[OJS 2.x] Is there anyway to invite a new reviewer without creating an account?

Software Support
1

The process for inviting a new reviewer in OJS seems a little odd to me.

Can you only invite someone already in the system as a reviewer? (In other words, do you have to create an account for the potential reviewer before sending out an invitation to review?)

If so, I think it creates two issues. (1) If the potential reviewer declines to review, you’re just wasting your time creating a new account for him/her. (2) If the potential reviewer accepts to review, the prepared email doesn’t include what his or her username is! (It contains a link to reset the password, but without knowing the username, how is the reviewer going to reset the password?)

Am I missing something?

1 Like
2

Hi @Newtonite,

What version of OJS are you using?

Regards,
Alec Smecher
Public Knowledge Project Team

3

It’s version 2.4.8.1.

4

Hi @Newtonite,

The model we’ve designed OJS for is one where the journal actively curates a list of reviewers and may go back to the existing set numerous times. As such, we don’t currently have support for sending an invitation to a user who may or may not want to be on the reviewer list – though we have heard that requirement a few times before. It may be something we add in a future release, particularly because certain jurisdictions may have privacy legislation that requires it. That said, we haven’t prioritized this yet so I couldn’t say when it’ll get attention.

You can edit the various review request email templates to include the {$reviewerUsername} variable if you want to include this in the outgoing request emails.

Regards,
Alec Smecher
Public Knowledge Project Team

5

Hi Alec,

sorry for bothering you on this old topic.

We have a similar request by our editor-in-chief - is there a way that he can just send out an e-mail to a possible reviewer and the invited reviewer does not have have to go through the complete registration process? Has anything been done in this direction in OJS 3.1 ? Just having not currently a case where I can try out myself.

Best regards,

Martin

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Hi @mpbraendle,

The reviewer can either create an account for themselves, or the editor can do it for them, but in either case reviewers are required to have full accounts (and we don’t currently have plans to change that). I suppose there might be reasons to create a more general-purpose “invitation” tool, e.g. for cases where editors don’t want to create full accounts or legally cannot (e.g. GDPR); perhaps that would facilitate your case as well.

Regards,
Alec Smecher
Public Knowledge Project Team