In 2025, ABS reviewers continue to make 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.
Guido Firmani, Sapienza University, Italy
Guido Firmani
Guido Firmani is a plastic surgeon currently based at the plastic surgery unit of Piacenza in northern Italy. He also works as a lecturer at Sapienza University where he has graduated with honors and obtained his specialist title. His main research areas revolve around plastic surgery of the breast with focuses of microsurgery, as well as breast implant safety.
ABS: Why do we need peer review? What is so important about it?
Dr. Firmani: The peer-review process safekeeps the integrity of medical research and the scientific method in general. It protects from misinformation by critically evaluating claims and evidence. It also sets a standard of quality, credibility, and reliability of academic and professional work which must be taken into consideration all the while holding researchers accountable to the scrutiny from their peers and experts in any given subject. It is essential for maintaining innovations amenable to valid scientific criticism and transparency.
ABS: What reviewers have to bear in mind while reviewing papers?
Dr. Firmani: Reviewers must bear in mind that they are interacting with peers and as such, criticism must be laid in a constructive manner with genuine valuable suggestions to improve their work, which can strengthen their arguments, clarify ideas, and refine their methodologies. The goal is not to admonish potentially innovative concepts or gatekeep new ideas. However, the importance of sound scientific rigor is absolute and must be applied to all with the same standards and the same transparency.
ABS: Is it important for authors to disclose Conflict of Interest (COI)?
Dr. Firmani: It is extremely important for researchers to acknowledge any potential COI for the sake of transparency and to strengthen academic integrity. To maintain this transparency is to uphold the values of honesty and fairness in research and to maintain trust with the readers, other reviewers, editors and the scientific community in general. This allows the readership to assess the credibility of the findings and helps preventing undue influence from possible financial ties to a company benefiting from the research outcome.
(by Lareina Lim, Brad Li)
