Article Peer-Reviewer Training (APT) Program
Purpose
The Article Peer-Reviewer Training (APT) program is a year-long mentored learning experience that aims to expand the pool of qualified reviewers of articles submitted for publication to ASHA journals. The program runs from January through December, annually. Specifically, the program aims to:
- support improvement in the quality and culture of peer review for the ASHA journals,
- enhance the knowledge and skills of scholars for serving as peer reviewers for the ASHA journals,
- give APT program participants mentored opportunities to practice writing reviews that provide constructive feedback to authors in a collegial spirit, and
- provide ongoing mechanisms for sustaining and enhancing reviewers’ skill sets.
The APT program is part of ASHA’s Academic & Research Mentoring (ARM) Network. The ARM Network offers programs for those who are considering, launching, and advancing academic-research careers in communication sciences and disorders (CSD). ASHA measures the impact of these programs by collecting participant outcomes data on participants’ continued engagement in a research career.
Participant Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must meet the following requirements at the time of application:
- Education
- Hold a research doctoral degree (e.g., PhD).
- Career Stage
- Be a postdoctoral fellow or
- Be an early- or mid- career researcher.
- Knowledge and Experience
- Have topic-relevant expertise in areas covered by the ASHA journals—these areas include the general field of communication sciences and disorders (CSD) and the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology as well as related topic areas.
- Have previously published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal (preference given to those who have been a senior/first author on at least one published article).
Applicants are not required to have prior peer review experience.
Individuals can only apply to do one of the following in a given year:
- Participate in the APT Program
- Serve as an Editorial Board Member
Program Format, Requirements, and Learning Outcomes
Format
The program is structured in a collaborative, mentor/mentee format. Participants are matched with a mentoring editor, who is an experienced editor with the ASHA Journals Program. Mentoring editors will work with up to two participants.
Requirements
During the year-long program, starting in January, APT program participants are expected to do the following:
- Complete learning modules asynchronously in the time allotted.
- Conduct approximately three to five mentored written reviews, incorporating feedback from their assigned mentoring editor.
- Participate in virtual, live training and networking events with fellow participants and mentoring editors throughout the duration of the program.
Learning Outcomes
After participating in the APT program, participants will be able to do the following:
- Effectively execute the roles and responsibilities of the peer reviewer.
- Convey feedback in a constructive manner with a collegial tone.
- Provide a theoretically neutral and unbiased peer review of a manuscript submitted to an ASHA journal for publication.
How to Apply
To apply, access the online application system during the application period, which opens in the first week of September. Complete the online form, upload the materials listed below, and submit the entire application by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, Friday, October 10, 2025.
Page limits do not include references. Pages should be 12-point font and single-spaced with 1-inch margins. All application materials must be uploaded as PDFs.
Required Submission Materials
Upload the following materials via the online application form:
- Personal Narrative and Research Focus (limited to 2 pages) that addresses the following:
- Why is this program a good fit for you?
- What do you hope to gain from the program?
- Briefly describe your research focus and direction over the next few years.
- Provide any further information that you want reviewers to know regarding your career trajectory, publication history, or any special circumstances affecting your history.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Be sure to include list of publications and journal review experience, if any.
If you have any questions, please contact ASHA's Academic Affairs & Research Education team at research@asha.org.
APT Program Education Committee
The APT program is planned and coordinated by two ASHA teams—the Academic Affairs and Research Education team and the Serial Publications and Editorial Services team—in consultation with the APT Program Education Committee, which serves to review the applications and provides subject matter expertise on learning components. The following ASHA members currently serve on the APT Program Education Committee.
Margaret T. Blake
University of Houston
Jamie Bogle
Mayo Clinic
Stephanie Borrie
Utah State University
Sumitrajit Dhar
Northwestern University
Leora Cherney
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Teresa Girolamo
San Diego State University
Shelley Gray
Arizona State University
Jenya Iuzzini-Seigel
Marquette University
Lori Leibold
Boys Town National Research Hospital
Monique Mills
University of Houston
Ignatius Nip
San Diego State University
Elizabeth Walker
The University of Iowa
