Full Professor, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, University of Zagreb
Why and How to Review a Scientific Paper?
The peer review of a scientific paper is often the weakest link in the publication process, as it frequently fails to meet basic criteria – every review should be timely, objective, constructive, and genuinely useful in assessing the quality of the manuscript. This workshop will briefly explain why becoming a reviewer is beneficial, particularly early in one’s career, outline effective approaches to reviewing, and address key ethical aspects of the process. It will then guide participants through the entire review workflow – from deciding whether to accept a review invitation, to critically reading the paper and taking notes, evaluating its strengths and weaknesses, completing review forms, and providing a final recommendation to the editors. The workshop will also offer practical tips on how to obtain your first review assignment.
Short Bio
Igor Vlahović received his PhD in geology from the University of Zagreb in 1999, worked at the Croatian Geological Survey from 1990 to 2006, and has been affiliated with the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Zagreb since 2006, where he has been a full professor since 2012. He was elected an associate member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 2006 and became a full member in 2016. He has reviewed numerous papers for international journals, edited around thirty books, and served on several editorial boards, including Geologia Croatica (1991–2020, in various editorial roles) and currently PALAIOS, Mediterranean Geoscience Reviews, and Carnets de Géologie. He teaches Methodology of Scientific Research and has delivered seminars on scientific publishing since 2012 at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, as well as at other universities in Croatia and abroad.