Do you have a training video for reviewers?

Reviewer Training Video, March 2025

If I can't review the self-study (e.g., don't have time), how do I decline?

Start the review, and one of the first questions the review form asks is if you can do the review. If you answer No, then the rest of the review questions are hidden, and you are given a text box to let the review chair know why you are declining the review

I see that I can mark the review as a conflict. What does that mean?

This can be used to mark the review as a conflict of interest (e.g., you used to work with the program director that you are being asked to review). However, we would prefer that you just start the review, and No to the first question, and then use the text box to indicate why you feel there might be a conflict.

Why do I need to tell the review form I'm the lead reviewer?

After answering Yes to the first question, you will be asked if you are the lead reviewer. If you are the lead reviewer, you will get additional notifications (e.g, when other reviewers complete reviews). Due to limitations in the automations that are part of the Apply system, the lead reviewer email address is not part of the initial reviewer assignment.

Why are reviewer assignments tentative?

All review requests are tentative because reviewers can answer No to the first question and skip the rest of the review. When that happens, the review chair is notified and they will assign another reviewer. Therefore, reviewer assignments are tentative until initial reviews are completed.

Can I see the review comments that the other reviewers have entered?

Reviews are done independently for the most part. You can see when other reviewers have completed their reviews, but the content of the review is saved for the next review stage where they are combined into a single review by the lead reviewer.

Does the training program know who the reviewers are?

The program will know who the reviewers are after the lead reviewer merges the initial reviews into a clarification request. They will then have an opportunity to respond to the reviewer comments and also make modifications to their self-study.

Can I see the contact information for the other reviewers?

When viewing the review form, you can click on the Reviews tab of the application to see names of other reviewers. Their email address is also supposed to be there and we have filed a help ticket to find out why that is not happening as expected.

As the lead reviewer, I would like to see the other reviewers’ comments before I finalize my review. How do I do that?

After every reviewer completes their initial review, comments are automatically passed into a finalization stage, where the lead reviewer can see all comments and combine them into a single review.