Letter Ahead of print
PubMed: 41973759 DOI: 10.17305/bb.2026.14271
Response to the Letter regarding "The role of reviewers in the era of systematic reviews and meta-analysis: A practical guide for researchers".
Biomol Biomed
Authors: Emir Begagić, Faruk Skenderi, Semir Vranić
Affiliations
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cantonal Hospital Zenica, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Biomolecules and Biomedicine, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Abstract
This response to the letter expands the discussion on the evolving demands of peer review for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. We emphasize that the main concern surrounding artificial intelligence is not its limited and disclosed use for language support, but undisclosed application and insufficient human verification, which may compromise citation accuracy, interpretation, and overall trustworthiness. We also argue that similarity reports should be interpreted contextually, particularly in evidence syntheses where standardized methodological language is unavoidable, and that low similarity does not necessarily exclude manuscript manipulation. Finally, we highlight reference verification as a central research-integrity challenge that should not rest on peer reviewers alone. Preserving the credibility of evidence synthesis requires shared responsibility across authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers.
MeSH
Language, Biomedical Research, Peer Review