Kids review articles written by scientists, that’s the idea behind Frontiers for Young Minds, an open-access scientific journal for children. How strict are these young reviewers with the researchers?

I love one quote from a researcher where he said: „This is the most fun peer review I’ve ever had – and also the toughest.” Kids don’t filter. If they don’t understand, they will tell you; if they’re bored, they will tell you.

What do the kids criticize the most?

The explanation of the discovery or process is usually clear, but the context is lacking. The children want to know why the research is being conducted. Why is it important? Why should I care about this in the world of science? We passionately believe that anything can be explained. We just have to find the right way of doing so.

The children are quite young, ranging in age from eight to fifteen. How do you ensure that the research articles are not too difficult for them to understand? 

Initially our editors ensure that the reading level is appropriate. The authors write about their research in a kid-friendly format of about 1500 words based on the guidelines we provide for them.

We ask the authors if they are aiming for the eight-to-eleven or twelve-to-fifteen age groups. Depending on the age group, a very different language is required.

We use the Flesch–Kincaid grade reading level software to check the readability of the first draft^[1]. Based on the vocabulary and sentence structure, the software tells us what age group the text is suitable for. 

At what point do the kids step in?

The peer review process is handled like a typical academic journal: every paper we receive is assigned a handling editor.They have their own network of Science Mentors. These are adults with PhDs and relevant expertise in science, who lead the peer-review process with the children. It’s a very collaborative and constructive process. The Science Mentors work locally with the Young Reviewers, to help them understand and comment on the articles.

How exactly do the mentors help the kids with understanding the text?

They help them by guiding the Young Reviewers through a questionnaire which we provide for the children to complete. The feedback is sent directly to the author using our interactive platform, ‚The Collaborative Peer Review‘.

The author and handling editor can then respond to the children’s questions.

This is hugely beneficial to our Young Reviewers. They get to interact with active scientists and gain insight into their thought processes. They can ask more questions and have a second round of the review if needed. 

Once the author has made all necessary edits and two different Science Mentors and their Young Reviewers are satisfied, the paper can be published.

Why does understanding a peer review process matter for an eight-year-old?

Being able to identify a reliable source of information is a valuable skill for children to learn. This is especially important today, when fake news and misinformation are widespread. Therefore, it is important for Science Mentors to discuss with children why researchers go through the process of validation by other researchers and the importance of trusted online sources.

How do scientists benefit from being peer reviewed by children?

The further researchers progress in their career, the more they are encouraged to communicate with a select group of peers working in the same field. This community has a very niche jargon and is full of assumptions. By that time, you may have forgotten how to communicate in layman’s terms. 

If you can explain your work to children, you can explain it to anyone. This gives scientists more confidence to communicate their research through different channels as well.

They love that thousands of people are reading their work. Currently, our average is over 33,000 readers per paper. When scientists publish in their peer-review community, only a couple of hundred people globally will genuinely understand that paper.

Who are the readers, beyond other children?

People aged 18 to 24 who are going into university and postgraduate students are reading our articles to gain an understanding of the new areas they are studying. This is inspiring for scientists because they realise that they are helping a whole new generation of scientists to develop that fundamental understanding.

Do you select the scientists as authors, or do they contact you?

Either way is possible – researchers can approach us with a proposal. We mainly focus on collaborations with scientific institutions to produce article Collections, authored by their network of researchers, on popular topics that children want to learn about. We have just completed a second volume on climate change with the IPCC(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), led by the authors of the most recent IPCC report.

Have any of your first Young Reviewers become scientists themselves?

Yes! To celebrate our tenth anniversary in 2024, we interviewed some of our earliest Young Reviewers. 

One of them is now studying for a postgraduate degree in neuroscience at a university in the United States. She said: „ It was a huge advantage to know how to process scientific language, without being intimidated by it, making it accessible. And it actually empowers kids, you feel like you are important – that is what Prof. Knight [the founder] wanted and that is what I see ten years on. This is the best resource someone could have – I don’t know if I would have pursued neuroscience if it were not for reviewing and reading these articles.“ 

It is wonderful to receive this feedback that we are making real impact in our young people’s lives.

^[1] More on the Flesch-Score in our recent interview with the platform „KlarPSY“.