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How to be reviewer 2: Lessons in academic curmudgeonry.

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Title: How to be reviewer 2: Lessons in academic curmudgeonry.
Authors: Kinnear, Benjamin1 (AUTHOR), Govender, Lynelle2 (AUTHOR) lynelle.govender@uct.ac.za, Church, Helen R.3 (AUTHOR)
Source: Medical Education. Jan2026, Vol. 60 Issue 1, p79-81. 3p.
Subject Terms: *Social media, *Criticism, *Medical education, *Authorship, *Professional peer review, *Teacher development, *Authors, Serial publications, Manuscripts, Publishing, Medical writing, Blogs
Abstract: Academic publishing is both incredibly rewarding for authors and fraught with frustration and challenges. One such challenge is navigating critical peer reviews that can seem demeaning, condescending, or outright cruel. Colloquially, such reviews have been personified as "reviewer 2" on social media and in the literature. While some reviewer 2s may belittle authors on purpose, we believe most unintentionally do so due to a paucity of reviewing experience, challenges with establishing a rapport‐building tone in their review writing or a different understanding of what type of language is destructive and demeaning. Given the amount of time, effort and care that authors pour into their manuscripts, it can be easier to visualise reviewer 2s as Scrooge‐like curmudgeons whose purpose in life is to bring misery to other scholars. In this manuscript, the authors use their experience in Medical Education's editorial internship as a framing to create a caricature of the miserly reviewer 2. The authors hope that by creating such an absurd lampoon, they encourage readers to consider that most reviewer 2s are simply in need of coaching rather than personality transplants. Tired of all the bullying, past Medical Education interns come to Reviewer 2's defence, presenting them as the hero of academic publishing while sharing tips for embracing your inner curmudgeon. #MedEducUnleashed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Medical Education is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: How to be reviewer 2: Lessons in academic curmudgeonry.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kinnear%2C+Benjamin%22">Kinnear, Benjamin</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Govender%2C+Lynelle%22">Govender, Lynelle</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> lynelle.govender@uct.ac.za</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Church%2C+Helen+R%2E%22">Church, Helen R.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Medical+Education%22">Medical Education</searchLink>. Jan2026, Vol. 60 Issue 1, p79-81. 3p.
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  Data: Academic publishing is both incredibly rewarding for authors and fraught with frustration and challenges. One such challenge is navigating critical peer reviews that can seem demeaning, condescending, or outright cruel. Colloquially, such reviews have been personified as "reviewer 2" on social media and in the literature. While some reviewer 2s may belittle authors on purpose, we believe most unintentionally do so due to a paucity of reviewing experience, challenges with establishing a rapport‐building tone in their review writing or a different understanding of what type of language is destructive and demeaning. Given the amount of time, effort and care that authors pour into their manuscripts, it can be easier to visualise reviewer 2s as Scrooge‐like curmudgeons whose purpose in life is to bring misery to other scholars. In this manuscript, the authors use their experience in Medical Education's editorial internship as a framing to create a caricature of the miserly reviewer 2. The authors hope that by creating such an absurd lampoon, they encourage readers to consider that most reviewer 2s are simply in need of coaching rather than personality transplants. Tired of all the bullying, past Medical Education interns come to Reviewer 2's defence, presenting them as the hero of academic publishing while sharing tips for embracing your inner curmudgeon. #MedEducUnleashed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Medical Education is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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              Text: Jan2026
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