheses and systematically and critically test these hypotheses against your data. The result should be that we all arrive at the same convincing conclusion.

What advice would you give a first-time author looking to maximise their chances of successful peer review?

Dr Xiyue Zhang: Novel ideas, rigorous logic, and solid data.

Professor Chuan He: The author should ensure that the manuscript is well-written, logical, and follows the journal’s guidelines. Highlighting the key novelty of the work, and preparing elegant and clear figures are important. Carefully and thoroughly addressing any comments provided by the reviewers and editors during the peer review process is also crucial.

What has been your biggest learning point from reviewing?

Dr Sascha Feldmann: If I had to limit myself to one thing I really have started to appreciate since beginning to review, it is that clarity in writing is of utmost importance. Even if I may qualify as an expert reader and therefore have been chosen as a reviewer, my access to a scientific story will always be much more limited than that of the group who wrote the manuscript and is therefore in a deep dive that is hard to reach. Therefore, explaining your results in a simple way and with a clear writing style is something I learned myself from reviewing and try to apply to my own works as much as possible.

What would you recommend to new reviewers to ensure their report is helpful?

Professor Scott Cockroft: Make sure you leave enough time to properly read and understand the paper; there is nothing more frustrating than having to respond to reviewer comments that are already addressed in the paper, or based on wild misunderstandings/poor comprehension.

How do you balance reviewing with your other activities?

Dr Xiyue Zhang: Try to avoid procrastinating on either reviewing or other tasks. It’s essential to find a balance between productivity and relaxation.

Did reviewing for Chemical Science affect how you approached preparation of your recent publication with us?

Professor Chuan He: I do believe reviewing for Chemical Science provides me with valuable perspectives and experiences that shape my approach and enhance the quality of my own publication within the same journal. Putting yourself in the shoes of a reviewer is always helpful when you are preparing your own manuscript.

Tune in next month to meet our next group of #ChemSciReviewers!

If you want to learn more about how we support our reviewers, check out our Reviewer Hub.

Interested in joining our ever-growing reviewer community? Apply here now!

To further thank and recognise the support from our excellent reviewer community, we are highlighting reviewers who have provided exceptional support to the journal over the past year.

This month, we’ll be highlighting Dr Meredith Borden, Dr Isabelle Landrieu, Dr Mattia Silvi and Professor Kazuaki Ishihara. We asked our reviewers a few questions about what they enjoy about reviewing, and their thoughts on how to provide a useful review.

Dr Meredith Borden, Trinity University. Dr Meredith Borden works to develop new catalytic strategies for controlling polymer synthesis with visible light, and is interested in applying ideas from small molecule catalysis to challenges in polymer science.

Dr Mattia Silvi, University of Nottingham. Dr Mattia Silvi’s research focuses on discovering new practical and sustainable methodologies for chemical synthesis. His group is currently developing novel visible-light mediated strategies to access reactivity that was previously elusive.

Dr Isabelle Landrieu, University of Lille. Dr Isabelle Landrieu is interested in the tau protein, with a focus on its phosphorylation and interactions, towards the understanding of its dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease development using approaches at the interface of biology and chemistry.

Professor Kazuaki Ishihara, Nagoya University. Professor Kazuaki Ishihara’s research is focused on the rational design of high-performance catalysts based on acid–base combination chemistry. In particular, he is interested in the catalytic use of halogen elements instead of transition metal or rare metal elements to design greener redox catalysts.

What do you enjoy most about reviewing?

Dr Meredith Borden: Reviewing gives me an opportunity to think deeply about chemistry. I appreciate the privilege of being one of the first people who has the opportunity to engage with the new and exciting research my peers are performing.

Dr Mattia Silvi: Reviewing is an opportunity to open a scientific discussion. When you review a paper, your suggestions and recommendations become part of the work. You provide a different perspective, which may complement the vision of the authors. This may lead to a significant enhancement of the overall quality of the work. It’s great to see the positive impact of your suggestions.

Dr Isabelle Landrieu: I enjoy the critical analysis that it requires. I like to confront my report to those of other reviewers of the manuscript to improve my own skills. I appreciate when I have the ability to contribute to the quality of the published article.

Professor Kazuaki Ishihara: The review of high-quality manuscripts submitted to Chem. Sci. provides an opportunity to explore new chemistry and think deeply.

What encouraged you to review for Chemical Science?

Dr Mattia Silvi: Chemical Science aims at publishing top-quality innovations in chemistry. As a scientist working in the field, I am happy to provide my contribution to help to maintain and enhance this outstanding level.

Dr Meredith Borden: I always enjoy reading the papers published in Chemical Science because of the breadth of chemistry they highlight so I was eager to support the journal as a reviewer. 

Professor Kazuaki Ishihara: Most manuscripts submitted to Chem. Sci. are expected to be of high quality and I enjoy reading and reviewing them. I am happy to be able to review manuscripts and contribute to making them better ones.

Do you have any advice to our readers seeking publication in Chemical Science on what makes a good paper?

