Support Neurodiverse Researchers - Peer Review Pilot

Author: Lucy Threadgold, Peer Review Lead, Emerald Publishing

If you're a neurodivergent author, reviewer, or editor, navigating the submission and peer review process can sometimes feel like an uphill climb. That’s why Emerald is trialling a new peer review pilot designed to make the process more inclusive and supportive. It’s part of our wider commitment to breaking down barriers in academic publishing and making research more accessible to everyone. 

This follows the formation of a dedicated Advisory Board to support neurodivergent authors, editors, and reviewers in academic publishing to ensure that their voices are platformed and prioritised as part of this pilot. 

Joining us as part of the Neuroinclusive Publishing Environment Advisory Board is:

• Rob Edwards. CEO of the Neurodiversity & Entrepreneurship Association
• Dr Sharon Zivkovic. Neurodivergent researcher, practitioner, and advocate with 14+ years in academia.
• Dr Karen Perham-Lippman. Senior Manager of Global Inclusion and Belonging at Otis Worldwide Corporation CDP and Emerald book author.
• Dr Melea Press. Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Associate Director of Connections with Practice at the University of Glasgow, UK.
• Dr. William E. Donald. Associate Professor at the University of Southampton

Business School, UK, and Co-Editor of Emerald journal, Career Development International.

• Verity Chester. Research Associate and RADiANT Network Manager for Hertfordshire Partnership NHS University Trust, UK, and Editor of Emerald journal, Advances in Autism.
• Jo Howorth. Strategic advisor and founder of ActuateYou, with over 20 years’

experience in higher education, innovation, and leadership. 

• Dr David Wilkinson. Director of Research Toolkit, based at the University of Leeds, UK
• Adrian Stanley. Publishing and research infrastructure expert with a focus on open science, metadata, and research integrity.

Utilising the expertise of Emerald’s Peer Review team and Advisory Board, the peer review pilot will run in two parts over the course of six months, and aims to improve processes by focusing on transparency, clear expectations, and more accessible policies that consider the different experiences that neurodiverse researchers may face. 

The pilot is set to begin in October 2025 and run until March 2026. Emerald’s Peer Review Editor teams will be working closely with the dedicated Advisory Board and will be gathering data and feedback from those involved. 

Moreover, the Peer Review Team will also test how emerging software can help support neurodiverse researchers, through automation of tedious processes or in providing additional support with submissions and reviews. 

If you are an editor of an Emerald journal and would like to be involved in this pilot or learn more about how we are supporting neurodiverse researchers, please contact us for further information at [email protected].