Over the years, many JOVS reviewers have made outstanding contributions to the peer review process. They demonstrated professional effort and enthusiasm in their reviews and provided comments that genuinely help the authors to enhance their work.

Hereby, we would like to highlight some of our outstanding reviewers, with a brief interview of their thoughts and insights as a reviewer. Allow us to express our heartfelt gratitude for their tremendous effort and valuable contributions to the scientific process.

December, 2021
Hiromitsu Takizawa, University of Tokushima, Japan  

August, 2022
Yuichiro Ueda, Fukuoka University, Japan 

December, 2021

Hiromitsu Takizawa

Dr. Hiromitsu Takizawa is a Professor of Department of Thoracic, Endocrine Surgery and Oncology, Institute of Health Bioscience, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan. He became a board certified surgeon of The Japanese Association for Chest Surgery in 2008 and has been working as a staff surgeon at Tokushima University Hospital. He has been a chief of General Thoracic Surgery at Tokushima University Hospital since 2016. His main research theme is focusing on developing technologies of visualization for lung cancer surgery which include sentinel node navigation surgery, autofluorescence imaging for visceral pleural invasion of lung cancer, and bronchoscopic metallic coil marking for peripheral small lung lesions.

Peer review, according to Dr. Takizawa, is one of the important processes in determining whether the selection of research subjects and methods, the interpretation and analysis of results, and the conclusions drawn from them are appropriate. Through peer review, scientific papers are evaluated for their novelty and impact on the research area. Even if the paper is judged to be worthy of publication, the expert’s critical or encouraging comments will help to further improve the accuracy and value of the paper.

Speaking of the qualities a reviewer should possess, Dr. Takizawa believes that abundant knowledge in the research area and ability to perceive the validity of the research are important. Reviewers are required to have the ability to calmly analyze data, as researchers sometimes misinterpret results due to bias.

We should be aware of the fact that no researcher is free of Conflict of Interest (COI). To Dr. Takizawa, research results are always biased by different levels of COI. Therefore, it is essential to disclose the COI, and the readers should critically decipher the research results while taking that information into consideration.

“Our dedication to peer review should contribute to the advancement of science and our own growth,” says Dr. Takizawa.

(By Brad Li, Eunice X. Xu)

August, 2022

Yuichiro Ueda

Yuichiro Ueda currently serves at Department of General Thoracic, Breast and Pediatric Surgery, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Japan. His basic research is to investigate the field of regenerative medicine using biomaterial, including an artificial trachea and a novel spigot for bronchial occlusion. The spigot promotes regeneration of bronchial epithelium. His clinical research focuses on investigating a precise sublobar resection (PSR) for lung cancer. To achieve PSR, he is conducting research on lung resection using RFID marking system. His recent project is researching a novel surgical robot with a haptic feedback function. He also focuses on the new generation of surgical robots providing a tactile sense.

Dr. Ueda believes that peer review is very important for the development and progress of scientific research. He thinks that the significance of peer review is to evaluate the validity of research, to further develop research, and to prevent errors in research results. It also promotes the dissemination of knowledge, and contributes to the advancement of various fields of study and practice. "Peer reviewers are never the names on the first page of a paper, but they play a major role in improving the quality of it,” says he.

From a reviewer’s perspective, Dr. Ueda indicates that before starting a study, reporting guidelines (e.g. STROBE, CONSORT) should be read and the study should be designed accordingly. Adherence to the guidelines will ensure the quality of the manuscripts.

(By Lareina Lim, Brad Li)