Dr Isabelle Landrieu: For me a good paper is an argumentation consolidated by each presented rigorous experiment. I like the clarity of a single line of thought that develops an innovative idea with impact of the findings well-developed by the authors.

What advice would you give a first-time author looking to maximise their chances of successful peer review?

Dr Mattia Silvi: Originality and innovation are essential for an excellent scientific report. The first page of the paper should clearly and concisely show the originality of the paper and explain how it stands in comparison with the state-of-the-art. Images and schemes should be properly used for this purpose. Furthermore, it is fundamental that the technical aspects of the paper are well presented and correct.

Finally, probably the most valuable recommendation I can give is: discuss, discuss, discuss… Chat with your colleagues prior to submission. Let them review your draft submission. Be available to do this for them when they need it. Make sure that people reviewing your draft are honest in giving their opinion. Good science is often the result of good communication.

What has been your biggest learning point from reviewing?

Dr Meredith Borden: I have learned more how to present science clearly and succinctly both in the written portions of a paper and how to create captivating figures. Reviewing has really cemented for me the idea that when writing a paper, you want to make it easy for the reader to follow through clear organization and alignment of text, figures, and references.

Tune in next month to meet our next group of #ChemSciReviewers!

If you want to learn more about how we support our reviewers, check out our Reviewer Hub.

Interested in joining our ever-growing reviewer community? Apply here now!

To further thank and recognise the support from our excellent reviewer community, we are highlighting reviewers who have provided exceptional support to the journal over the past year.

This month, we’ll be highlighting Professor Hiroshi Imahori, Professor Davide Ravelli, Dr. Andrea Fermi and Dr Ming Xian. We asked our reviewers a few questions about what they enjoy about reviewing, and their thoughts on how to provide a useful review.

Professor Hiroshi Imahori, Kyoto University. I am interested in molecular electron donor-acceptor interactions, including in energy conversion such as photosynthesis and organic solar cells.

Dr. Andrea Fermi, Università di Bologna. My research is focused on the design and synthesis of photoactive materials and supramolecular systems, and their application in optoelectronics and in photocatalytic processes.

Professor Davide Ravelli, Universita de Pavia. I work in the field of radical chemistry applied to organic synthesis and is highly interested in the development of methodologies for the functionalization of aliphatic C–H bonds under photocatalytic conditions.

Dr Ming Xian, Brown University. We are interested in developing chemical tools for the regulation of signaling molecules (such as nitric oxide, hydrogen sulfide, sulfane sulfurs, etc.) in redox biology. These tools include donors, prodrugs, scavengers, and imaging sensors.

What encouraged you to review for Chemical Science?

Dr Ming Xian: Chemical Science is one of my favourite journals. I like to publish the most exciting discoveries from my lab in this journal. I enjoy seeing high quality papers and am willing to contribute to the review process.

Professor Hiroshi Imahori: It partially arises from a sense of responsibility to make Chemical Science better as a member of chemistry community. It also comes from my scientific curiosity about something new.

Professor Davide Ravelli: I enjoy reading articles published in Chemical Science, because I can find top-level reports distributed under open-access conditions; acting as a reviewer is my contribution to the further development of the journal.

Dr Andrea Fermi: Chemical Science publishes high-quality research articles that encompass a broad range of disciplines in Chemistry. What I really like about this journal is its hetereogeneity and the avarage quality of the published papers.

What do you enjoy the most about reviewing?

Dr Ming Xian: Getting to know first-hand what my peers are working on and what the most pressing problems are in my research field.

Professor Hiroshi Imahori: I enjoy finding the originality and creativity of papers in terms of science. I also enjoy confidential communication with authors through comments and responses.

Professor Davide Ravelli: As a reviewer, I have the possibility to share my viewpoint with the authors; this is essential towards improving the quality of the published science through a constructive exchange of ideas.

Dr Andrea Fermi: One thing I appreciate about reviewing is the chance to deal with cutting-edge research in many scientific fields. It also allows me to provide a constructive feedback that can help improve the quality and the impact of the research being published.

What are you looking for in a paper that you can recommend for acceptance in Chemical Science?

Professor Hiroshi Imahori: I am looking for significant scientific advance and/or improvement in either an area of chemistry. At the same time the quality of a paper is essential to ensure author’s claim.

Professor Davide Ravelli: My research area mostly deals with the development of methodologies to be applied in organic chemistry. I am convinced, however, that the synthetic aspects must be accompanied by an adequate understanding of the mechanistic features as well, since only a balanced combination of both can foster a true advancement of the field.

What advice would you give a first-time author looking to maximise their chances of successful peer review?

Dr Ming Xian: Find one or two papers published in this journal that you feel are most similar to your work. Draft your paper in a way that you believe is similar or even at a higher quality than those papers.

What makes a paper truly stand out for you when reviewing a paper?

Dr Andrea Fermi: I think that the attention to details tells a lot about the quality of an article and is at the core of the research displayed in it.

Tune in next month to meet our next group of #ChemSciReviewers!

If you want to learn more about how we support our reviewers, check out our Reviewer Hub.

Interested in joining our ever-growing reviewer community? Apply here now!