To accept or reject? A guide to peer reviewing of medical journal papers

Background Scientists and clinicians are often called upon to review papers and may need guidance to optimize their performance as reviewers. Purpose To provide guidance and insight into the peer review process and elaborate on issues relevant to journals dealing with therapeutics. Methods Issues and recommendations appearing in the literature have been identified and summarized for potential reviewers and readers of the journal. Conclusions The quality of the literature can be improved through the participation of peer reviewers. Guidance has been provided and some resources listed to assist.