Annually since 2009–2010, the JASMS Editors select the journal’s top manuscript reviewers. They are selected based on their performance in several categories: capacity, throughput, and quality of output. (This sounds like what we look for in a mass spectrometer, doesn’t it?) Our outstanding reviewers accept many review assignments (capacity), return their critiques quickly (throughput), and their comments always help to improve the manuscripts (quality). As stated in the Springer website,Footnote 1 peer review helps to ensure that manuscripts will be: (a) more robust by pointing out gaps that require more explanation or additional experiments, (b) easier to read, and (c) more useful to others in our field.

Our top performing reviewers for 2012–2013 were Hao Chen (Ohio University, Athens, OH), Nick Polfer (University of Florida, Gainesville, FL), Jentaie Shiea (National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan), and Sarah Trimpin (Wayne State University, Detroit, MI). The quality of the reviews submitted by Hao, Nick, Jentaie, and Sarah helped to improve the quality of the manuscripts published by JASMS. As always, we are indebted to all reviewers who volunteer their time to improve journal manuscripts, and authors for continuing to support JASMS.

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SHao Chen and Jentaie Shiea (top row); Michael Gross, Sarah Trimpin, and Nick Polfer (bottom picture) – photo courtesy of Sue Weintraub).