Writing high-quality reviews is a professional skill. As with any skill, strong performance depends not only on underlying ability but also how that ability is applied during learning experiences to develop skills over time (Ackerman, Reference Ackerman2023). Yet, as the focal article highlights (Allen et al., Reference Allen, French, Avery, King and Wiernik2026), reviewer learning experiences currently seem to range from inconsistent to nonexistent. The lack of consistent reviewer development experiences belies a flawed underlying assumption that strong research abilities will translate into skilled reviewing. Through the lens of the science of workplace learning, we can reimagine reviewers’ skill acquisition and development as an ongoing learning process worthy of our field’s attention.
